QUIMPER
The street is along a river ,like KINOSAKI hot spring in Japan. A lady on a traditional black headgear was walking ,and I followed behind her . The lady entered an open space inside the wall of a chirch. Today, summer festibal was opened and a concours of bagpipe play was held in the open space. One prepareing for snack of boiled shrimps,others practicing on bagpipe. It
seemd that there werwe much times to start the concours ,I went out and ttook a walk in the center of the city. Ate the crepes,simple butter one for me and icecream one for dauter and wife. In front of the plaza of the chirch,I found a large shop of porcelain,where many native works were exhibited . There were so many beautiful products,it took much time to look all of them. Now,im my house,I always use the pretty little dishes bought in the store. The concours has been over whenI returned open space. It was a time of official commendation. Talking about bugpipe,we think Scottland. Even here is French,I think that the region of Bretagne is continued to Scotland.
CARNAC
To visit the groups of huge stones so called Dolmen and Menhir in Carnac was my 30 yeares durated dream,since I have heard them at my school teacher of anthropology. In front of the station of Vanne,I took a bus for Quiberon. The bus run through in a country way,and reached to seaside after an hour. Here will be seen lot of line upped giant stones. I get off the bus bfore the busstop of Carnac station,because the master in my hotel advised me to do so. Walking about 1 kilo meter,I arrived at the place line upped giant stones. From an observatory one can look wide view of the remains. HIght of a giant stone was 2 to3 times of a man. Tey were moss-groun and line upped far away. It was so wide the area,one should take a minitrain,and round them for half an hour.�@A shop of icecream was there. A small museum was too. I returend VANNE by train. Looked outside through a window of the train,there were almost the wilds with ferns or a marsh land,and so I understood that the main food in this region was a crepe of buckwheat. Crepe is not a fashion,but a way of life.
VANNE
In the central of the town,there was a smily image of Mr and Misses VANNEwho were the roots of the name of this town. I coud easily exchange Japanese Yen to France Fran at a bank in the town far from Japan. The road became downward ,then arrived at a gulf. From there I got a bus and went to the terminal. Children and mothers took a bath in a silent gulf. I regret my failure of lunch on th first day. Entering a restaurant,Isaw a child rounding on his back around a floor. I felt a bad hunch. A cuisine was seved later,and it was not tasty. The next day ,searched by a gide book,I visited reataurant of an asterisk RegisMache. A waitress in the restaurant was very kind ,and soon prepered a table for us. My sleepy daughter was given a home made creme-caramel by her. My wife took the degustation(taste light volume but many kind of cuisines),and I ordered specialite written on the gid Michelin. It seemed that degustation namely dishes of the fishs were superb than mines. The hotel I rested was Anne Bretagne near the station. It was convenient and cheep.
LA BAUL
Take a train from Paris to Le Cloisic and get out the train at the station named La Baul Escoublac ,one station this side of Le Croisic. Or from Quimper via Vanne to Le Croisic and get out the train La Baul Escoublac. GOing to south, about 1 kilo metres,one arrived a beach. It is so long distant, everybody astonish the length. There are lot of hotels,maisonette,and swimmers,but are not noisy. Yes ,here is a beach of resort made by France for French people. Few foreigner was seen. I have never met a Japanese in this beach. A topless mademiselle ,without shame, across in front of me. Of course Icould swim near her side. Although the tmperature of water is a little cold,I think here is a very wonderful resort. Yong men play windsurfing,chldren dig up the sand(my daughter played together),and the others let their back sunburned. Children who cannot swim, admitte a club costed 20 F, and sit on aswing or play on atrampolin all day long. Until,I came this town,I rested the cheep hotels,here I chose a high class hotel. It was Castel Marie-Louise,a most beatiful castlefigured hotel. From the hotel one can look the beach.The hotel has a restrant of asterik. The room was consit of flower designed wall and there were two dressers in the toilet room. The hotel offered me some free ticket of golf and tennis,but I did not use both tickets ,for I would like to swim in the sea. Also,I got a ticket of a disco,and it will open 11h at night. Because I was with my child,I could hardly go out the hotel to the disco. French play late at night. By oresent a card of Marie-Louise,one can enter the swimming pool of warm salty water at hotelHermitage. At the corner,a young man tought my daughter a way of scuba diving. She found it berry attractive. A jazz concert was open in the night time. Realy,once stay here,one will be able to have a wonderful vacance. Why not be here?
LE CROISIC
It takes 10 mimutes and a one station distance by a train from LaBaul. From the station , I got on a bus to go to the center of the town. There was a jolly aquarium. It was fun to learn cultivate of moule shell. Of course I took a fruits de mer for lunch. I enterd a restaurant near the aquarium,seemed to fresh and cheeper than that of center of the town. I recommend a bottle of natural salt for a souvenir. The salt farms were seen throgh the windows of the train.
BORDEAU
The center of the town is long distance,so I took a bus. Bordeau ia a big town,but the hotels in the city are almost occcupied in summer. There was no free room in the hotel Iwishto stay,yet I finally found a tinny hotel costed 30F. HIghlight was a bus crousing to visit the some chateau of wine. A bus started from center of Bordeau,acrossed the Garonne river of rapid water run,went to the winyards. An american passenger asked the questions frequently to a gide. The restaurant that I was satisfied is near the gridge of the Garonne. I could not remember the name now,but I took a cuisine spanish like paella,sangria etc. Those were rich in volume and good tasted. The restaurant was crowded with local peoples. The restaurant of asterik was Le Chapon Fin. Foigras of canard(not a goose) figured a lttle small,known as a redional product,had me given a marvelous taste.
BAYYONNE
Start from the station ,malk 5 minutes, across a wide river ,reach the center of the town. Two rivers flow together at the bridge. At the corner of the view point,there was a restaurant. A waitress wark in that restaurant had a cool heart,and not responced to my order for brig me a cup of water. Without a water,a pizza did not pass smooth in my throat. Looking at a street,because here was a region of Basque,I found men on a beret passed the street frequently. I bought a beret cap. It is light,warm ,and does not get a head humidly. It is made of felt and small amount of rain is no problem. Really, it is a cap of a mountain life. After returned in Japan,I use it when I go mushroom hunting. I met the fine arts in Musee Bonnat. I went to see a bullfight opened at an arena. The spectators was colored in red and green by their beret caps. I took a Janbon de VAYONNE that atsted tohgh and salty in a restaurant Cheval blanc. One can find a hotel in this town,though it remains a few rooms. For the first time ,I rested hotel Le Grand,but it was so noisy during mid night that I need cange the hotel to a small hotel near the station. Make the hotel as a base of my travel ,I visited the area near here. Because,whole hotels in that famous resort occupied by long staying visitors.
BIARRITZ
The plage is far distant from the station,and one must get a bus or a taxi. Here is an atmosphere of high classed resort,and one finds out the decorated ladies,and foreigners. The beach, where one has take awalk before several hours,was now filled with sea. The sea showed a large ebb and flow. Cuttlefishes and sardines fried in oil to eat on vinegar,were sold in a open air shop. I took a lunch the restaurant Cher Aibert at seaside. I ate oysters raw,which were very nice tasted of sea flavor. A dark bearded Basque man threw me a roast bred saying that it be a delicious one. It was a vivid restaurant. Bought a swimming pants,swimed inthe sea,looked at a monument of the whales,returned the hotel in VAYONNE. Be careful the fact thaht public toilette is closed during 2 hours at noon.
ST-JEAN-DE-LUZ
Turning to driection for Spain from Biarritz,you will find out this town. It has a well equipped bathing resort,and both hotels and beach were clouded with visitors. Many Spanish visited here. It will be good to play here half a day and return home. Between St-JEAN-DE-LUZ and HENDAYE,one can see a beautiful view through the windows of the train. I think it is the best landscape in France.