Thursday, May 21, 2015

Travel France: More on Brittany, Quimper



I thought I would learn more about the Bretons from the Museum in Quimper, but frankly I didn't. The museum near the cathedral had paintings mostly, and only some were on Breton subject matters. The paintings  showed pictures of the sea, farming, and women wearing their local garb.



Driving around as tourists (meaning we are going in and out of hotels, restaurants, tourists spots, shops), we meet people who appear and behave (at least to me) like other French people.  I do not discern anything distinctive about the Bretons I may have met. I repeat that my contact with the people here is minimal.  


Bretons are Celtic in background, having settled in this area in the  fifth and sixth centuries AD. They fled the Anglo-Saxons in their native Britain. 

Brittany was independently governed until 1532, when it was annexed to France. The Bretons are predominantly Catholics.

The Breton language had been largely suppressed and made a revival in the 1990s when Bretons were focused on preserving their culture and language.  I suspect is a case where a dominant culture overwhelms another.  


Surrounded on three sides by water, Bretons have a close relationship with the sea. But they also plant vegetables, raise pigs and cows. 

The sceneries of the sea, coast, and land are stunningly beautiful. The sea looks like it could be ferocious, but that can also be attractive. 

I am sharing some pictures taken at Quimper and surrounding areas: the place we are staying in, the museum in Quimper, a medieval town, some school children, a fishing boat, an old windmill, a group picture of the three of us, and my picture with a "pirate." 














Read also
Coast of Brittany
Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, UNESCO and Pilgrim Site
Normandy Beaches and World War II
Bayeux Tapestry, Cathedral, Norman-Saxon History
Dog in a Restaurant - Bistro des Artistes, Honfleur, France
Pilgrimage to Therese of Lisieux Sites
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