Dukes of Brittany (France) Touring Game Created by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget
Background
Peninsular
Brittany in northwestern France extends out into the Atlantic Ocean. The Bretons are famous for their fishing
fleets and solo transatlantic sailors like Florence Artaud.
On
land, the Bretons are famous for the following foods:
-belon
oysters
-roast
salt prairie lamb with vegetables
-far
Breton cake with prunes previously soaked in cognac
-sweet
crêpes
-savory
crêpes called galettes
-apple
cider
The
Dukes of Brittany are related to British nobility through Henry II of England,
who invaded Brittany in the 12th century. After signing a peace treaty with the French
Duke Conan IV, Henry II became the County of Nantes.
Henry
II’s son Geoffrey became Duc Geoffrey of Brittany.
The
Dukes of Brittany ruled Brittany until 1448 when the last Duke had no male
descendant.
Anne
of Brittany was the last descendant of the Dukes of Brittany. She was married to an Austrian nobleman, but
was forced to annul her marriage.
Anne
became Queen of France twice by marrying cousins. Brittany definitively became a part of France
when Anne’s daughter Claude became Queen of France by marrying the Valois king
Francis 1st.
What Kinds of Tourists
Might Like Brittany?:
People
who like:
-sailing
-traveling
with their families
-pristine
beaches with daily water quality controls
-easy-to-buy-and-prepare
produce, seafood, and lamb
-walking
by the ocean
-public
gardens
Traditional Souvenirs
to Buy in Brittany:
Almost
all towns in Brittany have souvenir stores where you can traditional products
such as:
-lace
doilies
-lace
collars and cuffs
-bigoudin
Breton headdresses
-embroidered
tablecloths and napkins
-cookbooks
-gardening
books
-lyric
books
-Celtic
instruments
-Quimper
faience – heavier than porcelain with scenes of sweet couples and happy
families
-CDs
of French Navy music
-Alan
Stivell CDs – Breton folksinger and Celtic harp player
-butter
cookies in decorative tins
Home Base City: Rennes,
Capital of Brittany
Travelers
can take a TGV (High Speed Train) from Paris to Rennes to explore the
family-friendly city of Rennes in Brittany, France.
Rennes
has cathedrals, museums, chateaus, and gardens that date back centuries. Michelin and Lonely Planet guides amply
describe these places.
After
families have visited all the cultural places in town, junior high school
students might enjoy visiting kid-oriented sites around town or those sites
that can be visited in short periods of time.
The
following 5 places in Rennes look especially interesting for junior high school
students:
1
– L’Espace des Sciences
Learn-by-doing
site with robot presentation along with planetarium shows.
2
– Ecomusée du Pays de Rennes
This
museum is located in a 500-year-old farm that shows how agriculture, business,
nutrition, and technology have changed within that time span.
3
– Parc du Thabor
There
is a rose garden at Parc du Thabor that has 2,000 varieties of roses in it.
There
is also an aviary with many parrots, doves, and songbirds.
4
– Marché des Lices
The
high-quality produce of Brittany is on sale at the Marché des Lices and makes
for a colorful field trip during a trip to France.
Several
items that tourists could buy for snacks include:
-Reinette
apples
-baguettes
(French bread loaves)
-sea
salt flavored butter
-cheese
from nearby Normandy
-sweet
crêpes
-savory
crêpes called galettes
-Breton
cider
5
– Centre Alma – the big mall in Rennes
The
Centre Alma sells modern souvenirs like clothing and cotton candy called “barbe
à papa” or “dad’s beard.”
Day Trip Suggestions:
-Brest
-Quimper
-Lorient
-Vannes
-Saint-Malo
-Saint-Brieuc
-Nantes
(I have a blog up on this city for September 8, 2018)
Lunch,
souvenir shopping, and historical walks by the ocean are the main draws of
these photogenic towns.
Happy
Touring!!!
By
Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
Click here for: Ruth Paget's Amazon Books
Click here for: Ruth Paget's Amazon Books
