Art de vivre -
Holiday on the farm:
a recipe for fine living
We decided to take our holiday on
the farm in a bed and breakfast to
experience the beauty of the setting and
the natural environment, to enjoy quality
accommodation and also to live with
working farmers who were keen to share
their craft and their daily life.
We had paid attention to the precious
advice of our hostess. We reached the
house by taking a charming B road and a
few narrow country lanes which skirted
fields and forests.
But despite the peace
and tranquillity here, we were by no means
in the middle of nowhere! Dinan, with
its shops and castle, is less than
10 minutes away, and the
sea – never far away
in Brittany – just a
little further on.
A warm welcome
The farm is a former residence full of
character, built in granite with numerous
outbuildings. In the garden, dirt tracks
wend their way between trees and
flowerbeds and lead to the
vegetable
garden with its leeks, onions and shallots.
We stayed in spacious, rustic, welcoming
family rooms.
The children were simply
captivated, and so were we! Our hosts,
Huguette and Yvon, took care of everything down to the
smallest detail.
We ate dinner with them every evening and
could help with the farm work whenever we wanted.
Yvon explained that the work never stops
all year round: gardening in spring, hay
and harvest in summer, lambing and cidermaking
in autumn…
A unique
atmosphere
The vast dining room was friendly and
traditional with its oak furniture and
sumptuous fireplace. We all crowded
around to admire the culinary creations
simmering away in the stewpot.
Our cook
had no secret recipes, nothing to hide,
and every evening we were treated to the
delicious cooking smells that pervaded the
ground floor. We didn’t want to leave!
When there were a lot of guests, we
would push the tables together and enjoy
a banquet fit for a king! The children,
starving after a day in the fresh country
air, would help lay the table. There was
always a wonderful atmosphere as we
tucked into delicious chicken in cider,
hotpot or buckwheat pancakes.
As an
aperitif, we had the choice between kir
breton and peach or walnut wine made
with fruit from trees in the garden: the
quality was confirmed by the unique taste.
We exchanged local recipes and told each
other local tales.
Activities for
everyone
Holidaymakers had told us about an
animal park that was an absolute must see.
It worked out well as Huguette had
discounts for children, along with maps
and plenty of useful information.
Speaking of children: they had all
arranged to meet up the next day.
They
had already spotted all sorts of interesting
things:
swallows at the top of barns, a nest
of pigeons in the garden, board games and toy boxes in case of bad weather, bicycles
and a table tennis table. They also tried
to learn to recognise the cows.
A birth
was expected shortly and Huguette had
promised that they could choose a name
for the new baby calf. I began to fear
they’d never want to leave the barn!
But Yvon had suggested a fishing trip on the
Rance. And the plan for that evening was
a barbecue followed by a traditional game
of palets in the garden. The days were
going by far too quickly…
Friendliness and
hospitality
Every farm has its stories, experiences and
tales to tell. We flicked through the album with photos of
people who had stayed here before us.
They had certainly found plenty to do during
their stay! For one guest’s 40th birthday, the dining room had
been spruced up with its finest party attire and the meal was
clearly up to the occasion.
All the farm crowd was there and the
festivities continued into the early hours. We also enjoyed
looking through the visitors’ book.
Over the seven years
that the farm had been offering B&B
accommodation, countless comments
had been left. I spent a while reading
the scribbled notes. Everyone was in
agreement: there was nothing but praise!
The guests were not short of words and
seemed to have no difficulty coming up
with imaginative poems in honour of
the hosts. English, German and Italian
remarks all confirmed that Huguette and
Yvon’s farm was a cosmopolitan getaway.
Friendships were formed in just
a few days, families grew larger and the
local region was ready and waiting to be
discovered in all its richness.
We had all
come for the same reasons, to find nature,
peace, a healthy life and a human touch: in
other words, quintessential Brittany.
Memorable
moments for
your children
On their own or in a group with a
leader, your children can come and stay
with farming families for a weekend,
a week or
more. They will experience
the joys of farm life in a warm, friendly
atmosphere.
During their stay they will
discover rural life, wildlife and flora by
helping out with farm activities such as
looking after small animals and fruit
picking.
Numerous open-air activities
are also available, including building a
tree house, bike rides, river fishing and
pony rides, along with cooking and DIY
workshops and a chance to discover the
local region
Farm markets: going back to
the source
All
over Brittany, farmers are promoting traditional methods and
maintaining close contact with consumers by directly selling
their products.
Farm markets are an ideal opportunity to
sample local produce, to discover the techniques and know-how
of producers and to take away a few pearls of wisdom, along
with a basketful of goodies.
You will also
find a whole range of fresh produce, from fruit and
vegetables to cheese
and eggs.
Farmers’ markets offer numerous pleasures,
providing an
invaluable contact with the land and its people, the
satisfaction of taking
a new approach to shopping and buying quality produce, and
the pure
delight of sampling often long-forgotten flavours.
The farmers’ network Two networks bring
together farmers who are keen to share their activities and
environment through events, accommodation and the direct sale
of their products:
credits
: Brittany
Tourist Board
