Late summer 2002 in a little village in north Brittany in the Cotes d’Armor, we discovered an abandoned gentleman’s farm with a horse-breeding annex, dating from the 1880’s. It was love at first sight. Mysteriously, we saw a white owl flying from "our" roof when we investigating the farm just before signing the contract. This was a sign; let's start with the negotiations.
During these negotiations we soon bumped into the first cultural differences;
We seemed to have made a big mistake by offering a bottle of wine to our neighbour after the successful land negotiations. This was not accepted. It should have been a single glass instead, not to make the impression bribing them.
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We turned out to be overdressed when we were proudly invited for a tour of their modest livestock. The curious villagers were wandering by our property with friendly but searching looks. But after a few French lessons and a chat we all got used to each other and are now known by our cheerfulness, our colourful red bus and our playful dog. In March 2003 we triumphantly received our key. From that point on our lives changed into one big learning curve about the French culture, the 19th century building techniques and the beauty of Brittany.
Nice strolls along the countryside allowed us to acquaint the charms of a green environment and the many rivers that traps in see. Because the rocks let pass so little the rainwater flows past it and gathers in the rivers. Cotes d'Armor has almost 7000km of waterflows. All these waterflows rise from the innumerable sources that Brittany knows. The coast we discovered by its large walking paths (GR34). After a 20km drive you will find the famous Cote Granite Rose. The rock formations that you will find here at sea descend from the ice-age. Shaped in hundreds off years by the sea and the wind.
After a year hard work we opened our doors in July 2004 and welcomed our first guests. The former horse-breeding farm entered its first Summer as a refuge for active and creative holidaymakers.
The main house, in which the old landlord used to live, is divided in two. In the left part we have made ourselves a nice place to live in. In the right part we have created a warm and cosy apartment for 4 up to 8 persons.
The old cider stable is renovated at the beginning of 2005. The attic, the old storage for the cider bottles, is changed into four chambre d'hotes (BB).
The ground floor, with its enormous glass façade, is converted into a multifunctional space in which courses can be given, dinners can
take place or guests can relax by the fireplace.
Before and after the renovation:
In the former horse-stables we have created a space for table tennis, shovelboard and other games.
In short our concept ensures that we will try to keep the whole complex as original as possible. In this way we can let our guests share in the original Breton way of life, where a lot is possible but nothing is forced. You can think of excursions to various sites, an evening campfire on which the "catch of the day" will be prepared and the day's experiences can be exchanged.
