1– May 24 Bretagne

May 24-28 Bretagne

On Friday, Fabi and I boarded the TGV (fast train) in Strasbourg and 5 hours later, we were in Rennes. We rented a car and Fabi drove the 1½ to Laudèac in Bretagne. The TGV is unbelievably fast and comfortable. By car, this trip would have taken us over 9 hours.

When we arrived, Sylvia, greeted us and we were quickly ensconced in her back yard enjoying Bretagne’s cider (cidre).

Who is Sylvie? She is the mother of Franck’s partner, Sandra. Franck is Fabi’s son. So Sylvie is essentially an “in-law.” So, how to describe her? She is very cheerful, energetic, dynamic, and creative—very creative. Her passions and interests are displayed throughout her house. As a couturière her greatest passion is creating costumes for medieval festivals; traditional costumes for the regions of France, especially Alsace; and the occasional wedding dress. In fact, when Fabi and her family came to the US in the summer of 2022, she brought with her a bow for an Alsatian costume that was made by Sylvie. She (Sylvie) is one of only a handful of people who still know how to tie these large and decorative bows. It’s a dying art. Here are some photos….

Sylvia showed me an ancient bow and cap that had the most incredible beading and design. Here it is.

Sylvie’s house also shows her interests and creativity so here are some photos of her house.

This is in the bathroom.

On another note, on the outside of her house, there are these 1000 liter tanks. When I asked her what they are for, she said it’s to catch rain water. Then I saw the hose / pipe going from the tank to the garden. Can you imagine how much rain they get in a year??????

Outside of her house, of course is also the small town of Loudéac. The population is about 10,000 and since it isn’t on the coast, it doesn’t have the same kind of tourism as other places. It’s a typical Bretagne’s town so, let’s take a walk through the streets and I’ll show you.

I called this tree a Medusa tree. I don’t know what it really is.

Take a look at this little alcove —red arrow. It’s where a statue of a saint resides to protect the building.

This one was taken from Sylvie’s front porch. Notice our black rental car.

For dinner, we had traditional Bretagne galettes.

On Friday evening, we played a game called “le cochon qui rit.” It was kind of interesting and I was encouraged to buy it. Since it’s now a very rare collectors item, I don’t think so. 

More adventures to come…