The story of the owl
Little strange noises in the depths of the night… which have nothing to do with the creaking of old houses but which resemble a strange breathing which is held back… inexplicable and strange. A lot of perplexity… and we must admit it, a small dose of fear for this unsolvable and lasting mystery…
All explanations are considered, even the craziest (we are not very far from Brocéliande and from there to think that the fairy Viviane or Merlin the Enchanter have decided to leave the forest to visit the surroundings, there is no just a step …!)
Nothing of the sort! The answer is given to us by the roofer who came to hand over a slate: An owl took up residence in one of the chimneys to make her little ones there… it was enough to think about it!
We did not have the heart to dislodge them.
This is the second year that she has come to take refuge there to give birth.
Will she come back next year? Let’s hope so
A special summer in 2020
The pandemic is shaking the world.
Summer is coming but there is silence. Distrust. Stillness. Then, suddenly, Action! We’re waking up!
French people, from the North, the South, the East, decide to come and stay to recharge their batteries, and discover this beautiful region; they are closely followed by the Dutch and Belgians who also choose to taste the tranquility and authenticity of the place.
The torpor went away giving way to a joyful daily animation well appreciated.
In the end, holidaymakers are unanimous, they made the right choice and are delighted with their summer break.
As for the old farm, it vibrates and quivers with happiness and pride; she loves to see her ephemeral occupants arrive, settle down, relax and appreciate all her finery that she reveals to them during their stay.
She is reborn. Simply.
My hydrangeas
Are the most beautiful! obviously!
They are already thirty years old and each year, in May, they bloom again, whatever may happen, coloring the courtyard with their pretty multicolored heads, until September, even October.
Pink, mauve, blue, all the colors are there, dazzling.
And behind, on the other side, in the garden, they are white, absolutely magnificent with their enormous heads; they flower later than their elders; they are still ten years younger and come from another family.
was named SAINT VERAN
after the deity dedicated to his church.
But, there was a problem … another village located in the Hautes Alpes was also called Saint Véran … from where plethora of confusion and chaos, the first to suffer were our Breton soldiers that the army sent home on leave … to Saint Véran… but the other !!
Imagine their dismay at seeing themselves sent so far away, in a place so different from their dear Brittany and especially so far from their family!
After much discussion, the elected officials came to an agreement and an official decree named the Saint-Véran des Côtes d’Armor, sorry, “Côtes du Nord”, SAINT -VRAN on June 14, 1953, putting an end to any misunderstanding.
Wolves : a difficult cohabitation
Formerly, in remote times, they populated central Brittany; and the Menée region, with its deep forests and wild moors, was a dream playground for them.
They frequently preyed on cattle. The peasants were in despair and complained to their lords who organized battles to exterminate them.
Apart from these beatings, when a peasant brought the remains of a wolf, he was given a substantial bonus by the municipality. This bonus varied according to the category of wolf, male, female or cub.
By 1900, wolves had completely disappeared from this region. Eradicated.
Today, all that remains in their memory is the name of certain localities “la Ville-es-loups” for example or “the oak wolf” and the frightening legends told to children, by the fireside dissuade them from going out on their own at night
Between two oceans
Between the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel
Saint-Vran, with its watershed 200 meters above sea level, welcomes a star : La Rance
A legendary birth.
It is said that Gargantua wept so much during his widowhood that his flood of tears gave birth to his source.
in all humility, she crosses the town incognito, in the direction of La Manche.
However, she has time to greet two of her favorite friends, the Meu and the Yvel, who are taking it easy in the town and its surroundings.
Once in Saint Malo, at the dam, it plays the main role in the tidal power plant.
Yesterday salting pots become pretty decorative jars today
The salting pots of yesteryear become pretty decorative jars of today
These jars are the ancestors of the fridge or rather the freezer!
The peasants deposited a first layer of coarse salt, followed by a layer of meat and so on to the edge, like a “mille feuille”.
This also applied to fresh vegetables …
Freshness guaranteed for at least one year!
Economical, simple and…. ecological!
A little riddle
What would you call the inhabitants of Saint Vran?
Easy, do you think, Certainly, Saint-Vrannais or Saint-Vrannois … Well, no!
They are named Brennoisiennes and Brennoisins … in memory of an ancient Armorican deity.
Not easy!
La Vieille Ville
This is the name of the hamlet of Jean’s farm. Funny name… There is no city and there never has been! Why this name then?
To try to solve this mystery, we must dive into the time of the Romans. Okay, that’s a bit dated!
“City” comes from the Latin “Villa” and meant a very large farm. Each time a plot was cleared and became an agricultural domain, the tenant, with the agreement of the lord, built a house naming the place CITY, followed by its name or a characteristic of the cleared place …
A lead, maybe.
But why “Old”? therein lies the mystery!
These objects that have disappeared from my daily life
My dear old coffee maker
My dear (old) coffee maker. You served coffees! incomparable with this little taste of chicory; always inseparable from the hearth of the fireplace, your pieces are superimposed; you are enamel and your colors are soft. Today you are no longer there, I must have relegated you to the attic, at the bottom of an old box.
Your daughters and little girls have taken over. Beautiful and elegant, fast and efficient, they serve us coffee dosed exactly to our taste, according to the size of the family and the time of day. But, dear old coffee maker, I still think of you all the same!
My coffee grinder
My coffee grinder comes out of the box! always decorative, it charms with its line and sophistication; it sits on a corner of the fireplace.
Her descendants, on the other hand, are far from having inherited her beauty! But whatever, the new mill is about efficiency, and he knows that after use, it’s hidden in the closet.
My iron
My iron is one of those objects that stand the test of time, witness to a past art. It sits on the chest of drawers in one of the bedrooms,
His current lineage does not resemble him in any way. Heavy, compact, hot, his heirs have redesigned it; it has become light, fast and efficient, with the touch of a finger and the steam works wonders on any fabric
Margot the fairy has taken up residence there
Le Mené, land of moors, forests, granite, is a land of tales and legends. It is the “birthplace of Margot the Fairy.” You know, the family of mischievous and generous little fairies who dance like crazy, well that’s her!
On certain sites and according to the imagination, multiplied tenfold by the singular atmosphere which surrounds them, we gladly discover the bowl, the seat, the stone of the sacrifices of the high priestess of the family and we can easily imagine many ‘other extraordinary things.
Popular beliefs report that on full moon nights, the paths that lead to the underground fairy kingdom, these granite chaos that appear incongruously in the middle of the fields, are half-opened between the rocks …
And there, beware! The elders recommend especially not to hang out on a full moon night… under penalty of being transformed into granite rock!! Threat to be taken very seriously.
The novelty : a library on wheels!
An old canteen, good pots of black and silver paint, four wheels, a few boards and here I am transformed into a rolling library for the great pleasure of my readers! fiction in French or in English, children’s books, maps, guides… your choice… and I’m on the move!!
