Home Sweet Maison

In addition to the weekly market, Tréguier has several crepe restaurants and patisseries, as well as a butcher shop, bakery, and tiny fish store, where you can order a platter of oysters and pick them up later, semishucked and on a tray of ice.

For supper at Maison de Granit, Watson might prepare fresh oysters with lemon, boiled artichokes with butter, and chicken roasted in cider with potatoes and a salad, followed by a cheese course—a must—and finally, an apple tart or chocolate mousse for dessert.

Apples are Brittany’s staple—they fill crepes, tarts, and other desserts, are braised in meat dishes and stews, and are the source of the famous hard cider everyone drinks at lunch. They’re also the main ingredient in pommeau, a mildly sweet apéritif that’s sipped before a meal, and eau de vie, an apple brandy consumed after a meal (Normandy has a similar spirit, calvados). “We finish every supper with eau de vie,” Watson says, “especially in winter, to take off the chill."

The best way to see Brittany is on foot, bike, or horseback, and its 800 miles of coastal paths offer a variety of terrain. The rugged coastline has thousands of inlets, which made it a prime area for illegal landings and smuggled goods in the mid-1800s. Soldiers and customs officers walked these paths day and night to protect the area. Now they are protected sites, developed for walkers and hikers, with clear markings and detailed information.

The numerous coastal islands offer plenty of opportunities for exploration. Île de Bréhat, a charming island with a picturesque lighthouse, is a short ferry ride from the mainland. Walk the six-mile trail and take in a puppet show in the tiny town. The Sept-Îles archipelago is a well-known bird sanctuary, where the rare Atlantic puffin struts its plumage.

Brittany’s beaches are also great for walking, but beware the legendary tides, which are so dramatic the beaches can expand from a quarter mile to three miles wide, depending on the moon. In the summer, sunbathers flaunt bright beach umbrellas and candy-striped chairs while the brave plunge into the invigorating cold water.

Brittany also offers plenty of opportunities for relaxation. The area’s gardens are lush with roses, palm trees, and thick hedges of rosemary and hortensia, an enormous many-colored hydrangea. Formal gardens, including the one across the river from Watson’s home, offer glorious respite. The region is also the birthplace of thalassotherapy, a type of spa treatment using the ocean’s brine and sand. The town of Perros-Guirec has a renowned thalassotherapy center, as well as heavenly beaches surrounded by rose-hued granite rock formations.

NEED TO KNOW * Getting There: Northwest Airlines flies to Paris via Detroit or London. From Paris, book a TGV train ticket for a three-hour trip to Guingamp. Rent a car and drive twenty minutes to Tréguier. * Where to Stay: Maison de Granit can be rented for a minimum of six nights. Other furnished houses and apartments can be rented through Gîtes de France. Full-service housing is available in nearby Paimpol through Le Relais Brenner. * Where to Eat: For breakfast, pick up croissants and pain au chocolat from one of Tréguier’s several patisseries. For lunch, the crepes at the outdoor markets are a must. In addition to Tréguier’s bustling market, visit the ones in Lannion and Paimpol. For a more formal meal, check out Auberge du Trégor, a lovely family restaurant in Tréguier. * What to Do: Not too far a drive from Tréguier, Saint-Malo is a gorgeous sixteenth-century town of charming walls and trellises where the tides gallop in and out. Throughout the year, the little towns along the coast host festivals celebrating their gastronomic specialties. Most recently, Watson took in the market at Saint-Quay–Portrieux, known for its scallops and its Fête de la Coquille Saint-Jacques (April 14–15). The city of Carnac displays some of the greatest vestiges of megalithic artifacts, offering a glimpse into ancient rituals, ceremonies, and astronomy. * Resources: Check out brittanytourism.com. Once in Brittany, stop at the tourism office for information about the towns’ market days, festivals, walking tours, museum hours, and anything else of interest.

Beth Dooley is a Twin Cities writer and coauthored the cookbook Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland with Lucia Watson.