Find out - have fun

Details of the three autumn study days How to Read a Breton Church, Understanding Brittany and Britons in Brittany are now on our website http://www.brittanywalks.com/, with discount for early booking.

Sunshine, Scenery & Sybil's Hospitality

It was hot & beautifuly sunny for our walk yesterday. Starting from the chapel at Locmaria-Berrien, we enjoyed a stunningly scenic walk which included a reasonable amount of wooded areas providing us with adequate shade.

Sybil, a regular walker with Brittany Walks, lives near to the route that we were walking & very kindly invited us all to tea, cold drinks & home made cakes provided, with Sue's help, in her lovely garden. This very welcome break came just after an uphill part of the walk, & with only 2 kilometres left to go. Impeccable timing!

It's always a joy to walk & chat with the many friends whom I've met through Brittany Walks, & yesterday we were happy to welcome some new friends who share our pleasure in walking through the stunning Breton countryside in good company.

Many thanks to Dave for the great photos!

Walk at Locmaria-Berrien, September 21st

We have a long walk (about 10kms) on Tuesday, starting at 2pm from the parking by the church at Locmaria-Berrien (between Huelgoat and Poullaouen). No particular difficulties, and mostly on good paths or quiet roads. There will be a tea stop on the route, thanks to kind offer from Sybil! All welcome.

Lesley's Nature Watch - Where have all the songbirds gone?

This is a question I have been asked frequentlyover the last few weeks by some very anxious people. There's no need for worry. Every year in late summer, birds, like most other animals, moult. Many loose their more colourful spring & summer plumage to replace it with the lower tones which will provide the necessary camouflage in the leafless trees of winter. Chaffinches & Bulfinches are prime examples of this. During the moult, the loss of the primary wing & tail feathers can render the bird almost flightless, thus leaving the smaller birds highly vulnerable to their preditors. Don't worry, they're still there. They are just laying low in the thicket..........& they're keeping quiet.
I have noticed this week that the Robins have begun to sing again. No doubt others will soon follow. However, we'll have to wait until next spring to hear again the full blown dawn chorus of courtship & territorial ownership.
Photograph: Peacock butterfly on Dahlia.

Strolling in the rain...

We had a most enjoyable if rainy day in Pont Aven, with many taking advantage of nice restaurants, shops and cafés before and after walking. Leaving the town via the Xavier Grall river gardens, we made our way up to the Chapelle de Tremalo to see Gauguin's inspiration for his famous Yellow Christ painting. Then a pleasant stroll through the Bois d'Amour and back along the river. It was great to see regulars and holiday makers alike (thanks to the Central Brittany Journal's kind publicity), and to meet Brittany Walks latest addition, Roger and Sue's puppy Megan, photographed by Lesley.

Pont Aven - Tues 7th, 2pm (new start time)

We have a short walk at the pretty artists' town of Pont Aven on Tuesday 7th, starting at 2pm (NOTE NEW START TIME). This is an easy stroll on leafy lanes and woodland tracks. The meeting point is at the wooden passerelle over the river in the rue du Port, near the restaurant Le Moulin du Grand Poulguin (about 300m south of road bridge in town centre). Please note that this is market day, and parking in the area very near the meeting point may be difficult in the morning. After the walk some of us will be visiting the town art gallery, which has many examples of the famous Pont Aven school of painting, a style developed in the late 19th century by a group including Gauguin, Bernard and Sérusier.