Well, this will be the last post about our trip to the Bretagne region of France. Or is it called Brittany? I don't actually know. I think its both but I don't know which is the French pronunciation and which is English. It probably doesn't matter....
Anyway, the small town of Vitré was our last stop in the region along with a brief one hour hike through the Broceliande forest.
We went on this trip two weeks ago and things were only just starting to open up here in France. Actually, most things were still closed, so there really wasn't much to do but wander the streets with a coffee and baked good to go.
But really, we were just happy to be able to travel again.
We have since moved into phase two of our opening though, so thats a plus. Museums, restaurants and bars with terraces opened up the following week (May 19) and now we have our first round of the Pfizer vaccine with the 2nd dose scheduled for the end of June, so hopefully we can put covid behind us from here on out. Knock on wood.
Anyway, enough of the covid update in France, back to the town.
Vitré is a small to mid sized city with a large old town surrounded by a wall. There is also a quaint little castle on a hill that has been converted into the city hall building.
We spent a few hours in the city walking the ramparts and touring the old quarters. What I liked most about the city were all of the interesting looking buildings.
Each had its own unique sort of flare about it. Its own house personality of sorts, which I noticed especially in the shapes and designs of the roofs.
The most famous of the buildings was the one below. Its called "Island House" because it sits alone in the middle of the street detached from all other building in the area. You can actually walk around the entire building and view it from all sides, which is kind of cool.
We went to the castle as well and took a stroll through the courtyard. I mentioned above that it has been converted into the town hall building, which is a pretty cool place to have an work office if you ask me.
I like this shot of the town flag along with the region flag and country.
Masks of course are still mandatory in most town centers here. Fortunately not for dogs though.
With not a lot being open at the time there really wasn't a whole lot for us to do so we headed off for a brief hike in a magical place called the Broceliande forest.
The forest really is magical, in more ways than one in fact. Not only is it densly populated with ancient old growth trees but the area also has its own rich history of Arthurian folk lore. It is said to be the place that Merlin the wizard once resided along with Broceliande, the lady of water.
We weren't lucky enough to see any real magic on our journey but we did enjoy our walk in the trees that day.
Love your photos. Especially the one with the ersatz Peaky Blinder getting attacked by a ferocious police dog from behind during an attempted bank robbery. 🤣
Lmao. Being attacked by a small ferocious dog is my nightmare.
That first house is pretty funny. It's like how desperate do you have to be for a spot to build your home to build it on the edge like that. It looks pretty cool!
Fun tour if this town! Thanks!
Haha I never thought of it that way. Maybe it was put there because of a lack of land. It would be worth it if you had a glass floor in your living room to watch the water and ducks go by.
Where is everyone??!!! Did you know you were coming?
We were there pretty early, the weather was meh, and very few shops were open other than a few that decided to risk it. So not a lot to attract tourists.
That was a fun little tour of the area. The buildings are so old and unique. So different than were I am living in Arizona. Love seeing the unique architecture. The island house was cool and that forest, gorgeous.
I agree about the houses. There was one with a really neat roof that came down the side of the building in a tiered kind of wave. I couldn't get a good photo because the street was way too narrow but it was cool.
It's difficult not to miss the distinctive architecture when traveling to any place. And Vitré seems to be the perfect example of those little design pleasures. That "Island House" in the middle of the road looks interesting and is truly an attention-grabber due to its peculiar shape and color. Great publication!
Yes, the island house is definitely a unique little building. Thanks for checking out my post.
I paused for a moment and imagined what it's like living in that house above the canal. That's a beautiful forest and I think your dog agrees with me. Brittany or Bretagne..hmmm got used to the word Bretagne a lot more.
It would be awesome if the house over the canal had a glass floor. I highly doubt that it does but that would be amazing. I think the constant sound of running water would be cool as well.
Very nice Castle!
Thanks. Its not the most impressive castle in France but its still a castle lol
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