Arts
and Crafts
Cider Making and Tasting
At Le Clos St Armel watch and learn the whole process of cider making, taste
the product and buy some direct from the manufacturer.
Alternatively go to the Maison du Cidre at Ploermel
and see how it used to be made. Old straw presses (see photo) are used
to crush the apples, (not to mention the barefoot method). There`s also
a large museum of cider making at Le Hezo.
At La Maison d`Armorine in Quiberon there is an `artisanal` sweet maker where old fashioned sweets and chocolates are still made in the traditional way. You can see the sweets being hand crafted and actually help with the work.
Paper Making
Invented in China in the second century paper has got to be one of mankind's
top ten inventions. Visit the working Moulin de Pen-Mur near Muzillac and
see how paper is crafted from natural fibre cloths following 18th century
methods. You can even buy some if you wish.
Glass Blowing
Go to the town of La Gacilly and see the glass blower in action. Its free
and extremely interesting. Wander round the shop and buy some unique hand made
items– prices are very reasonable. There`s also another glass
blowers in Saint-Meloir des Ondes.
Nip down to the stunning bay at Penerf and see the fishermen there catching and farming their oysters. This is where they really come from to get on your plate. It`s a ramshackle place with old oyster beds, some small machines and storage pens for the oysters. Very small but also very real ! Have lunch in the Bistro de la Mer afterwards (see restaurant page).
Basket Making
Nip down to La Gacilly to see traditional basket making in action. Perhaps
buy a Trug.
Honey Production
The making of local honey is one of the ancient traditions of Brittany. Small
scale honey makers are everywhere. If you spot one, you can go in, see what
its all about and of course acquire a pot or two for yourself. (look for
a sign saying `Miel`)
Pottery
The village of St-Jean-la Poterie near Redon is the place to visit if you like
a bit of pottery. See the potters at work then visit the exhibition and
shop. There's also a pottery at Lizio and at Chapelle Caro.
Silk Production
Go to Campel and discover the secrets of silk. See its `birth`, its harvesting
and processing. There`s a one hour guided tour (in English) devoted
to the history of the silk road. There are living silkworms and contemporary
creations in silk.
This place is hard to categorize as it's part living museum and part 'art/ craft'. In essence it's a large farm that is run as it would have been 100 years ago. You can have a go at things like butter making, baking, sloughing the fields, raising water from the well.. See how the washing was done down by the river on old flagstones. It's actually a really interesting place and is a whole days trip for all the family. Children and adults alike will be fascinated to see the way things were before mechanization. All the employees are dressed in period costume and there's even a traditional fare for lunch- spit roast pig over an open fire.
The Living Ancient Village
Near Quistinic, this traditional 16th century Breton village has grown up around
its famous spring. It`s all here if you want to come and see how the French
lived in the past. There`s a farm, bakers, potters and even an authentic restaurant
where you can sample real Breton fare.
Sculptures
Kerguehennec Sculpture Park
Located at Bignan near Josselin. This sculpture Park and contemporary art centre
is definitely worth a visit. Basically it is a large chateau (below piccy) set
in hundreds of acres of gardens with numerous sculptures dotted around. The sculptures
are all by contemporary artists and range from the bizarre looking thing in the
photo below to stone carvings and an odd creation of 1000 red plant pots. It
probably sounds a bit alternative and indeed it is. In addition, there is a rolling
art exhibition in part of the chateau, again of modern art. We recommend that
you take a picnic, as the grounds are a beautiful place to sit and eat lunch.
After the sculpture park you could nip into the local town of Bignan which is really pretty and have a bit of lunch at the Chouanniere where there`s loads to choose from in a really nice atmosphere.
Poete Ferrailleur-`Metal
Sculpture Extraordinaire`
Located near Lizio this local artisan's work must be seen. Using recycled materials
he creates moving, musical and even aquatic sculptures. He's also quite keen
on building odd moving machines and bizarre fountains.
There`s over sixty moving works of art. The kids can
push buttons, pedal things, turn odd looking handles and the `sculptures`
all come to life. It really is amazing. We reckon it's totally unique.
Nip down to La Gacilly and see the mysterious African figures lurking by the side of the river.
To return to the contents page and see more things to do then CLICK HERE
If you have finished with `things to do` then please click another white link