Martin and Nadine haven’t been to France since January, and Covid complications certainly are an issue and a constant worry. It seems sorting out a ferry crossing isn’t the only hurdle. Is it better to go or to cancel?
On 1st July 2012, a law was introduced in France: all drivers had to carry a breath test kit in their car. Find out why and if or how that law was implemented. Read more about the driving requirements in France.
Kouign-amann is a beautiful, buttery, traditional Breton cake. During the current lockdown, unable to travel to Brittany, we have found an alternative: the British lardy cake. Read on.
Is it possible or indeed practical to buy a LHD car in the UK, originally registered in Poland, and then import it to France? Are there guidelines to be followed?
In recent years, travelling across to the continent and driving in France has become increasingly easy for Brits, but there are laws and regulations to bear in mind while driving abroad.
Chris Slade describes the son et lumiere presentation at the abbey of Bon Repos called "Le Pays de Conomor" in Brittany, which takes place during the first two weeks of August.
Can anyone buy a metal detector in France and go detecting wherever they like? You can if you’re on a beach, but in other areas you are likely to need a licence for metal detecting in France
On 1st July 2012, a law was introduced in France: all drivers had to carry a breath test kit in their car. Find out why and if or how that law was implemented. Read more about the driving requirements in France.
Kouign-amann is a beautiful, buttery, traditional Breton cake. During the current lockdown, unable to travel to Brittany, we have found an alternative: the British lardy cake. Read on.
Make sure there is a clear and obvious way for people to get in touch with you wherever they are on your website. Failure to do so could result in lots of potential bookings finding their way to somebody elses website.
Can you light a fire outdoors in France to burn your garden waste? Maybe – but it’s best to check first with your local Mairie or fire service to make sure you don’t get a fine.
Our place in Brittany bears a very interesting name: Coat Aillis, which is Breton language. We are so happy to have a house with a name in Breton! However, my Breton purist friends are quite sniffy about it as it is a meaningless name. According to them, the previous owner corrupted it! The original name is Coat An Illis (or Iliz) and it appears on a couple of our utility bills and on Google earth. In Breton, the word “Coat” means “wood or copse”. The word “An” means “of” and the word “Illis” (or iliz) means “church”.
WHY COAT AILLIS?
The reason behind the name is that a couple of fields away from us lie the remains of a 5th century Roman Gallic temple. Sadly, they are literally only the ruins of the walls, so nothing overly exciting. Right next to the site is a house called “Coz Iliz”, which for a long time I thought meant “Home of the church”. However, after some investigation, I found out that it actually means “Old church”. It transpires that the previous owner was a communist who didn’t like the association of religious names, so he changed it. The end result is bizarre: half our post bears one name and the other half, the official post, bears the original name.
BRETON, A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE
We are really fortunate to live in such a beautiful and interesting region, with most road signs written in both French and Breton. We do find this mysterious language most fascinating. So much so that my wife and I decided to take a few Breton classes, as we thought it would be fun. The nearest town to us offering classes is Concarneau, so we decided to go along. Classes vary according to students’ level (there are 6 levels), and focus mostly on verbal tuition rather than written. Our tutor uses a method called Oulpan, which is rather modern, with conversation about everyday life and stories. The support materials are a book and a CD. This popular method enables students to hold a conversation in a relatively short time, whereas traditional methods mostly base themselves on grammar and written tuition. Our tutor uses recordings, movies, cards, games, songs, etc…. We have even already attended a Breton movie night with the school!
SAVING THE BRETON LANGUAGE
We moved to Brittany in 1992, our whole family very keen to understand the culture in order to fit in. Without a basic knowledge of the “official” Breton language, we felt something was lacking. Our first invitation to a Fest Noz, for example, left us rather dumbfounded! We had no idea, what on earth was that?
Martin Jarvis is a professional web developer and a WordPress expert, with a passion for all things "France" - including his lovely wife Nadine! With a french wife, a house on the border of Brittany and the Pays de la Loire, an aunt in Paris, his wife's family in Bordeaux, and a dear (now sadly departed) friend on the Cote d'Azur, Martin is well placed to comment on France from the point of view of an Englishman. Hopefully, this interest in France and his experience as a developer and marketer of websites will help make this site invaluable to francophiles everywhere.