Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Bisoux From Brittany . . .

.
.
.
Twenty six years ago I set out on a bicycle from Saint Brieuc in Brittany, and rode along the coast from there for ten days heading north and west through Paimpol to Perros Guirrec. On the second day out I discovered by chance near the village of Plougrescant a house wedged between two much larger rocks. With the camera I was using at the time, shooting black and white film, I took a picture of the place which you can see here, posted in the very early days of this blog. Yesterday, again more or less by chance, I returned to that magical place, and made a new photograph from nearly the exact spot as the one from 26 years ago. As you can see, not much has changed.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
A few moments later it started to rain, speckling the water with drops, as visible below. Within a minute or so, the sky broke open, unleashing a torrential downpour that had me running for the car under an umbrella to protect the camera. Was drenched from the waist down by the time we were able to get back into the haven of the automobile.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Just before getting up to the house between the rocks on the seashore, we stopped in a small church in Plougrescant, where there were lions waiting to greet us under the tomb of an early religious figure from centuries ago. And there was a pile of wood chairs in a corner in case they might be needed to keep the lions at bay.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Not much later in the afternoon the wind from the west had driven the rain away, giving place to fluffy clouds and sunshine when we went to visit the nearby Chateau de Keralio, with its portraits of ancestors on the walls and cherubs in the chapel.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Oh, PS, in the title of this post, the word "Bisoux", in case you were wondering, is French for "hugs and kisses"...
.
.

14 comments:

French Girl in Seattle said...

Welcome back, Mr Toad. Well, thank you for illustrating what I've always claimed: Seattle = Brittany. As the locals say, "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes!" :-) Lovely shots of the Pougrescant church and le Château de Keralio's treasures. Looks like a fun trip to me (minus the rain...) Bisous, Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

the fly in the web said...

I hadn't been up that way for years...lovely photographs...and good memories brought back.

K'line said...

Bon retour Owen. J'aime particulièrement le petit croissant de lune dans les cheveux de la jeune femme en bleu... ;)

Pat Tillett said...

Combining photos and interesting information makes for a GREAT post! My favorite kind. This is one of them. That house!
I'm so curious about the story behind the photo...

Steve said...

Love those moody black and white shots, Owen.

Lynne with an e said...

There is much more depth, feeling, texture, mood in this newer photo of the house caught between a rock...and another rock...than in the first version. Would you attribute that to the new technology of your camera or the longer experience of the photographer, or just "blame" it on the weather, I wonder. At any rate, I personally prefer the more recent version.
I always thought bisoux were more like little air kisses delivered to each side of the recipient's face. Will have to be more careful how I distribute them now.
Bisoux
Big Sis

'Tsuki said...

Ah le granit en Bretagne... Tant d'état d'âme et tant d'usage... Belle promenade, en vérité, merci de l'avoir partagée.

Lady Mondegreen's Secret Garden said...

...And on a lighter note, memories of Brittany too. I do enjoy seeing your early photos along with your recent work, and although I am a real old building freak, the photo that I like best here is the textural melange of seagrass and timber, lattice and stone and moss. Mind you the rain on water and house between the rocks is full of fairy tale, don't you think xox

James said...

Sounds like a wonderful time! I'd love to explore this area someday. I really enjoyed these photos especially the ones taken from the same spot years apart.

PeterParis said...

Just back from "holidays" (can you talk about holidays when you are retired?) under other weather conditions, but Britanny certainly has its charm which you so well know and describe. Bisous ... especially to Madame and duaghters!

Stickup Artist said...

Oh wow, that house has it all: big sky, rock formations, reeds, and water! Love the backstory too. How awesome that you went back to find it after all the years! Looks like you are having a wonderful vacation. Have fun while I bake in 100+ degree temps. I'm so jealous!

Jose said...

What beautiful pictures you have in your blog!
There's no doubt there are many beautiful places in our planet :)

Oakland Daily Photo said...

Love all the photos. But my favorite was the cherub face with the tarted up cheeks. I guess heaven doesn't know yet that too much blush can age your look. Sounds like a wonderful trip. We'll have our own little taste of Brittany in a month. Your post tells me to wear layers and bring an umbrella. Thanks for the preview.

Thérèse said...

Nice pieces of poetry. Brittany has a lot of scenes to be explored and reexplored.