Winter 2006 - Northern Kite Group

VANNES (MORE THAN JUST A KITE SHOP)At the time this magazine is dropping throughletterboxes, the Christmas decorations will havebeen put away for another year and many peoplewill be planning for their annual time in the sun. Ithink it’s fair to say that, based on conversationswith other group members, many of us will endup paying a visit to our close neighbours acrossthe channel. If you find yourself in Francesometime, do yourself a favour and try to get to awonderful town called Vannes. The town is inSouthern Brittany but is also easily accessible ifyou are making your way down the west coast tothe popular resorts in the Vendee area, beingsituated just off the N165/N166 motorways.Picture courtesy of Ian ParkesVannes itself is situated at the head of the Gulf ofMorbihan, or inland sea, and is picture postcardpretty; you could point your camera just aboutanywhere and take the perfect holiday snapshot.Within the town walls are many winding medievalstreets with little squares here and there, set out inno particular order and although the town is fairlysmall it’s easy to waste a couple of hours justwandering, sitting, eating and drinking thenwandering some more. Outside the walls andPicture courtesy of Ian Parkesramparts there are beautifully tended gardens with moremedieval buildings dotted around and of course theharbour with the usual array of ice cream and waffleshops mixed in with the harbour side café bars. If youlook carefully at the old shops you will also see, almosthidden, a small wooden sculpture of the town’s founderfather Vannes himself with his wife.For all this wonder and charm, Vannes has another gemof more note to us kite flyers. Tucked away down a smallside street, known as Rue St.-Guenael, behind thecathedral, you will find a rather small looking but verycolourful shop called Bilboquet. From the outdside theshop makes a very sharp contrast against the surroundingsandstone buildings, having been painted bright red andbeing stuffed to overflowing with colourful objects fromwooden toys and kites to juggling equipment.Picture courtesy of Ian Parkes17