Guerlesquin Travel Guide

 CatherineReichardt Says:  (work in progress)I'm partial to a good gargoyle, and was happy to discover that the church of Saint-Ténénan has a couple of endearing offerings which draw on a big cat theme.The main picture is certainly a lion, which was a commonly used image in the medieval world, often... 

 CatherineReichardt Says:  (work in progress)One of our most endearing discoveries in Guerlesquin was the medicinal herb garden that has been established in the grounds of Saint-Ténénan church.Neat beds contain a range of plants that would have been used as traditional remedies in the days before... 

 CatherineReichardt Says:  (work in progress)I loved this sign which is displayed prominently next to the war memorial.It is an excerpt from a famous speech given by General de Gaulle in London during June 1940, which was designed to raise morale among "Tous les Francais" ("All the French") after... 

 Mikebond Says:  If you can, visit Guerlesquin on a Monday: it's the day of the market. This is not a "normal" market with typical Breton products, it's a musical market. As you will see in my travelogues, musicians go through the streets of the village and also across the market, performing... 

 Mikebond Says:  Out of the church you see this small calvaire. It is nothing interesting if compared with those of Guimiliau or Saint-Thégonnec. 

 Mikebond Says:  The prison seigneurale was the prison of the Lords of Guerlesquin. It was built around 1640 by Vincent du Parc de Kerret, a Lord of the village. It consists of a square fortress with a tower at every corner. You can visit it inside (I think it was free when I did it), where... 

 Mikebond Says:  Here you see more decorations located inside Saint-Ténénan.The first photo shows a banner with Saint Trechmeur (Trémeur in French), a local saint who was beheaded. This banner is probably used to celebrate a pardon.The second image is a painting of Mary's assumption to... 

 Mikebond Says:  Like most Breton churches, also Saint-Ténénan has a number of statues. Here you see:1) Sainte-Marthe who defeated a creature half-dragon half-fish. I have found this information on the web, but I'm not sure it's her, although it looks likely;2) Saint-Louis, the Holy King;3)... 

 Mikebond Says:  On the façade you can admire some curious gargoyles and other sculptures. Some of them are really unusual, such as those in the first two photos of this tip, that are cut in two by a column. 

 CatherineReichardt Says:  (work in progress)I know a thing or two about hostelries, and being of Irish stock, I should be a past master at identifying Irish pubs. Indeed, it is often a source of annoyance to me when I'm exploring a wonderful new city in an exotic location and stumble across a "Molly... 

 Mikebond Says:  Since Guerlesquin is a small village and all its inhabitants know each other, you will certainly assist to the traditional Breton custom of kissing on the cheek (se faire la bise), especially if you visit this village on Mondays, when there is the musical market. Here, only... 

 Mikebond Says:  When I was at the Monday musical market in Guerlesquin I noticed many cages with animals for sale, especially ducklings and little rabbits. There were also pupils with their teachers who told them about these animals or the farm life. It was quite strange for me to see farm... 

 Mikebond Says:  The Guerlesquin market is a real show of the Breton soul: you can see and buy many traditional products. I am not sure whether the market takes place on other days than on Monday, the day of the musical market (see my "things to do" tip). 

 Mikebond Says:  While I was at the musical market, some men went across the streets with a horse carrying a calesh, so children could enjoy a trip in Guerlesquin. I am not sure they did it for free, but it was very Breton, as the men wore traditional costumes, as you can see. 

 Mikebond Says:  Should you have forgotten or never known that Guerlesquin is a Breton village, the sign of this bar would remind you of that! The Breton language (brezhoneg) is very spread in Guerlesquin and most streets have Breton names. 

 Mikebond Says:  Almost every corner of the village is embellished with a lot of flowers. Moreover, there is a nice park with a fountain near Saint-Ténénan, which you can see in the last photo of this tip.