We woke to an eerie fog that lay heavily on the countryside. We might have been in any century. It was easy to imagine that the forests still sheltered Druids. We saw a deer leap across the road and would not really have been very surprised if it had been followed by a 15th century hunting party.
The very 21st century car took us, slowly and carefully, to Chateau Suscinio, the restored 15th century hunting lodge of the Duc de Bretagne. A ruin when Guy de Maupassant wrote about it in the 19th century, the state has restored much of it to what it must have looked like when Jean V's court moved in on its peripatetic way around Brittany. It sits between marsh and sea, surrounded by a moat.
And when you realize that cold, stony Suscinio was the very height of comfort and ease at the time you suddenly feel what it must have been like to be a peasant, with no tapestries or furniture to soften the stones and mud of your surroundings.
We felt very lucky that Paris of 2010, busy, well-lit, and well-heated, awaited us at the end of the train journey the next day.
2 comments:
Shelli and Gene -
Your Brittany adventures sound like a terrific way to celebrate a very special anniversary. We raised a glass in your honor. You explored an area we've never visited, and it looks lovely... beautiful images as always.
Jo
Yes it is easy to see why Brittany remains the land of mystery and legend, much like its celtic cousin Ireland, when the fog settles heavy over its beautiful countryside.
We live close to a lake and I almost saw a hand reach out of the still waters the other morning holding that famous sword Excalibar!
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