We spent a day driving along the Southern Finistere coast of Brittany. We drove through towns like Audierne, Plozevet and drove into the corn fields chasing after some power windmills to see them upclose. We stopped at Pointe du Raz (Point Raz) and walked out to the point to see the lighthouses, rugged majestic coast, and beauty of the Atlantic. It was windy but we managed to take some video and photos. The area around the point is a conservation area with a network of footpaths. To save the long walk back to the tourist center, take a horse cart ride for 2 euros a person! It was great fun.

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Brittany’s best-known prehistoric site is Carnac. The groupings of 3,000 standing stones are the most extraordinary menhirs in the world. They date back 4,500 to 6,000 years. The biggest assembly of stones are protected by fences and must be seen with a tour guide, but we ran across a few groupings that were unprotected and we walked casually through them. You will see in the video how large they are – they tower over Bernard. There is also a burial mound you can visit by making an appointment with the Tourist Office. The purpose of the menhirs is unknown but the most likely explanation is that they were gathering places and religious centers - perhaps where rituals to the sun god were performed.

We spent very little time in the city of Auray, although we hear it is a lovely town. We were instead drawn to its quaint little harbor with restaurants, boats, artists shops, and winding streets. It was a lovely visit and a relaxing afternoon.

Two historic towns in Brittany are Vannes and Quimper. Vannes, which is a port town, is in the Morbihan region, while Quimper is in central Brittany and sits in the Southern Finistere region. Both have similar architecture, particularly the colorful timber-framed houses and buildings which date between the 15th to 17th centuries. Vannes’ architecture and playful signs (which were used before the population were literate to explain what services were offered at the building) made this city my favorite. We also took a boat ride in the Morbihan Gulf for about 22 euros leaving from the Vannes port, which is worth two hours of your time.  Quimper’s main attraction is the Cathedral St-Corentin. Don’t miss the stained glass windows dating back to the 15th century. They are some of the most beautiful I’ve seen (which is saying a lot since I lived in Italy two years and saw hundreds of churches).

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I grew up in Southwest Florida, the boating capital of the U.S. I had my first little boat with an electric motor when I was 8 years old. My father loved the water and spent two years in his 60′s sailing around the world on his sailboat. So I am drawn to the water: seas, oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, waterfalls….puddles. Ok, maybe not puddles. So when we went to Brittany and saw all the beautiful colorful boats, I couldn’t stop myself from taking photos of them. Here’s a photo collage of those gorgeous boats we saw in Southern and Western Brittany.