Brittany, France
Published in Woman's Weekly magazine 9th August 2011
Published in Woman's Weekly magazine 9th August 2011
Brittany: Gastronomy and Gardens
We have all heard about the comic opera The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan and watched Johnny Depp in the fantasy-adventure film, Pirates of the Caribbean but you maybe unfamiliar with the swashbuckling pirates from St Malo in Brittany, France. The Corsairs, to give them their proper name, were a band of profiteers who sailed the high seas in search of easy pickings from any unfortunate English or Dutch merchant ships that happened to cross their path. It was such a lucrative business that even the King of France wanted a share of the booty and their acts of piracy were actually sanctioned as a legal enterprise under a state licence. Many made their fortune and proceeded to build luxury mansions called Malouinières outside the city gates where they lived the lives of country gentlemen.
Today, the French authorities like to steer a more conciliatory route through this passage of their history but judging by the amount of pirate paraphernalia on sale in St Malo, the independent spirit of adventure still burns strong among the locals. They are proud of their seafaring heritage, which can best be described in their old motto “Neither Breton, nor French, but from St Malo am I”.
Situated along the westernmost tip of France, this region of Brittany including Rennes and Dinard has been a popular holiday destination with the British for many years. It encapsulates much of what we like best about the country - great food, fantastic beaches, ancient towns and bustling markets yet it remains reassuringly familiar and accessible.
For my recent visit, I decided to mix my love of gastronomy and gardens with a splash of culture and headed to the unlikely suburban setting of La Richardais between Dinard and St Malo to view the extraordinary museum and sculpture garden of the late Pierre Manoli. I was lucky enough to be shown around by Britt Manoli, the artist’s widow and sometime muse who opened his workshop to the public after the artist’s death in 2001. Her love for Pierre was all to clear to see as she recounted stories of their life together and I was deeply touched by her remarkable enthusiasm and energy at keeping the collection intact. Around 300 of his sculptures are arranged throughout the property themed mainly around his interest in the human figure and nature.
http://www.manoli.org
Nature on a grand scale was my next port of call at Les Jardins du Montmarin whose chateau, park and gardens have been listed as National Monuments. Prettily situated along the left bank of the Rance estuary, Montmarin has been described as an elegant Malouinières property famed for its gardens in both the French and English styles. Rare plants in mixed borders compete for your attention against a series of lawned terraces that slope gently down to the estuary. For keen gardeners looking for inspiration, the nursery area offers a good selection of plants for sale.
http://www.domaine-du-montmarin.com
I enjoyed a guided tour of the manor house and grounds at the nearby Malouinières de la Ville Bague in Saint-Coulomb with the charming Marie Hélène Chauveau, whose family restored the property after years of neglect. She cheerfully showed me their sizable collection of C18th weapons, which were frequently used in raids on shipping by the corsairs who became popularly known by the locals as merchant traders!
www.la-ville-bague.com
I spotted the violent remains of a more recent conflict when I stayed at the C18th Chateau Hotel du Colombier situated on the outskirts of St Malo. This former maison de plaisance was once a ship owner’s country house but was requisitioned by the Germans in WW2 as a military hospital and some bullet-damaged paintings still hang on the dinning room walls as a reminder of its more recent use.
www.chateaulecolombier.com
For food lovers, this area of France is renowned for the quality of its local produce from both land and sea. To discover some the regions finest eateries I consulted the restaurant association “Les Escales Gourmandes en côte e d’Emeraude” whose mission is to promote chefs who are passionate about their profession and united in showcasing their love of the regional cuisine.
http://www.escales-gourmandes.com
I would also recommend setting aside a few hours to enjoy a gourmet walking tour around the old city of St Malo. Our English-speaking guide took us to a variety of small establishments who were only too pleased to share their expertise and produce. We began our tour at The Spice Box, run by the 3 star Michelin chef, Olivier Roellinger who knew a thing or two about flavours and fragrances. The master chocolatier and pastry chief, Dennis Galland showed us how he made the famous Breton butter-cake called Kouign Amann in his bakery whilst monsieur Jean-Yves Bordier made butter that is like no other I have ever tasted and many foodies consider to be the best in France. You must try the highly acclaimed seaweed butter or sample the smoke- salted variety that tastes amazing with roast meats. To round the tour off, we were taken to the St Jean Abbey Cellar where we spent a pleasant half hour sampling a selection of the local apple and pear ciders. Delicious.
Emeraude Guides :
Tel: +33 (0)2 99 40 93 44
Email: emeraude.guide@wanadoo.fr
Continuing on the food theme, don’t miss one of the biggest food markets in France called “Le Marché des Lices” held every Saturday morning at Rennes.
The Lices market is “a must-see” of local life where everyone comes to shop and socialise. The market attracts over 300 producers from all over the region selling anything from flowers, fruit and vegetables, seafood, meat, cheeses and bread. Before leaving, you must try the traditional galette-saucisse (sausage wrapped in a buckwheat pancake), which are so popular with the locals that they are even mentioned in a song called “Pancake sausage I love you” sung by the local football club supporters at Stade Rennais.
Fact Box
Chris was a guest of the Chamber of Commerce of Saint-Malo and the Haute-Bretagne Ille-et-Vilaine tourist board and the restaurant network “Escales gourmandes”
http://www.bretagne.com
http://www.saint-malo-tourisme.com
http://www.tourisme-rennes.com
http://www.brittanytourism.com
Atout France - France Tourism Development Agency
Tel: 090 68 244 123 (60p/min at all times)
http://www.franceguide.com
We have all heard about the comic opera The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan and watched Johnny Depp in the fantasy-adventure film, Pirates of the Caribbean but you maybe unfamiliar with the swashbuckling pirates from St Malo in Brittany, France. The Corsairs, to give them their proper name, were a band of profiteers who sailed the high seas in search of easy pickings from any unfortunate English or Dutch merchant ships that happened to cross their path. It was such a lucrative business that even the King of France wanted a share of the booty and their acts of piracy were actually sanctioned as a legal enterprise under a state licence. Many made their fortune and proceeded to build luxury mansions called Malouinières outside the city gates where they lived the lives of country gentlemen.
Today, the French authorities like to steer a more conciliatory route through this passage of their history but judging by the amount of pirate paraphernalia on sale in St Malo, the independent spirit of adventure still burns strong among the locals. They are proud of their seafaring heritage, which can best be described in their old motto “Neither Breton, nor French, but from St Malo am I”.
Situated along the westernmost tip of France, this region of Brittany including Rennes and Dinard has been a popular holiday destination with the British for many years. It encapsulates much of what we like best about the country - great food, fantastic beaches, ancient towns and bustling markets yet it remains reassuringly familiar and accessible.
For my recent visit, I decided to mix my love of gastronomy and gardens with a splash of culture and headed to the unlikely suburban setting of La Richardais between Dinard and St Malo to view the extraordinary museum and sculpture garden of the late Pierre Manoli. I was lucky enough to be shown around by Britt Manoli, the artist’s widow and sometime muse who opened his workshop to the public after the artist’s death in 2001. Her love for Pierre was all to clear to see as she recounted stories of their life together and I was deeply touched by her remarkable enthusiasm and energy at keeping the collection intact. Around 300 of his sculptures are arranged throughout the property themed mainly around his interest in the human figure and nature.
http://www.manoli.org
Nature on a grand scale was my next port of call at Les Jardins du Montmarin whose chateau, park and gardens have been listed as National Monuments. Prettily situated along the left bank of the Rance estuary, Montmarin has been described as an elegant Malouinières property famed for its gardens in both the French and English styles. Rare plants in mixed borders compete for your attention against a series of lawned terraces that slope gently down to the estuary. For keen gardeners looking for inspiration, the nursery area offers a good selection of plants for sale.
http://www.domaine-du-montmarin.com
I enjoyed a guided tour of the manor house and grounds at the nearby Malouinières de la Ville Bague in Saint-Coulomb with the charming Marie Hélène Chauveau, whose family restored the property after years of neglect. She cheerfully showed me their sizable collection of C18th weapons, which were frequently used in raids on shipping by the corsairs who became popularly known by the locals as merchant traders!
www.la-ville-bague.com
I spotted the violent remains of a more recent conflict when I stayed at the C18th Chateau Hotel du Colombier situated on the outskirts of St Malo. This former maison de plaisance was once a ship owner’s country house but was requisitioned by the Germans in WW2 as a military hospital and some bullet-damaged paintings still hang on the dinning room walls as a reminder of its more recent use.
www.chateaulecolombier.com
For food lovers, this area of France is renowned for the quality of its local produce from both land and sea. To discover some the regions finest eateries I consulted the restaurant association “Les Escales Gourmandes en côte e d’Emeraude” whose mission is to promote chefs who are passionate about their profession and united in showcasing their love of the regional cuisine.
http://www.escales-gourmandes.com
I would also recommend setting aside a few hours to enjoy a gourmet walking tour around the old city of St Malo. Our English-speaking guide took us to a variety of small establishments who were only too pleased to share their expertise and produce. We began our tour at The Spice Box, run by the 3 star Michelin chef, Olivier Roellinger who knew a thing or two about flavours and fragrances. The master chocolatier and pastry chief, Dennis Galland showed us how he made the famous Breton butter-cake called Kouign Amann in his bakery whilst monsieur Jean-Yves Bordier made butter that is like no other I have ever tasted and many foodies consider to be the best in France. You must try the highly acclaimed seaweed butter or sample the smoke- salted variety that tastes amazing with roast meats. To round the tour off, we were taken to the St Jean Abbey Cellar where we spent a pleasant half hour sampling a selection of the local apple and pear ciders. Delicious.
Emeraude Guides :
Tel: +33 (0)2 99 40 93 44
Email: emeraude.guide@wanadoo.fr
Continuing on the food theme, don’t miss one of the biggest food markets in France called “Le Marché des Lices” held every Saturday morning at Rennes.
The Lices market is “a must-see” of local life where everyone comes to shop and socialise. The market attracts over 300 producers from all over the region selling anything from flowers, fruit and vegetables, seafood, meat, cheeses and bread. Before leaving, you must try the traditional galette-saucisse (sausage wrapped in a buckwheat pancake), which are so popular with the locals that they are even mentioned in a song called “Pancake sausage I love you” sung by the local football club supporters at Stade Rennais.
Fact Box
Chris was a guest of the Chamber of Commerce of Saint-Malo and the Haute-Bretagne Ille-et-Vilaine tourist board and the restaurant network “Escales gourmandes”
http://www.bretagne.com
http://www.saint-malo-tourisme.com
http://www.tourisme-rennes.com
http://www.brittanytourism.com
Atout France - France Tourism Development Agency
Tel: 090 68 244 123 (60p/min at all times)
http://www.franceguide.com
