Brittany: Scenic Panoramas

Brittany is as far west as France goes, and we are staying nearest one of the most westerly points. The sun sets at 10:20 pm at this time of year so there’s some twilight left even for us late birds at bedtime.

Two headlands together mark the western extremity and we chose the one called the Pointe Du Van to check out. It’s wild and rugged with a huge views all around.

You might notice a building on top of the cliff. It’s a chapel dedicated to St. They, an obscure local saint. We walked over for a closer look and found a well maintained but locked chapel perched on the cliff edge. The figure on top of the statue pole is of St. They, so they say.

There were miles of paths on the level clifftop area with shrubs and plants attracting birds like stonechat and skylarks.

There must have been more people living on this flat, empty expanse in past time as there were two ornate wells, one of which Jane is stood next to. We spotted this from a distance when it looked like a large dog kennel within which might have lurked a fearsome beast ready to rush out and see you off.

In the hazy distance the island of Sein can be seen. It has a population of about 500 and the traditional occupation is fishing. It is only half a square mile in area and low lying, and was totally covered by the sea in 1868 and 1896. The possibility of global warming and melting icecaps is a real worry here. 

In June 1940, when General de Gaulle appealed for volunteers to join the Free French Forces, the entire 130 strong adult male population sailed for England to answer the call. De Gaulle came personally in 1946 to award the island the Liberation Cross.

Our next viewpoint: a mountain, Menez-Hom. A mountain in Breton terms, that is, just over 1,000 ft high, but with a 360 degree panorama. It was a blisteringly hot day when we went, with the idea that it would be cooler on a mountain top. Perversely, it worked the other way round. The car showed 27 degrees at the bottom, and 30 degrees at the top.

The car park near the top led onto a network of paths, but walking in that  temperature didn’t appeal. We simply plodded up to the top, where a survey point stood, and viewed the panorama. It was extensive, but hazy because of the hot weather.

Just one photo then, from the survey point, that hopefully gives an indication of the view that probably best emerges on a cold, clear winter’s day. Then we’d be complaining about the cold!

At the bottom of the mountain we stopped in the village of the same name to admire the church of Ste-Marie-de-Menez-Hom, but first noticed a monument in the car park. It commemorated the French Resistance seizing Menez-Hom from the Germans in 1944 after a bitter fight. We noticed some concrete ruins when we were on the mountain so these must have been the German defences that were attacked and captured by the Resistance.

The church itself was magnificent, dating from 1739, with a typically Breton ornate bell tower.

 The detail on the calvary crosses is very fine but not possible to exactly interpret.

The altarpiece of guilded, carved biblical figures covered the whole of the eastern wall. These were of fine quality and unexpectedly extensive for a small rural church.

It’s strange how things turn out. It was too hot and hazy for us to get much out of Menez-Hom the mountain, but Menez-Hom the village church was a delight. That’s the unpredictable delight of travelling.