Travels

On a recent sojourn in rural Brittany and Normandy, we scoured the coast in vain for the quaint, small fishing villages for which the regions had been so well-known. Instead of charming fishing villages, we found towns given over to the industry of tourism, complete with bustling cafes and souvenir shops whose bounty overflowed onto the sidewalks. Finally, on our last morning, we rose early to visit a market in a town approximately 8 kilometers from our lodging. The market featured local produce, crafts, breads, pastries, meats and cheeses, and—yes—fish! Not just fish, but a mélange fresh from the sea: lobster, huge shrimp, mussels, oysters, baby shark, sole, and many others. The emptied commercial fishing boats were tied up along the tidal canal, while the gulls picked breakfast from the drying nets.