Beautiful Brittany Photo Tour

Beautiful Brittany
At the very end of Europe westward, Brittany is the Celtic part of France,
its supplement of Soul and its most ancient memory. «Arvorig» as we say
in the Breton langage, still very present here, the Land of the Sea, is
surrounded by beautiful coasts of rock or sand, adorned with harbours and
islands, rich with ancient pre-celtic archeology (cairns, menhirs, dolmens),
medieval chapels, churches and cathedrals, as far as traces of WW2, a
place to take refuge or a place to leave to other shores. A place to live with
cultural traditions, arthurian myths, music and dance in particular. Like
English Cornwall, its flag is Black and White, an invitation to come back
to the origins of photography (and to enjoy wheat or buckwheat Breton
crepes) when the climate remembers us to be Oceanic… as the feeling that
invades us here, to take up Victor Hugo’s word («Sentiment océanique»).
When the sky and the weather decide, the sea and the lanscapes can
change very quick offering the photographers beautiful lights, colours and
athmospheres to seize in the famous «Instant décisif» as theorized by
Henri Cartier-Bresson. The ancient Celts worshipped Death (Ankou) and
the Sun (Heol) and believed in eternity of the Soul through many bodies
and natural reigns. They also used to say that «Everything is deeply united
by the tread of poetry.»
We will try and find the Awen, the inspiration of the ancient druids, in
contact with nature, art, history and the 5 elements.
«Bretagne est Univers» and here the origins join the end.
The Monts d'Arrée:
the last massif in the world before the New World is studded with parish
enclosures whose grey granite slowly returns to the elements and crypts
housing intact polychrome masterpieces. The forest of Huelgoat with its
spectacular and evocative rocks is associated with Arthurian legends.
Crozon peninsula:
In the natural park of Armorique, the alignments of menhirs of Lagatjiar ,
next to a famous natural site, have the age of the pyramids. The small port
of Camaret, the cliffs of Pen-Hir and the mountain of Menez Hom are
some of the attractions.
Quimper and Cornouaille
The historic city of Quimper is the capital of French Cornwall. The Pointe
de la Torche, a Breton surfing site, is not far from the famous Pointe du
Raz, considered to be the ultimate western landfall in the Iroise Sea, and
the Baie des Trépassés.
2 day options: Ouessant Island and the Pink Granite Coast.
- Ouessant Island:
Bike rides, green moors, rocky chaos, megalithic sites and ancient houses.
- Morlaix, the Cairn of Barnenez and the Pink Granite Coast.
The oldest pyramid in Europe, as the Barnenez cairn is sometimes called,
is located near the sea with coastal paths allowing nice views.
The Pink Granite Coast offers incredible rocks with a very particular pink
granite and small harbours.
The plus: meeting with the actors of the still very lively local culture.

Brest: almost entirely destroyed during World War 2, rebuilt on a very
modern map, Brest remains a mecca for maritime navigation and has
traces of the American landing (monuments and cemetery). Océanopolis is
a unique aquarium in France.