Brittany

I had read so much about Brittany, land of lace caps, oysters and salt cod, that when I finally saw for myself the patchwork of little fields and the cramped villages, huddling for shelter in valleys and inlets along the coast, they came as no surprise. Brittany is easy to enjoy, with its temperate climate and its doll’s-house architecture. The cooking is no less pleasing, for crêpes, cider and superb seafood are bound to appeal. But these facile images are deceptive; of all the extremities of France, I feel that Brittany is the one most difficult to fathom.