Monday, June 6, 2022 - Rainy Days and Mondays - Ploermel and Josselin

The weatherman said "Rain all day" as we left from our house in the sunshine. We're headed inland today, raincoats packed. There's a castle at Josselin that looks interesting and a town called Ploermel (Plo-er-mel) that has a medieval history and has a walk along the Lac du Duc that sports hundreds of varieties of hydrangea (hortensia). We'll start in Ploermel. 

We parked near the center of town and walked (scooted) the rest of the way. Unsurprisingly, there isn't a store or restaurant open. It is Pentecost Monday and a holiday. Surprisingly, there's not a soul around. 

The only place open in town was this bar-tabac. The only people here was a couple and their child, speaking English.

The city is dead quiet. (Maybe they're all at Concarneau?) Of course, the tourist office is closed - it's a holiday. They don't even have a map in the window. 

We assume this is the market. The tourist office is just behind me. 

Adding to the quiet of the town has got to be a major road construction in the center (which will be lovely when finished but...) with most major streets torn up or closed. 

road work - street is completely barred off

One man was putting in paving stones for a crosswalk. My question was why was he working on Pentecost Monday?

When in doubt, head for the church. 

church steeple in background

Old towns usually surround the church. True here too. We saw several 16th century buildings and the former palace of the Duc of Brittany. (I forgot to mention that this was where the duke lived for awhile.) 

Palace of the Duke of Brittany, from 1182, is the oldest building in town

Maison des Marmousets 1586

known for its unusual carvings of caryatids and caricatures

I found the name of this pub amusing.

The Eglise Saint Armel has interesting carvings on it's side doors. Saint Armel was a 6th century hermit known for his healing abilities. He was itinerant in many areas of Brittany. He is the patron saint of Ploermel (Plo-Armel) and of the church. 

Like most Gothic churches in Brittany, this church has granite walls and pillars and wooden vaulting. This was a common building style in Brittany. 

nave looking toward organ. Notice wooden vaulting.

20th century stained glass

Much of it's 15th century stained glass was destroyed in American bombings in June 1944, replaced by modern stained glass windows. 

It seems like there are other nuggets in this town, but with only the Michelin guide's meager description, these can't be explored. So we head off to the "Circuit des Hortensia" (the Hydrangea path). We're hoping to find a toilet there as the one in town is blocked off and unaccessible. 

The Hydrangea path follows one side of the Lac du Duc (a dammed river) for about a kilometer. Easy to find, easy to find parking - right next to the public WC. Whew. 

Here are the people! This group of about a dozen is going to hike around the lake.

the toilet. I'm finding most public toilets have at least one handicapped stall. Good work, France!

There have been lots of signs up to this point, but as to which path (there are at least 4) to take, the signage is mute. Apparently, you're supposed to know that the path to the golf course is also the hydrangea path. After wandering in circles a few minutes, we deduced the path and headed out. By now, the weather is grayer and there's a cold wind. Rain is coming. 

I put on my raincoat against the wind, Dave grabbed the lunch and we immediately realized that last year's blooms are hanging on the bushes and this year's flowers are just coming. It will be a few more weeks before there are flowers. How disappointing. 

This walk is very shaded, so the blooms of course are slower than those in town in the sunlight. (sad face) This walk will be spectacular in another few weeks.

But we found a bench facing the lake and ate our lunch in a very pleasant (if cool) setting. 

looks comfy, right? But the setting is nice. Except for the threatening rain part.

Back to the car, we used the toilet one more time. Dave's Rule Number 2 (never pass up an opportunity to use the toilet.) and headed for Josselin. 

What the trunk looks like with the scooter inside and the 5th seat up.

It's only a 15 minute drive to Josselin

Our guide books gave conflicting addresses for the tourist bureau in Josselin (as did a sign we saw later on in the town). We picked one, and landed right in the center of town next to the church in a handicapped parking place. What luck, we thought. 

view from our parking place.

We found the tourist office, closed either because it wasn't yet 2 pm, or because it's a holiday. But there's a map outside that we took a photo of for future reference. 

map on outside of tourist office

The map highlighted a couple of walking tours of the city and we found other signs posted on important buildings or places. And....it's starting to sprinkle. We checked out the first stop, then headed back toward the car for raingear. 

sign posted at the top of the street

there's a toilet in here

This old square has a very modern fountain

The oldest house in Josselin, 1538

carvings around the door

This may be the first mistress of the house welcoming us to her house.

La maison du Sénéchal, 1689, housed many important administrators of the city

Next stop was the church, which got us out of the sprinkles. 

The Basilique Notre Dame du Roncier (Our Lady of the Brambles) is so named because of the legend of finding of a statue of Mary in the brambles at this site, prompting the building of a chapel. (Dave wonders how many statues of Mary have been found hidden in nature in Brittany. What gives?) The chapel grew into a church and today has elements from 12th century - 15th century, plus some modern restorations. Like others in Brittany, the granite building is topped with wooden vaulting. 

looking toward the organ and the wooden vaulting over the nave

the highly decorated pulpit

Window of the Combat of the Thirty (see explanation below)

Is this the statue supposedly found under the brambles in 808? I'd be surprised.

north aisle has a painted mural above the arch

north aisle looking toward the chapel of Notre Dame du Roncier

A word on the Combat of the Thirty. March 26, 1351. At this time the French-Bretons house of Blois were fighting the English house of Montfort for control of the Duchy of Brittany. The war was stalemated and somehow a challenge from Beaumanoir of Josselin (controlled by the Blois) to Bemborough who controlled Ploermel (English-Montfort) to have a battle between 30 chosen knights to determine who would rule. This took place half-way between Ploermel and Josselin with audience and refreshments. At the end of the day, with many on either side dead, the house of Blois won the tournament. Hard to believe, but this is the stuff of legends and seems to hold an important place in the history of both Ploermel and Josselin. 

Done with the church, we headed outside to see the back side of the church. And it was no longer sprinkling. 

close up of tower

the tower can be climbed for 1 Euro - 308 steps, I think. We passed on the great view.

back of the church with entry to the bel tower in center

The main square was lively with people at lunch, but we were the only people walking around town. (Well, I did see a German couple, who, like us, were taking pictures of all the buildings.) 

café on the main square

another café on the main square

painted half-timbered houses along the south side of the church

We followed a sign to a medieval garden (and a series of signs instructing about an eco-restauration project going on in Josselin.) 

entrance to the medieval garden

We went back through the main square and down a very steep slope we thought was heading toward the castle, but in reality we were headed toward the St. Croix bridge where every famous photo of this castle is taken. You can see why. 

heading downhill

The castle is in sight.

The bridge at St. Croix

The famous view of the castle of Josselin. It would be better on a sunny day.

Hunting for a bathroom brought us to a lovely park along the River Oust (which is a canal) in the St. Croix neighborhood. 

The bathroom was in this building painted in trompe l'oeil

view of the canal from the park

remains of La Maison des Arcades (before 1400) which burned and whose remains were moved to this park along the Oust.

We followed a group of tourists (finally, we thought we were the only tourists out today) along the canal (there's a lock just down river from here) to the end of the castle, then up around the side and back of the castle. 

The castle is even more forbidding from below.

lavoir (place to wash clothes) up against the castle wall

towers

At the main gate, there was a sign saying go around some more, 200 meters higher. My scooter was getting tired and out of battery. 

main gate

We walked up the hill past the doll museum to a door that said to enter the castle at the doll museum. That was a waste of scooter energy. Back down the hill to the doll museum. But there are 3 steps to go down. The ticket seller produced a ramp which he laid on the stairs and voilà, I was in. I could explore the gardens AND go through the castle. But when we got to the castle, there were 3 steps to get in and no docent in sight. And now it's seriously sprinkling - almost a mist. A kind man helped Dave lift the scooter into the castle and I was able to enjoy the 4 rooms that were furnished. It was sprinkling harder so we forgot to take pictures of the outside which is very renaissance château from inside the courtyard.

image from: https://www.brittanytourism.com/offers/chateau-de-josselin-josselin-en-1988497/

Each room had large print laminated cards explaining what was in the room. Most excellent. Furnishings and paintings were original and meant to impress. 

sitting room

A Plus - motto of the Rohans who owned the castle

Alain- name carved in the fireplace

dining table set in silver

entrance hall - paintings of royal family and royal friends (like the king)

library of over 3000 books

clever design award: this ladder for reaching the high shelves folds into a table when not in use.

When we came out, a docent had put down a ramp and I was able to get out easily. Good thing. My scooter was now beeping at me, complaining that it was almost out of battery.

We made it back and out of the doll museum to the street and decided Dave should find a way to drive by to pick me up. Good thing, my battery indicator was now beeping at me angrily. But all's well that ends well. Dave found me, we packed the scooter back into the trunk and headed for home. Misty rain all the way. 

We're home now, cooking Gaston Gérard's chicken for dinner. It's raining hard now, on and off. So apéros inside, then dinner. We have an 8 pm zoom date with Janis and Clark. Can't wait to check in with them.