Bretagne, Gauguin,
Today's Gourmet Corner is dedicated to Pont Aven, a nice small village, located in "Bretagne" - the "Far West" of France on the Atlantic Coast. Pont Aven (Pop. 3,000 - 80 Art Galleries) , lies in a very pleasant setting at the point where the River Aven, after flowing between rocks, opens out into a tidal estuary. The Aven used to drive numerous mills; hence the saying: "Pont Aven a famous town; fourteen mills, fifteen houses".The place has been a favorite resort of painters; Paul Gauguin, before leaving to Tahiti, stay several times (1886 - 1894) and the Pont Aven School headed by Gauguin was formed in about 1888. Visit: www.pontaven.com The Pont Aven School of Contemporary Art (PSCA) , was founded in 1993 by Ms. Caroline Boyle-Turner; Art Professor (Ph.D. from Columbia University) and specialist in Gauguin. She was following the example of Robert Wylie, an American art professor and painter from Philadelphia who around 1864 spent 10 years in Pont Aven. His publicity about the region attracted many of his students and artists of all nationalities to Pont Aven, and of course Gauguin was one of those artists.The school in 2005, will have full-year courses of two semesters; Spring, Summer & Fall. The students majoring in fine art there continue the spirit of experimentation & international cooperation that characterized Gauguin's group. Courses are taught in English, and meet the standards set by the North American Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), as well as the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Undergraduate credit is transferable through RISD, with permission from the student's home school/academic advisor. Teachers come from RISD, or other universities and art schools such as Yale or Columbia, and they are rotated through. Each session welcomes up to 30 or 40 students, and 5 teachers. The students come from around the world and stay in local private homes, selected by the school. The next course will be in February 2005 for 15 weeks, for "post bachelor" graduate students to prepare to obtain a master degree. Since its foundation, 900 students have been following the courses offered by the school. The mission of the school is, in Gauguin words: "The artist has the right to dear anything." For information visit: www.pontavensa.org
On the surroundings: Many places in the area have inspired painters of the Pont Ave School; places such as the "Bois d'amour" (The Love Forest), with "The Tremalo Chapel". It is a characteristic Breton country chapel, set amid fine trees. It has a lop-sided roof, with one of the eaves nearly touching the ground. Inside is a 16th-century wooden figure of Christ, which was the model for Gauguin's Yellow Christ. >Other places of inspiration: Port Manech & Nevez, with the "Jardins de Rospico" (Rospico Gardens), Kerdruc (charming small harbor still possessing some old thatched cottages), & Belon (this locality is famous "Worldwide" as an oyster-farming center). Gourmets say Belon oysters "are the best in the world!" The oyster beds on the north bank can be seen at low tide, and in some you can have a sample tasting. Or you can visit "Chez Jacky" - a Belon harbor tourist bar restaurant, but great for oysters.Gauguin was connected with Pont Aven & Tahiti; Pont Aven is connected with Gauguin & Tahiti and in November 1987, an officer from the French Navy and his wife from Tahiti, open the first ever Tahitian restaurant in France. So my "Gourmet Corner" is dedicated to "Restaurant Tahiti" located just in front of The Pont Aven School of Contemporary Art (a coincidence). The cuisine; Tahitian with Chinese influences. The house specials: # Poisson à la Tahitienne [Fish Tahitian style] > on order only > 10.00 € (fresh, great) For Starters: (with Chinese influence)# Cho My (steamed pork & shrimps dumplings) > 6.50 € Seafood: (fish from Bretagne, of course)# Shrimps Fritters - # Scallops Fritters - # Acras (fish fritters) > all priced at > 9.00 € # Stuffed Crab in Shell > 10.00 € Other Dishes: (with Chinese influence)# Exotic Chicken (with bananas, tangerines & pineapples) > 9.00 € On Order Only: # Stuffed Duck "Eight Jewels" [for 4 persons] > 20.00 € per person Desserts: [Tahiti specialty] > {please leave room if you have a sweet tooth!}# Poe Maia (with ice cream > 6.00 €) Wines are at very reasonable prices. With the Tahitian food try the: Rosé Coteaux d'Ardèche or the Red Gamay d'Ardèche at only > 9.80 € RESTAURANT TAHITI Hosts: Roland and Leone (the cook) Pensec Getting Around: First you most have or hire a car, no public transport at all, from Paris you have two possibilities, to Quimper the main town: an Air France flight (1 hour) from Orly Airport or the TGV (fast train- 4 hours) from Montparnasse Station and rent a car in Quimper. Unfortunately, in the Pont Aven town center, there is only one nice hotel with four rooms & one apartment:"Le Moulin de Rosmadec" Tel: +33 2 98 06 00 22 Following the road to Concarneau, at around 3 Km. from Pont Aven, is the magnificent: "Château de Kerminaouët" (from 1400) [129 Acres] - The residence is from 1800 and was of "Lord de la Lande de Calan." More recently, it was owned by Bob & Jacoline Dubois-Brak (the Dutch sculptor), who converted the domain into a superb "Guest House" with 10 rooms [Min. 2 or 3 days stay].Each of the rooms has its own particular flavor, with the names of "King Arthur's Round Table" such as; Arthur, Merlin, Guenevievre, Vaillant … All with great views for only 80.00 €. Or, choose the two connected rooms with the name of "Tristan & Iseul" for the price of only 120.00 € (for the two rooms). Also, you can rent an apartment called the "Avalon" for 180.00 € And, if you want a dream for your own, a separate "Pigeon House" or "dove-cot" from the (15th Century), which can be rented for [700 € Per week]. It has a large living room on the ground floor and two rooms on the upper floors with kitchen and bathrooms in each room. The château is also a "liberal art school" -off, off, (Atelier Libre) where you can practice periods of instruction for; painting, sculpture, wood carving, clay mould, etc. etc… with exhibitions & tea room open to the public on Sundays. The château is a "total non smoker" paradise, so if you are an smoker; "c'est la vie!" Château de Kerminaouët Tel: +33 2 98 50 19 68 Fax: +33 2 98 50 26 28 Email: kerminaouet@wanadoo.fr Or visit: www.kerminaouet.com Open from April to October - In winter on request [Of course, being a "château" from the 15C means there is no telephone or TV in the rooms.] Other typical restaurant; "La Taupiniere" One nice "Crêperie" (managed by an American Lady) "La Petite Tourte" Tel: +33 2 98 09 16 73 www.lapetitetourte.com of course they speak English with a smile! The alternative to visiting the region, is to take a hotel in Quimper or Concarneau Hotel Gradlon [***] (town center) 30, Rue Brest - QuimperTel: +33 2 98 95 04 39 Fax: +33 2 98 95 61 25 Or visit: www.hotel.gradlon.com Or Hotel Mercure Quimper Centre [***]21 bis, Rue de la Gare Tel: +33 2 98 90 31 71 Fax: +33 2 98 53 09 81 Or visit: www.mercure-quimper.com In Concarneau: "Hotel de l'Ocean" [***] Facing the Atlantic Ocean, - great viewsPlage des Sables Blancs - Concarneau Tel: +33 2 98 50 53 50 Fax: +33 2 98 50 84 16 Email: hotel.ocean@wanadoo.fr www.hotel-ocean.com Rooms from: 65.00 - to - 115.00 € Places of interest to visit: On the North West: Quimper : Cathedral (13-15C) & town center (16-17C), the market, The Pottery Museum & Manufacture [the first Quimper pottery was founded in 1690]Concarneau : "la ville close" [the walled old town] - enclosed in granite ramparts, (14th & 17th C) and France's third largest fishing port & one of the biggest markets for tuna.Locronan : Little town once prospered from the manufacture of sailcloth, traces of its golden age are to be found in its fine "square" with its granite houses built at the Renaissance, (17 & 18C) and the Church & Chapel (1420 - 1470).From Locronan on your way back to Quimper visit ;Douarnenez : With its quays, harbor, and the streets of the old quarter, zigzagging down to the sea.On the South East: Qimperlé , -Le Pouldu, -Doëlan (little fishing port commanding the entrance to a deep estuary)Port Louis : (16C citadel & 17C ramparts) -Naval Museum)The citadel with the name of "Fuerte del Aguila" was build in 1591 by the Spanish Engineer Cristobal de Rojas, famous for the Cadiz (Spain) fortifications. Carnac: (prehistoric capital of Bretagne with "menhirs" & rows of stones)Quiberon Peninsula : (with the Thalassotherapy Institute, one of the best - or the best - in France)************** POST SCRIPT! Well, I think now you have an idea of this part of Bretagne, the South Finistere. It would take too long to give you details of all the nice & great places in this region, but remember if Gauguin and the American painters on, from the 19 century, have painted the landscapes, and lived and still live in Pont Aven, they can't be wrong! For them, it was their "Far West" of France and they were the pioneers! VIVE LE FAR WEST! ************** Freddy Santamaria "The Smooth Operator" - Paris, France
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