Belle-Ile-en-Mer

This past summer while I was working in Alaska I met quite a few people from France. One of which was Bastien, a young man hitchhiking through Alaska who had stopped in Denali Park for a couple days. When we started talking I told him I'd be studying in Paris for the winter, so we exchanged information and have kept in touch. Last week he invited me to visit him at his parents house on a small island on the west coast of France called Belle-Ile-en-Mer. I decided I should go for it and Friday I caught the train to Auray where I switched to a bus to go to Quiberon. In Quiberon Bastien and his mother met me and took the ferry from Quiberon to Belle-Ile-en-Mer with me. His parents don't speak English so my dictionary was my constant companion and it was really good practice even though I still had to rely on Bastien to translate basically everything.
It was great to stay in a "real" French house and have that experience. Bastien and his Father built their home which they later transformed into a Bed & Breakfast. It was so rejuvinating to get away from the busy streets of Paris and enjoy the laid back lifestyle on the island.
The other great thing was the food! I haven't eaten that good in months! Every morning for breakfast they made me hot chocolate with French bread and blackberry jam that his mother had made. Lunch was vegetables and meat followed by more bread and cheese. (The cheese in France is amazing! I will definitely miss it when I go back to the states.) For dinner it was more vegetables, meat, bread, cheese and just when you didn't think you could eat anymore they brought out the dessert. I even ate rabbit and pheasant for the first time in my life and was truthfully surprised they were so good.
While the weather wasn't the greatest it didn't stop me from going out and exploring all the different beaches in the area. I was in constant awe of the beauty everywhere. I'm afraid my pictures don't do it justice. Monday when I woke up and started packing the weather was gorgeous. The sun was out and the skies were blue and clear. Bastien kept trying to talk me into staying longer but I had to get back to Paris for a test so he went with me on the ferry back to Quiberon where I waited to catch the bus. It was a quick trip but I'm so glad I was able to go and have such an amazing experience. I truly am blessed to be able to get out at see different sides of life. I love it!