The floral bridges of Quimper
A recent visit to Quimper in Brittany. Quimper is the ancient capital of Cornouaille and in the Breton language is called Kemper which means confluence; of three rivers the Odet, Steir and Jet. This was my second visit in 23 years (the last time being the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution) and I was amazed to see beautiful floral displays on the bridges. The cathedral is dedicated to St Corentin, a 5th century hermit who in legend nourished himself on a miraculous fish which re-grew the bits he ate! The cathedral is also home to Santig Du, the Breton name for 'little black saint', who dedicated his life to helping the homeless. We left a loaf of bread on the table beneath his statue, which will be distributed to the poor, and were immediately rewarded by an enquiry about the car our friend had been trying to sell! There is a church in Cornwall, on the Lizard peninsula, dedicated to St Corentin who as well as being the patron saint of Cornouaille is the patron saint of seafood (and very good it is too). Trading links between Cornouaille and Cornwall were once very strong, and the Breton towns and villages have similar prefixes - Tre, Pen and Ker.
Outside the cathedral itself the floral displays are stunning. There was a lovely carousel on the themes of Jules Verne, including a mini Nautilus.
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| The Cathedral of Saint Corentin, Quimper |
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| Floral display by the war memorial at Ploërmel, Brittany |
If you are visiting this beautiful part of France be sure to call in at Les Perdinettes, place de la Roche, Lesconil. Opened in May 2012 by our friend Hélène Boisson, if you can read French here is a review! What does Les Perdinettes mean? Hélène is the granddaughter of Pierre Corentin Draoulec, who was known as Perdine, and returned to her Breton home after a high flying career in the media representing French singers and actors.
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Hélène at Les Perdinettes
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| Pierre Corentin Draoulec, known as 'Perdine' with his wife in traditional headdress of the Pays Bigouden |
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| Hélène transforms found objects into beautiful creations |
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| A pair of French 'Bridge' chairs |
Such an interesting article, I especially liked the information about the connection with Cornwall. The pictures are beautiful and I felt like I would really like to go and visit that part of France.
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