On our way to the train station in Rennes, we took a short detour to visit the Neolithic alignments in Carnac. Scientists believe they were erected between 5000BC and 3000BC by communities who raised livestock and farmed. The site we visited near the visitor center consists of 1,050 stones in rows. It remains a mystery exactly what this site was, but it is believed to be sacred burial architecture.
Brittany has several Neolithic megalith sites. Of course, the idea that ancient man with no modern tools managed to cut, move and place these huge stones is pretty amazing. I wonder if modern man will ever figure out what ancient man was up to.
After a stop for ice cream and a walk in a harbor town very reminiscent of New England, we went to our final destination of the day, the walled town of Concarneau. This small medieval enclave on an island was filled with tourist shops and restaurants. Finding a restaurant for our large group proved challenging, so we split up so we could finally enjoy some crepes. Afterwards, we walked along a portion of the wall.
In the two hours (as shown by the tower clock) that we were within the city walls, the tide had gone out. Of course, our mudruckers couldn’t resist doing a quick check for treasures along the sea-floor. Jimmy found a green piece of glass that turned out to be from an absinthe bottle from around 1915; we hope to have it made into a necklace for me.
Curt’s family was visiting from the West Coast (his parents live very near my parents), so we tagged along while he and Veronique showed them around the area. It was a busy day with multiple stops. Having four cars in convoy made the driving challenging at times, but the weather was perfect and there was lots of lovely places to see.
This is Locronan, which is considered one of France’s most beautiful villages. We wandered around inside St. Ronan Church and its cemetery where we were surprised to see for rent signs on graves (apparently, if your family stops paying, you’re dug up). We had a picnic lunch, then drove to a park for a nice walk along a river.
The next day, we were invited to Veronique’s family’s vacation home about an hour north of Vannes. There we had another feast, although us girls skipped the main course served straight from the whole roasted pig. For entertainment, they had Curt kneel on the ground and placed a sheet over his head with a traditional Bretagne striped shirt sewed onto it. One of his nephews then stood behind him and placed his arms through the sleeves. It was hilarious as the hands tried to connect with the mouth to feed Curt yogurt, then brush his teeth. 
We took a long walk past corn fields and many pastures to the coast, which was beautiful. After lunch, Jimmy played bocce with a bunch of the older guests. That evening we switched hotels to the very nice Castel Braz, along the river in picturesque Pont-Aven.
The reception was held about 30 minutes away from the cathedral at the Chateau de Tredion, built in the 1350s. This was undoubtedly the most sophisticated reception we’ve ever been to. The champagne was flowing and there was a constant parade of waiters serving a huge variety of hors d’oeuvres. After some group photos and the throwing of the garter and bouquet, there was a sit-down dinner inside. Afterwards, there was dancing in the basement bar. Everyone had a great time!
We were so excited that Dan and Nancy, along with their son Julius, were able to come out from San Diego and we could spend some time together. We all spent the first three nights in a basic inn outside of Vannes and the kids had a great time exploring the nearby woods. Then we spent another two nights in the very quaint town of Pont-Aven. 
Tall, thin and smart blondes. We couldn’t resist taking a photo of Nancy with Veronica since they look like they could be Mother and Daughter.
After the ceremony, all the guests gathered in front of the cathedral. Some had rice to throw, others had bubbles to blow. Luckily the skies had cleared and Curt and Veronique were able to make a grand entrance. They must have felt like movie stars with the large crowd of tourists that gathered around the fringes of our group.
We have visited a lot of cathedrals since moving to Europe, but this was the first time we’d been to a wedding in one and it was quite magical. The tower dates back to the 13th century, while the nave was mostly constructed in the 15th and 16th centuries. Visitors were allowed inside until the ceremony started, then the doors were closed and the music started. We were really impressed how Curt and Veronique combined French and American traditions and were very happy that there were several readings in English.
After our day in Nantes, it was time to head to Vannes where we met up with Nancy, Dan and Julius, Hash friends from San Diego we last saw in 2007. We’d all come into town for the wedding of Curt (our old San Diego Hash buddy) and Veronique. We’d stayed with them in Barcelona in February 2009, but they are now living in the South of France. The wedding, however, was in Veronique’s hometown in Brittany. Friday night was an informal party at Veronique’s parent’s home, then the big event was on Saturday. Here you see the medieval square in front of the cathedral and the cathedral viewed from outside the city walls. Despite the tacky tourist train, we really enjoyed exploring this pretty town.
After the girls rode on several of the carousel animals, it was time to explore the Gallery of the Machines. This exhibition area is filled with a variety of strange sea creatures, which will eventually be part of the 3-story, 82-foot tall Marines World Carousel, featuring 35 moving creatures. This will be their first carousel that adults will be able to ride. We watched several demonstrations on how the riders will operate the creatures.
Unfortunately, we visited the Workshop during lunch, so there was no activity. However, it was still cool to see the works in progress and watch a movie about the making of the giant elephant. It would be fun to visit again in a few years to see the finished carousel and Heron Tree. This place is definitely a wonderful example of urban redevelopment by turning an old shipbuilding warehouse into a tourist attraction.
I was so glad that I saw an article about Les Machines in Wired, my favorite magazine, while I was making our travel arrangements to Brittany. Originally I figured we’d spend the day at the beach, but I’m glad that I was able to shift our plans to stay in Nantes instead. Beaches are nice, but watching a 40-foot elephant walk by is even better. While we could have been 4 of the 40 people it takes for a walk along the riverfront, we opted to just admire it from below (do you see Ashlynn and Jimmy at the bottom right?).
The girls thought it was just hilarious that this giant 50-ton elephant sprayed real water.
If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you might actually recognize this carousel. The girls rode it at the Brussels’ Christmas Market in both 2006 and 2008. Imagine their surprise when we arrived at Les Machines de L’ile and there was the carousel out front of a giant warehouse where wood, junk and hydraulics is turned into the most amazing things. 