How did we end up having a Creperie? Our friends already know, and the story, has become quite famous in the press at the time. However, INCEPTION is the best part: what is the connection between salted caramel, King Arthur, galettes complètes, island houses, and Celtic dances?
In one word, a wedding. Of course, not just any wedding, but a wedding like no other, which took place in a hamlet surrounded by waters in Brittany.
Besides bringing together a bunch of wonderful people scattered all over Europe and uniting a couple deeply in love, the wedding was the perfect opportunity to step into a story. To be honest, Carnac was famous for its megaliths, but it wasn’t part of my travel plans for the forseable future. A beautiful coincidence led me to that wedding, and before I knew it, the three days stretched into two weeks, and it still wasn’t enough.
Morbihan
I was in southern Brittany, in an area called Morbihan, a name derived from a large gulf with indented shores and hundreds of islands sheltered on the southwestern coast of France. Statistically speaking, Brittany has the longest coastline in France, explained by the intricate lacework of its shores and the large number of islands. But who cares about numbers when you arrive there? You are simply mesmerized by the strange and often provocative relationship between the water and the land: it’s a fascinating relationship, a marriage whose only chance is the saving rhythm of the tides.
Depending on the time of day, you can travel on foot or by boat from one place to another. And depending on the time of day, a landscape can be spectacular or somewhat melancholic – muddy or covered with the calmest water mirror. Every person owns a small boat, and these boats are mostly parked safely on the ground – at low tide. It’s like this:
After a few days, you get used to the landscape and begin to understand how the streets and bridges are constructed. On the map, the distances seem very small, and the country appears like a fairytale, with its serene villages. However, a car or a bicycle is essential because 3 kilometers between one village and another can mean a detour of about 10 kilometers until you reach the first bridge to cross over the water.
The ocean subtly intrudes into the shore, extending far inland, and the stretches of water reach many kilometers inland. The word “loch” is dearly loved in Brittany because it comes from the old Gallic language and refers to these small stretches of water, beautiful and mysterious, something poetic between a lake and a marsh. The advantage is that you always have a beach nearby, and you can walk on the water like Moses, quite literally, with some elegant rubber boots.
Life in these small villages is astonishing; the houses are incredibly beautiful, and the light always seems to be tamed by a delicate aquatic touch. The sunset here serves as yoga session, massage, and valerian alltogether, as it transports you flawlessly into a vast, watercolored tranquility. And if you truly wish to disconnect from the world, you can have your own island. Voilà:
the fun
For those who are not yet thinking about retirement and are not on their honeymoon, they might say: “Yes, it’s beautiful, but where’s the action?” Well, “life” isn’t found in clubs, that’s true. But you can be sure you’re not ready for a true Celtic party: the music is enchanting, the drinks never run dry, and the food! – perhaps only Transylvanians could be somewhat equipped for the experience. You just need to know where to go and not be a one-track-mind tourist: befriend the locals, no matter how little French you speak. They are expressive, all believing that Brittany is the most beautiful place in the world, and they also believe in supernatural things. I simply fell in love with the way a Breton with the most imposing moustache told stories while pouring countless glasses from his carafe of cider.
gastronomy
Regarding gastronomy, it’s a great joy: Brittany is the land of shellfish, crepes, cider, and dozens of other age-old recipes. Les creperies are delightful surprises that you come across everywhere: the most common family business in Brittany is the creperie, and the tradition is kept even more sacred than the family pizzeria in Italy. In Brittany, people are less tainted by tourists than in other regions of France, they live according to secular rituals that weave unexpected unions between history, legend, and nature, and gastronomy is a natural plate, full of desires. On the evening before the wedding, the hosts, born and raised in the area, gathered all the guests at a creperie near Auray. An incredible meal with dozens of diners and just as many types of crepes on the menu. The creperie menu is simple: crepes, galettes, and cider.
A great revelation for any food lover – the typical crispy buckwheat dough and the endless fillings of cheese, herbs, and smoked meats easily surpass even the best pizza – and I’m a huge pizza fan. You simply have to taste it to believe it.
follow the “Bretagne” tag to read more about why you should return to Brittany, the magic in everyday life, unique delicacies in the world, the sea people, the obsession with oysters, mussel farms, and the largest tides in Europe.
