At Home in Brittany

A Snip in Time

Here I go again; another appointment with a hairdresser, another attempt to keep an hair of Englishness about my style. (Pardon the pun). I must have chalked up at least twelve since it became a mission several years ago to establish myself with an eminent “coiffeur” ou “coiffeuse”; I’m not fussy. 

 

Or am I? Most things in Brittany I can usually accept easily with regards to them being French or Breton but, hairdressers evoke in me a sense of paranoia.  Is it just me; who invariably is subject to a cut and style that by no stretch of the imagination resembles the one chosen from among the pictures ‘ma coiffeuse’ proffered? Am I the  only one after giving precise instructions on the subtle tones of a colour to be applied in order to maintain a “natural look”; finds herself looking at a reflection in a mirror that suggests she may have to lie low for a few weeks?

 

As I tentatively walk towards my latest choice of hairdressers; charmingly called “Coiff Zen”, I cast my mind back to my first encounter with French hairdressers. Shortly after we had arrived in Brittany, very conveniently I found a little salon had opened up in a village nearby; and being new to the ways of French style I considered one hairdresser in an unsophisticated establishment would be a simpler right of passage to contend with than those found in the larger towns.

 

Team Breton – Installing Under Floor Heating

Heating the old Breton houses can be quite a challenge and the choice is often dictated by the cost of initial installation as opposed to the benefits long term. I have recently been helping a neighbour to prepare his Breton longhouse for the installation of under floor heating and it has been quite a learning curve for me in terms of the local methodology, the size of farmer’s midday meals, language immersion and the incredible ‘all for one’ culture of the Breton people

 

My neighbour, Jean-Paul’s house already had oil fired central heating but ensuring a consistent heat throughout is always a challenge in these stone built houses. Despite the fact that most of them have had internal insulating walls built to retain the heat, high ceilings and open stairwells mean heat loss is still a problem. Open fires are often used to supplement the background heat provided by central heating; such is the case in my neighbours house.

 

So after much planning it was decide to commence the installation of under floor heating throughout the ground floor. Phase one of the plan was to excavate the existing floor down to a depth of 45 cm which involved removing the existing floor tiles, the concrete base and then whatever we found under that. So large Kango Hammers were duly hired and battle commenced.

 

It was as we started this initial phase that I started to appreciate just how things are done in rural Breton communities, as if from nowhere people started arriving with shovels and wheelbarrows to remove Jean-Paul’s floor. You have heard of Barn-raising well this was ‘floor raising’ Breton style. At midday it was down tools and everyone gathered around the trestle table for the traditional farming three course meal with home made cider of course.

 

This routine continued for the next three days until the smell of fresh earth flowed through the ground floor. I have to admit that at this stage I would have been a bit concerned as we had by now exposed a considerable amount of stone wall below the old floor level. The internal insulating walls were hanging in midair held in place by the minimum of support. But as I have now discovered such “apparently minor problems” do not faze the DIY Breton.

 

Problems in the Gardens of Brittany

Nearly June and already the gardening is in full swing here in Brittany with everything, including the weeds springing into life. The lawn is growing far too rapidly and this week my beloved garden tractor decided it did not want to leave the shed. This had the signs of being a major disaster and already I could feel my back start to twinge at the thought of mowing the estate with my standby ‘Flymo’.

 

After an hour I had convinced myself the problem was something electrical and started tracing the current from the battery through the ignition to the starter motor. No immediate cause of the failure was apparent so depression started to set in and in desperation I decided to consult the internet. OK so how do I search for the answer? ‘Tractor will not start’? No, likely to get into the farming forums, how about ‘ride on mower electrical problem’. Bingo! loads of listings describing similar problems to my own, strange how so many Americans seem to spend so long on the net discussing their garden tractor problems!

 

Saints, Legends and Churches

After a few years of acclimatising to the rhythm of life in Brittany, it is relatively easy to become complacent about the community we have settled in.  Fortunately, every now and then something jumps out at you and reminds you not to take for granted the culture you derive so much pleasure from; or the origins of that culture. 

 

It was catching sight of an unidentifiable saint, (there are a great many of them in Brittany) embedded in the wall above a continuous flow of clear water from a spring; that sparked a renewed interest in churches. Where there is a church (or chapel) there is a saint and where there is a saint there is always an embroidered story.

 

As my little dog took a life saving drink at the unidentified saint’s spring after our exploratory walk in the little village of Loguivy-les-Lannion I felt compelled to look more closely at the church.

 

Snuggled in the small neat village is a higgledy-piggledy construction of a 15^th century church which suggests because of the towers a Romanesque influence with a bit of Byzantine thrown in for good measure.

‘Passing Through’ the Toilets of Bretagne

Anyone who has visited France will know that visiting a public or commercial convenience can be a challenging experience which should not be attempted by the faint hearted. Right from the start you have to accept that there is a cultural difference which I believe stems from the (le droit de l’homme)  the   ‘The Rights of Man’ which in some way explains the desire for French men to relieve themselves wherever and whenever they feel the need. This display of manhood can be seen in the singular but more often than not it is exercised as a group activity, clearly part of a bonding process!

 

This historical disregard for privacy during ‘toilette’ activity goes some way towards the explanation for the lack of separation in the majority of public toilets, between women and men’s facilities. It can be quite a shock for the English tourist to discover that not only are the facilities shared, but women have to pass the men’s urinal to reach the toilet cubicles. On many occasions I have had to check the absence of men before my wife will enter and then whistle a patriotic theme if one arrives whilst she is in residence; I find the ‘La Marseillaise’ is most appropriate.

French Health Care System – Can it Survive the Excess and Poor Administration?

As a paid up member of the French Health System for the past seven years I cannot help but be impressed by the level and professionalism of the front line service. However as a user, one cannot fail to observe the serious flaws in the way that the system is being administered which will inevitably lead to increased overall costs and a reduction in the quality and availability of the service in the long term.

 

Much has been written about the membership of the French Health System by other EU citizens and the eventual compromise reached in 2007/8 described in some detail on the British Embassy and French Government Health web site. Therefore in this post I wish only to pass observations on my concerns for the future of the system surrounding the administration from the viewpoint of a user.

 

Ankou a Legend from Brittany

A formidable character, steeped in the legends of many cultures, under different names, is known as Ankou in Brittany; and plays a strong part in its folklore.

This reaper of souls pervades; not only as a creature of fantasy into the Breton culture, but once represented more than just a figment of people’s imagination. He is even distinguished enough to appear amongst the effigy’s of saints in Ploumilliau (a village in North West Brittany) church; a tangible reminder of the strong beliefs of a bygone time. But with a host of other bogey-men to choose from why choose Ankou?

Anatole le Braz was a late nineteenth century early twentieth century collector and translator of Breton stories and songs. Not only do they provide cosy fireside reading but they also allow us to be privy to a way of life in Breton communities, burdened by strong superstitious influences.  

The Tragedy of the Green Tide

This sounds like the title of a good book, but it is in fact a tragic story of mans continuing desire for progress and prosperity without consideration for the effect on the environment.

 

When we arrived in Brittany in 2002 we were continually amazed at the beauty of the Breton landscape and in particular the coastline; which in our area of the Pink Granite Coast is stunning. One of the most impressive coastal areas is the Bay of St Michel en Grève, which has one of the longest continuous beaches in Brittany. In July each year it is used for harness horse racing, due mainly to the long flat beach which is available when the tide exits the bay.

 

Over the past seven years this stunning coastal tourist destination has changed into an enormous green bed of slime, emitting a pungent odour as soon as the sun starts to warm the seas. In the spring, with rising temperatures and excess nitrogen (nitrate) arriving on the coast, the algae  begin to reproduce. It is an environmental nightmare which has descended on the peaceful bay and its residents, who for their part have been trying to stimulate the authorities into action against those thought to be responsible.

 

Another Fine Mess in Brittany

Catching sight of a new, shiny, spotlessly clean septic tank (fosse-septic) being installed at a neighbour’s house recently, brought back vivid memories of what happened when the time came for us to empty ours.

It was only a year after we had settled into our country life when we were reliably informed by an expert (a farmer who had lived since time began in a nearby farm) that it was overdue for la vidange (emptying). As it transpired he was right.

 The following morning in the bathroom the toilet refused to flush away its contents.

“It must be blocked,” my husband said throwing me an accusing look.

Later that day gloved and goggled he and our son approached the “very green area” at the rear of the house where the inspection lid was located.  It was a very inopportune time to have a sanitary problem as my parent had chosen this particular moment to have a little holiday with us; preferably in contemplative tranquillity. 

Eating Out On a Budget in Brittany

I expect all the ex-pats in Brittany are having to tighten their belts due to the falling value of the Pound, but do not despair; you can still enjoy one of the greatest pleasures of living in France, eating out. Okay you may not be able to enjoy the luxury of haute cuisine or the delights of a ‘fruits de mer’, but it is still possible to have a three course meal and a glass of wine for between 8 to 10 euros if you know where to go.

 

The first venues I would recommend is best described as the ‘the white van restaurants’, every small hamlet and village has a restaurant that provides midday meals targeted towards the mobile artisan. There are however no restrictions on who is served and they are happy to receive tourists, locals and the odd ex-pat that happens to be passing. The menu is fairly restrictive, referred to usually as ‘la formule’ i.e. a choice of two to three main meals at the set price. A typical meal would consist of small buffet starter, usually salad, followed by Steak and frites or fish with vegetables, followed by a choice of dessert or cheese and fresh bread. Bottles of the house red and white are placed on the table to be shared amongst the diners.