By Norma Hopcraft
Next my sister, my French friend Martine, her dog Tibou, and I -- the intrepid foursome through Brittany and Normandy -- went from Dinan to L'Isle de Bréhat, just off the coast of Brittany.
A loaded ferry took us across waters that had many rocks jutting up from the surface -- how many more were hidden just below? But we made it safely across, as you would expect from a ferry company, and we were enchanted immediately.
The agapanthus was at its peak of bloom, as were the hydrangea. The sea air was refreshing even while the sun was blazing hot.
This was a very special place, glad I explored it, but certainly a playground of the very rich.
Houses were nestled into the landscape, which was burgeoning with blooms.
Rustic fences, stone walls, and hardy grasses caught my eye.
This is one cove, with boats basking in the sun.
A private cove for just one house.
The only problem with boating on Bréhat: the tide in this northern end of the world has big swings, and boats are often rendered unusable by the tide going out.
A path with ancient walls.
A cottage nestled into its lush garden.
Agapanthus growing wild, a mysterious house where certainly a family with some wild people in it must have lived.
Another view. What a place!
It's on a hill with sea air constantly flowing over it.
Another beautiful house.
Isle de Bréhat was just full of picturesqueness.
It reminds me of the kind of cottage known as Cape Cod. But here we are in the Old World, not the new.
A field of grass nodding in the wind.
My type of place: small and cozy.
A romantic door.
A statue just outside the restaurant where we had lunch.
Here's our lunch spot -- highly recommended!
Plants do well on Isle de Bréhat in the moist sea air, even in nooks and crannies. How about you? What special place have you been over the years? Comment below!
