Brittany holiday cottage, France

Holidays in France are largely about enjoying the culture of another country and both we and the hospitable owners promote this in every way we can. The owners of this Brittany holiday cottage are Breton speaking and they are very proud of their heritage and are delighted to share it with our tenants. They can provide information on short courses and classes which take place throughout the summer for those interested in learning some of the Breton language or Breton folk dancing. There are many Breton festivals in the area in which visitors are very welcome to participate, the most famous being the Inter-Celtic festival of music and dance at Lorient.

The coastal path passes close to the cottage and the owners will indicate the best walks and the quiet uncommercialised beaches. The coastal area here is a protected zone, and the local mairie runs discovery days so that visitors can learn about the local flora and fauna.

Visitors are able to enjoy a beautiful, unspoilt environment at the same time as supporting the local economy. The owners provide detailed information about the local shops, markets and restaurants. The nearby village of Moelan has a market for local producers of organic fruit, vegetables, bread and meat. Small scale coastal fishing is the lifeblood of many of the smaller Breton ports and you can buy fresh fish direct from the local fishermen at Port Manech. Oysters, a regional speciality, are farmed at nearby Belon and can be bought direct from the producers. All this, along with renting the property, injects money into the local economy and supports life in rural France.

Paper, plastic and glass are recycled and the owners ask tenants to take their sorted rubbish to a nearby collection point in the village. The house is south facing and is well insulated so needs very little heating. However the owners provide wood for the fire when necessary. The property has a septic tank and they provide environmentally friendly cleaning products. They have recently installed a system for recuperating rainwater for watering the garden.

Although a car is necessary to get to Brittany holiday cottage some of the best ways to enjoy the area are on foot or by bike as there are way-marked paths and good lanes for cycling which pass close to the property.

We support a range of charities and projects in France and worldwide which provide aid to vulnerable communities and habitats, e.g. ASSOHUMA, a French charity which organises trips taking humanitarian and medical aid to women in Afghanistan and families in remote Sénégal; Shared Interest, a co-operative lending society which provides funding for Third World producers.

Our office is in Devon is in a redundant agricultural building which we re-built using reclaimed, traditional materials. We support the Devon Wildlife Trust and we have nest boxes and feeding stations in the office grounds to encourage the birds. Our water for the office comes from a spring and is pumped by a water-powered ram. We do not produce a paper brochure; our bookings and enquiries are handled by email and all our office paper and printing cartridges are re-cycled. Our shredded documents go on the compost heap.