I was lucky enough to spend several days this summer travelling through Upper Brittany Ille-et-Vilaine accompanied by a film crew, in search of original and unusual people and places. The result was a delightful and memorable experience for all concerned.

We made fifteen videos of Upper Brittany in total, but I particularly remember the first one as it was marked by a wonderful encounter. We met a lovely retired couple who told us that they go to a different place every day to have their coffee so they can enjoy the beautiful, diverse scenery of Upper Brittany. Their interview is delightful and takes place on the coast overlooking the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel. What’s more, it was the first time I’d ever seen the Mont Saint Michel !

Here, as promised is a blog posting to introduce each of the videos so you can share the thoughts and feelings I experienced during my adventure … all of the films are genuine and a true picture of what happened on our trip.

I’ve also got a lot of anecdotes to share with you, like the day we went to find ‘Eclat’, Upper Brittany’s own rose, in the Parc du Thabor, Rennes. It was a really hot day (yes, honestly!) and I had nothing to wipe the sweat from my forehead to make me look presentable for the camera !

On another occasion we were on board Gilles Lamiré’s multi-hull just before the start of the Route du Rhum Transatlantic Race. The cameraman had to jump into the water to get back to the beach and had to walk around with wet feet all evening. I was luckier and was given a piggy-back to the shore by one of Gilles Lamirés crew. I must confess that I lied a bit about my weight when he offered to give me a piggy-back…but I got to the shore without getting my feet wet

One day we got up at the crack of dawn to watch the sun rise at the Roche aux Fées (Fairies’ Rock) at Essé. I had a bit of trouble getting up at 5am, but when I saw the amazing sight of the sun rising over the stones, I was glad I’d made the effort.

I shall always remember a remarkable meeting with Daniel at Olivier Roellinger’s spice shop in Saint-Malo, where he told us some great ‘spicy’ tales. We could happily have stayed there listening to him for hours !

I shall miss all the different characters I met during those few days – the retired couple, Daniel from the spice shop, the owner of the Maison Corsaire in Saint-Malo, Gilles Lamiré and the crew of Défi Cancale, Mathieu in the Brocéliande Forest, Jacques Faby at the Marché des Lices in Rennes…

A big thank you to everyone who took part in these videos, both behind and in front of the camera – each one was a moment of pure pleasure, that I shan’t forget in a hurry.

So roll on next year and some more adventures ! If you’re like me and want to share your childhood memories, holiday experiences, photos or videos, please don’t hesitate to contact caroline [at] bretagne35.com

See you !

Philippe