Join us for the 2011 trip to Brittany

In 2011 we will be having yet another trip to Brittany.  It would be unfair to say organised trip, as those attending are free to travel to Brittany on the day they want and leave on the day they want.  And when staying at our regular manor house they are free to be sociable or to ignore everybody completely.  Nobody minds, which is why the free and easy atmosphere is always such a success.  At the manor house, take the car out every day for an amble, or lounge by the pool with a book, or go surfing in the Baie des Trepasses, or just stay in bed all day long.  Up to you, nobody is bothered.
 
There is however a rump of 30 May 2011 to 6 June 2011 when the bulk of those attending will be au manoir.
 
As usual we will be staying at the Manoir du Menec in Bannalec in the Finistère region of Brittany http://www.manoirdumenec.com/mdmv2/.  There are plenty of hotel rooms, alternatively for a little extra privacy and independence there are also 2-4 bedroom gîtes in the hotel grounds.  Being in the middle of the countryside, there is never any need to worry about parking in the grounds of the hotel – the cars are safe.
 
Most of us sailing from England will take the 30 May Brittany Ferries crossing from Portsmouth to St. Malo but feel free to travel when and how you want.  Bannalec is around 100 miles from St. Malo and is a beautiful scenic drive, with various stop-off points for us all to meet up and relax whilst the locals scratch their heads in bewilderment at the cars.  The roads in France are pothole-free, uncongested and with a marked absence of speed bumps and cameras.  Parking in town squares always appears to be convenient free and plentiful.  Parking wardens seem to be confined only to the biggest cities in France.
 
Cuisine at the Manoir du Menec is consistently excellent with a dazzling array of wines.  The high point of the day is dinner back at the hotel at around 7.30 after a day’s ambling around medieval towns in our near-medieval cars.  We usually have two tables – one for the rumbustious and highly voluble mob of alcoholic louts (generally Bentley and Bristol owners) and one for the quieter, less-talkative and more-easily-offended wallflowers (generally Rolls-Royce owners).  Or for feel free to have your own table or cook in your own gîte.  Nobody minds what you do and everyone seems to get on with each other.
 
Beautiful places on the doorstep to visit, such as Pointe du Raz, la Baie des Treppases, Carnac, Locronan, Pont-Aven, Quimper, Concarneau, Moncontour, St. Malo.  And not a parking warden or ruddy caravan in sight.
 
Contact marksixbentley@hotmail.com for more details.

Giles Usher

Your tour guide enjoying a modest lunch at Chez Jacky

A selection of photos of our 2010 trip to entice you to join us in 2011