The first thing one notices about France is everything to do with automobiles is different. The liscence plates are different. The cars are extremely small (relative to ours) and resemble that plastic red and yellow Little Tykes car for toddlers. The smaller cars are necessary though, because the roads are tight and so is parking. In addition, gas tax here is outrageous, and gas thus costs 4 times what it does in the states. 7 francs per litre. That's another thing that takes getting used to, the metric system. Seeing speed limit signs of 110 can be a bit disorienting for a second.

    My journey began from the airport to Bretagne. En route, I stopped by Chartres, a beauttiful gothic church built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Chartres is famous for its two spires, the left one ornate and covered with gargoyles, the right one more conical, together magnificent. The interior afforded a great view of the numerous stained glass windows and ornate carvings. (If god goes for the fancy stuff, he will be found in a place of worship such as this). The floor had a circular design known as the labyrinth, which although aesthetically pleasing, was not a labyrinth in the puzzling sense as it had only one sinuous path. The highways had more right to the name labyrinth.

    I arrived in Bretagne bedraggled from jet lag and unable to speak comprehensible french. Luckily, my hosts were gracious and had dinner ready. A fresh shoulder of lamb (he works in a butcherie) and frites (French french fries) were the menu. Dessert was a platter of cheeses with baguette, after which I promptly fell asleep.

    After having bread for breakfast (the French have bread with every meal), I was off to see the countryside. Carnac is famous for its 6,000 year-old rocks, pieces of history that pre-date the pyramids of Egypt. History here goes back much further than in the U.S., our country is really nothing but a young upstart relatively speaking. Other historical sites I saw on my trip included the Grand Menhir (an ancient monolith) and a funeral cave with some carvings in the ceiling.

    The seaside here is quite lovely. The tides have great effect, so that boats you see floating around in the morning will be lying sideways on the mud in the afternoon. One charming seaside church had a stained glass window with an anchor and the word ESPERE (hope) inscribed below. As a native Rhode Islander, I was thrilled. The other thrilling occurance was while walking through the marina district, I stopped at a stage where costumed people were singing and musicians were playing. It turned out to be a teaser for a musical theater group performing "Fiddler on the Roof" in French. Hearing them sing "L'Chaim" was an experience.

    France has many specialty markets; boulangeries for bread, butcheries for meat, fromageries for cheese, and open-air markets for everything else and some of the above as well. I know that such markets exist in the States, but they are impossible to find, where as in France they seem to be on every street corner.

    Bretagne is possibly most famous for its castles. I visited the Chateau de Suscinio, a beautiful example with original 13th century battlements and walls 3 metres (10 ft.) thick.

    For my last evening in Bretagne, we went to a culture festival held outside the walls of an old castle town, the town has changed but the ramparted walls have held steady over the years. As bagpipe players paraded by the castled walls while night fell, one truly felt a majesty. Seeing a cathedral illuminated just over the wall, flags waving and bagpipes playing, and finally an amazing fireworks display. Set to music, a seemingly inexhaustible supply of fireworks flew over the castle walls towards the spectators. It felt like a bombardment, especially when pieces of firework started falling on the crowd. It occured to me that here in France, for the first time in my life I had seen the red glare of rockets and bombs bursting in air over ramparts.