A Wedding in Brittany
Text: Beatrice & Mikael Isaksson (in translation)
Article in Bröllopsmagasinet, nr 13

A glamorous wedding. Not too grand and pompous, but different, personal, and romantic. Preferably the wedding and the party would be held at the same place, in gorgeous surroundings close to nature. Family and friends would be offered overnight accommodations. My future husband and I looked forward to one of the most beautiful and important days of our lives. And, sometimes reality outshines the fairytale.

Château du Grand Val
We happened to come in contact with an adept chef who told us about the Grand Val castle in Brittany. He had collaborated with the Swedish couple who owns the castle and passionately described everything from interior design to surroundings and the fact that weddings had been arranged here before. We read about the ocean, steep cliffs and long sandy beeches, picturesque fishing villages along the coastline, inland rolling green slopes, and friendly people living in the area. Furthermore, we read about the atmosphere and culture, and the exciting legends as well as historical facts. Traces of Celts, Gauls, and Vikings still remain in this region. Brittany's culinary culture is renowned and acknowledged for its cider, crepes, and fantastic shellfish. We could finally make up our minds; it was at the Grand Val castle that we would promise each other eternal love. We contacted the owners, Marie and Roland Nilsson, and with infectious passion they told us about their dream-castle.

Swedish Castle Owners
The Nilssons searched for a castle for four years. In the beginning of the 1990s they finally found the right one. It was not too big, not too small, not too expensive, and not too worn down. Grand Val, with forest and land, three beautiful ponds, its own medicinal spring with the cleanest of drinking water, had everything the family required of their dream castle. The Nilssons spent the first years involved in the enormous project of gradually renovating the castle and the surrounding buildings bit by bit. Nowadays, the castle can welcome about thirty guests, and it is visited by wedding parties and conference groups as well as golfers. There are seven high-quality golf courses in the area and ample opportunities to get tee times. The closest course, Des Ormes, is only 15 minutes away. We would hardly have time for golf, but we did look forward to a swim in the large heated swimming-pool on the castle premises.

Wedding Preparations
We had a somewhat clear idea of how we wanted the wedding to be arranged, but we also received a lot of good suggestions from the owners of the castle. They did, for instance, show us several exciting wedding menus from some of the best local restaurants. However we also had the opportunity to hire our own star chef since the castle cooperates with nine first-rate Swedish chefs. It was luxurious and convenient – in short, perfect. The bride's bouquet and the flower-arch were to be delivered by the little flower-shop in the village, and a Swedish priest would wed us in a chapel from the 16 th century. A photographer from the area would eternalize the big day. We were calm and relaxed but filled with thrilling expectations as we got into the car and drove down to Brittany.

Just What We Hoped For
We traveled through the French countryside and reached Grand Val, which is located right next to Combourg. We parked outside of the castle on the hill-top and were immediately spellbound by the breathtaking panorama of the valley. The castle, which dates back to the 1400s, possesses genuine warmth and character. During the gentle renovation process, original paintings were found buried under layers of paint and old wallpaper. The antique paintings have now been restored by a conservator. Our friends and family members stayed in the Gatehouse and the Grand and Petit Parkhouses just a few hundred meters from the castle. They felt right at home. The buildings from the 16 th and 17th centuries are newly renovated with kitchens and modern facilities, however visual ceiling beams, high ceilings, and beautiful terracotta floors contribute that special sense of the past. The ground floor has an open floor plan where the kitchen, the dining room, and the lounge area with its large fireplace compose one room. Even with many guests, it never feels crowded here. Furthermore, the green surroundings are ideal for walks and various outdoor activities. The buildings are also situated right next to the charming kitchen garden and the large outdoor swimming pool.

The Big Day
There is an old chapel from the 1700s on the premises. The structure is made of beautiful natural stones in the traditional style of the region, but when the present owners bought the property the chapel had deteriorated and was badly damaged. This spiritual room has now regained its life after 63 years of a Sleeping Beauty slumber. And this is where we were wed! It was a fantastic, intimate, and serene ceremony. It is almost impossible to describe the amazing atmosphere inside the chapel where warm beams of light filtered in and shone on the beautiful ivory-colored Madonna statue as well as on us. After the wedding, a horse and carriage took us on a ride through Combourg. The villages waved and called to us along the main street and we felt like royalty.

A Great Party
The wedding dinner was served outdoors on the lawn in front of the castle. Our Swedish star chef, Stefan Holmström, had planned and created a marvelous buffet inspired by the region's abundance of fresh and delicious produce. To begin with, the chef gave us an entertaining introduction to the delicacies on the table as well as to some local anecdotes. Brittany is paradise for all shellfish enthusiasts. We had oysters on a bed of ice, virgin-lobster and other varieties of lobster, common mussels with a variety of side dishes such as Stefan's home-made pâtés. From Mont Saint Michel, the local butcher of the village had delivered Prét-Salé, a special lamb steak of the region made from tender meat which actually is pre-salted by the tide that flows in over the lands where the cheep graze. It was served with roasted garlic, oven-baked potatoes, a vegetable stew, and delicious salads. This was all perfected by yet another of the regions' meat specialties, namely Châteaubriand, served with French duck liver and truffle sauce. An exciting potpourri of diverse cheeses from the area granted us new taste sensations, and an absolutely lovely dessert table was presented with the most delicious fruits and berries. Cozy torches and small bonfires lit up the summer night as we finished with coffee and avec. Among other things, we got to try a local Calvados which according to old scriptures can be traced back to 1553. All of this was accompanied by Celtic music. What could be more suitable? We dedicated the days after the wedding to digest all our impressions and just enjoy the company of our guests. And we did enjoy our time! The entire arrangement exceeded our most romantic fantasies and expectations. The wedding in Brittany became a memory for life. It was truly a fairytale castle for the prince and princess who finally were united. Now we will live happily for all our days to come.

Facts about Grand Val
To get here: Air France has excellent connections with the express train TGV from Paris. Distance: The travel time between grand Val and Combourg is 10 minutes. The travel time between the castle and Rennes is 30 minutes. Info: www.grandval.nu

Royally Content in Brittany

Definitely full and content after having enjoyed good food, absorbed the air of culture, and engaged in many fantastic rounds on the golf course. That is how Lifestyle's reporter felt after a visit to Château du Grand Val, situated in Brittany next to the Normandy boarder.

This is where Marie and Roland Nilsson live, but they also rent their beautiful little castle primarily to Swedish families and companies. And, they rent it in a very special way! The accommodations include a private star chef who lives at the castle together with the guests. Marie and Roland cooperate with nine renowned chefs; among the names are for example, Tina Nordström's partner Claes Thuresson, Sofiero's Jonas Hartwig, and Marcus Nemrin.

Aside from teaching you those little extra tricks and secrets which will make your dinner a success, the chefs will also guide you in the culinary world of France, says Marie Nilsson.

Article in Connoisseur, nr 2, 2003.

Rent a French castle with a private star chef

The Swedish couple Marie and Roland Nilsson, who own the castle Château du Grand Val in Brittany, are now renting the castle including a private star chef who will stay during your entire visit.

- We are cooperating with nine renowned Swedish chefs, explains Marie Nilsson. The chefs live at the castle together with the guests during the entire vacation. Aside from teaching you those little extra tricks and secrets which will you're your dinner a success, the chefs will also guide you in the culinary world of France.
- This way our guests will get the chance to explore one of Brittany's numerous markets together with a true expert, says Marie. They can touch, smell, and choose the right produce for the evening's adventure in the castle kitchen…
In order to maintain top-quality, these 'cooking-journeys' are tailored to each group depending on whether the guests are private vacationers or part of a conference group. The number of guests is limited to 18 people.

Article in Allt om Golf, nr 3, 2002

Text & Photo: Marcus Bringzén (in translation)

If you happen to be in a part of France where the French themselves go on vacation, you have come to the right place. The cuisine is more than delicious, especially if you have a taste for the fruits of the ocean and everything else that represents the good stuff in life. I went in the company of a big group of happy friends, and we stayed, just as one should, at a castle which seemed to be located about a mile from everything.

This was my fourth visit to France. My first memories from France stem back to age five and contain strong experiences such as sea-urchin prickles in my foot and giant spiders in the Pyrenees Mountains. It has been less traumatic since then as I have experienced the Chamonix Alps, the grandiosity of Paris, and wine and oysters in Languedoc-Roussillon. The last mentioned visit was in combination with golf.

 A package deal for everyone
Through good contacts, with for instance Golf Plamisimo, and our own relatively good planning skills, we managed to put together a vacation package for thirteen people which included something for everyone and, of course, golf for those of us who are hooked. Our destination was Brittany, a not altogether common vacation choice for Scandinavians; for us, it is easy to equal a trip to France with the Riviera or, alternatively, Paris.

A scent of food
Brittany is like the nose of France, and works as the southern passage to the English Canal. Since it is not far for them to travel, there are plenty of British visitors on the roads and in the towns and villages. Nothing bad about the British, but the fact that the French themselves choose to vacation here must be seen as granting Brittany an even higher score. They feel that the Riviera is too crowded and expensive during prime vacation season. Perhaps above all, the presence of the French tourists and their choosy taste, indicate an excellent grade for the cuisine of Brittany.

New times – New Roads
We created our journey from scratch, nothing was pre-planned for us. The cheapest way for us to get to France was by the new budget airline. A round-trip ticket will cost somewhere in the range of 1000 SEK, depending on when you book your flight. The departure is from Skavsta in Nyköping and you land some 90 kilometers north of Paris. However, this is by no means an insurmountable distance. After all, since we were going west and not to Paris, this was not a problem for us.

At the airport we rented a minibus (the entire group of 13 did not arrive at the same time) from one of the three or four companies available. In a very comfortable Renault Espace we enjoyed our first short day-trip of ca 50 kilometers on our way to Golf-Club de Rebetz in Chaumont en Vexin. We arrived just in time for a delicious lunch in the garden right next to the 18 th green. I had lamb chops in parsley while my friends had the veal Marengo. The food was delicious and we enjoyed it with some red table wine. We were satisfied after the main course, but we still could not resist a trip to the buffet-room where we reveled in the sight and scent of entrée dishes, cheeses and cookies lavishly presented on the table.

Next to the castle and the club-house, which is also castle-like, there is a parking area surrounded by old farm buildings. One of the rows is newly renovated and offers hotel rooms and conference facilities. The cuisine is, as you have already understood, excellent, and we would get additional proof of that the same evening.

Afternoon golf on magical holes
Sebastian and I went out that afternoon, and we were accompanied by a member who had us dust off our school French. After a few shaky swings I still ended up with a 12-meter putt for a birdie. With my insensitive green-wrists I had to walk back and forth on the green to finally get a triple boogey. After a few more green visits I finally understood the speed of the greens, and life became easier to handle. In short, one can say that the course is good, even though only holes nine and eighteen stick in ones mind after completing the course. Number nine is spectacularly beautiful with the castle in the background and a duck filled pond reaching all the way from tee-off to green. Fortunately, the beautiful hole is only 134/133 meters long, so it is not as difficult as it might seem. Number eighteen is a par-five of 481/391 meters, sloping downhill towards the outdoor eating area of the restaurant. As I was getting a little tired, and the fairway was narrow where one expects the second stroke to be, I selected my iron seven as my tee-off weapon. After two perfect strokes with my iron seven, I had 160 meters to the green with the only obstacle being a tall cypress tree. Now, let us forget my score card and instead imagine a course in excellent condition where one can almost picture elves dancing around the eighteenth green in the morning mist. With perfect light and soft colors, the expectation of an excellent dinner in the company of good friends is only a shower away. My expectations were fulfilled as I got to enjoy my absolute favorite dish, fried duck.      

Experiences on the Road
After a night's well-deserved rest we were awakened by the rooster and continued our westward journey. The trip ahead of us was close to 350 kilometers long, but just as Robert Broberg sings in a song, the destination is nothing without the journey. Around each corner there is an adventure, and that was the case on the road to Brittany. We chose to avoid the highway in order to get the more scenic route where we would also be able to stop whenever we wanted to. The one stop that we had planned for, since we were still in west Normandy, was a visit to one of the many Calvados distilleries where visitors are welcome. Calvados is an apple distillate similar to a Cognac but with a burnt character. We ended up visiting one of the less famous producers, Château du Breuil. The distillery is located right north of Le Breuil en Auge, an area filled with apple trees.

 We had a tour of the distillery, the storage area, and the shop. This particular producer manufactures approximately 350 000 bottles annually, of which 65% are exported. 1/3 of the apple supply comes from 22 000 privately owned trees and the rest is purchased from selected suppliers. The apples are naturally of a special sort, and each year's particular weather will affect the volume and quality of its produce. Certain years are therefore 'vintage Calvados' which are controlled and watched over like golden eggs. Once the cider is fermented and distilled, it holds 70-72 volume percent. It is then transferred to barrels in order to mature, gain character from the oak and, at the same time, drop 2 percent in alcohol content per year. The still strong liquid is then diluted with distilled water down to 40-45 percent alcohol content. The minimum ageing and storage process is two years, but beyond that the duration of storage varies just as it does in the world of Whiskey. Calvados is mentioned already in the scriptures in 1553, but although it is older than Cognac it still comes in second in terms of sold volume.

The castle is situated a few kilometers south of Combourg. You will not find these two places on any of the common maps. However, if you find Saint Malo on Brittany's northern coast and put your finger between Saint Malo and Rennes, you will get close enough. The castle itself looks majestic despite the fact that it does not possess towers, pinnacles, or dungeons (as far as we know).

Aside from the main building, you can also rent the two apartments in the Parkhouses or the whole Gatehouse. These buildings can accommodate four to eight guests, while the main building easily housed our entire group of thirteen. The buildings share a swimming pool area and a lawn which partly is controlled by a horse with a temperament (according to the guestbook).

Self-sustainability rules, but it is pure enjoyment to experiment with fresh French produce on a real gas-stove. In the village there is a supermarket, a delicatessen, and a convenient store. Furthermore, the castle owners are Swedish which means that you will find both a Swedish cheese cutter and coffee-maker!!! If you ever tire of cooking, Combourg has several good restaurants to offer. Or, why not invite a gourmet chef who can show you his/her talents before it is time to taste the courses and enjoy the selected wine? Nothing is impossible!

In addition to the file the hosts have created with maps and information about Combourg and other places to visit, we recommend that you look closely at the guestbook, preferably already during your first night. Here, friends and guests write about what they recommend you to do in the area (you can read more about the castle and how to rent on the web address www.grandval.nu )

I will briefly describe what we chose to do during our week. Our first excursion went to the village which is situated three kilometers away; that is, within walking distance from the castle. We found our way to the Creperie for lunch almost immediately. A creperie offers pancakes, stuffed or with sugar. It is said that Brittany offers the very best of these pancake creations which, if you want to, can serve as an entire lunch or work as a little something to keep you going until dinner. Opposite to the Creperie is the delicatessen. I do wish that every Swedish town with self-respect could see to it that its main square could offer something similar; that is to say, fine meats, sausages, pâtés, fruits and vegetables, yes, even preserves. And all this can be found in a relatively small space, and the excellent staff will help you select your products if you want to. We visited the pubs and restaurants later in the week, but we did at least spot them on this very first day.

Finally the ocean
Our journey took place at the end of August when it is said that Brittany has a tendency to, not only display four different types of weather in a day, but also rotate between these four all day long. As someone I met said: "you have to try to make it outside for the nice weather and then have very flexible plans."

We chose a colder and wetter day for our second excursion, the one to Saint Malo. Malo was originally a fortified town, similar to Stockholm's old town but smaller and with a sturdy wall surrounding all the houses. The wall probably protected the town from attacks through the years, but first and foremost it has provided shelter against rough weather. The high tide here reaches all the way up to the wall, and if a storm is added to that, the cascading waves will be powerful. All of the stores in town sell postcards showing this scenario. The protective wall was on duty until World War II. Then, the Germans were entrenched here and resisted two weeks of artillery fire from Patton's canons. The Germans eventually had to give up, but only after about 90% of Saint Malo had been turned to rubble. Fortunately, everything was then rebuilt again. Today, one street is filled with restaurants. The amount of restaurants seems to diminish the charm somewhat and we felt that they were just yet another part of the tourist industry. Still! I like seafood and I was happy to help those in the group who could not finish their shellfish platters. It is always great to get free oysters, but I still think I will choose a restaurant in a smaller village next time.

 The ocean and the sun
Our next big trip took us some 50 kilometers west of Saint Malo to Dinard, or actually Saint Briac, the village to the west. Anyway, that is where you find Golf de Dinard, a true links course despite the fact that you will stand 10-20 meters above the beach the whole time. The delightful course traces the nature preserved coastline and there is a strong 'Falsterbo' feeling here as you play among strolling, ordinary people. Moreover, if you play slice, like I do, you will catch beautiful views of the five sandy beeches right below. It is not just the location which makes this course unique and gives it a certain British character. The course was created by Englishmen already in 1887, which makes it the second oldest course in France. There is a lot of tradition in the grassroots here, but also a different atmosphere in the club-house than what I am used to from southern France. Here, it is almost like entering a Swedish club-house with a particular club feeling and warmth in the walls. I had the privilege of having coffee with Madame le(a) President(e), the chairwoman of the club Marie-Christine Paris. She confirms my thoughts about the club feeling by pointing out that the golf in Dinard, according to the British tradition, is democratic. It is said that even the Grand Duke of Russia played with the electrician of the village back in the day. Mrs chairwoman owns the course together with her husband, who naturally is the chairman of Fontainbleu, the Paris club above all others.

Young people are also invited to the club. When the schools begin at the end of summer some 100 students are invited to participate in a golf-school. It is conducted by two golf pros who are helped by the club's grand old masters. Among these are Philippe Ploujoux, Brittish amateur champion in 1981, and Claudine Cros who was part of the 1964 World Champion team.

All in the group enjoyed holes eight and ten. Both are par fours but very different. The tee-off on number eight is from the elevation by the club house. You have about eight to ten meters elevation from the tee. This, the perfect hole for the driver, has water and forest to the left but plenty of room to slice and only a small chance of getting blocked if you are short to the right. After the eight, it is back in the direction of the ocean again. Number ten is a quaint hole going uphill towards the green. It is quite easy to misjudge the distance to the flag. Two in the foursome, and later other players, overshot the green. My ball landed in someone's kitchen garden some 30 meters behind flag. I left the ball there since it did not feel the opportune moment to bother the owner who must be sick of golf balls.

All said and done, Dinard is a first class golf course as far as links go. The main advantage is the closeness to the ocean where paper kites, twenty meters down on the beach, fly by your head as you walk the fairway. It is hard not to enjoy the shining sea and fresh winds, and it is of course easy access to swimming, sunbathing, or simply picking shells at the sandy beaches. Among the drawbacks is the fact that the course is restricting due to its dependency on the natural environment. And, even though the course design is restricted by the environment, I still have to ask if it is necessary to have two of the par-threes and at least two green pitches to par-fours blind. Furthermore, since it is very tight between some of the greens and tee-offs, one fears for one's life, no less so knowing that there are 20,000 green-fee players who are not conscious of these dangers. However, with these warnings I still ask you to play the course which has been selected number seven in France. You will not regret it! After a well played round I think you should visit the small square in Saint Briac, one of Brittany's many well organized, but narrow, stone-house villages.

 An incredible world heritage site
The next day, after some much-needed rest, we headed for Mont Saint-Michel, one of France's world heritage sites. The mountain, or rather the rock, is about the only elevation in the area and can therefore be seen from afar. Or, maybe not the rock as much as the unreal structure covering most of it. What once started out as inconspicuous monastery, hard to reach for heathens and bandits, more than a thousand years ago, has since been added on to so that it today covers the entire rock formation. With the church on top, the structure carefully climbs down until it ends up in a tourist crowded medieval alleyway with restaurants and souvenir-stands.

It is not only the rock in itself that protects the structure, but the rock is also surrounded by quicksand or water at high tide. The only way out is on an elevated constructed road. When we arrived shortly after lunch, there were at least a couple of thousand cars and more than twenty buses in the parking lot. Now, even though it is easy to be turned off by this mass of tourists, please do not let this keep you away since the further up the alleyway you walk, the less crowded it becomes. A sense of anticipation fills the air and when the upper parts finally are reached, the excitement is more overwhelming than anything Disney could ever think of. And it is real! At the very top there is an entrance fee. But if you have come this far, do not turn away; instead think of the enormous costs involved in the continuous renovation of this place. Included in the fee are also the many guided tours that are offered constantly during the peak season. Without a doubt, there is a language to your liking.

The view is spectacular. It feels as if you are walking around the world's largest move set. However, one negative aspect is that all the signs with information are in French. And who wants to walk around with earphones the whole time? Yet, Mont Saint-Michel is a must see if you are in the vicinity. And after the next renovation phase it will become harder for tourists to get to the place since the road to the cliff will be removed. This means that even the tourists on buses will have to walk the last stretch. This is done in order not to ruin the magnificent view of Mont Saint-Michel. All credit to the French authorities for this unusual initiative.

A resort with something for everyone
Very close to Combourg, just some ten kilometers north of the village, is a vacation resort of grandeur. Domaine des Ormes, with the castle as the natural midpoint, offers bungalows as well as camping possibilities. If you are unsure of where to go, and if the family members have different wishes, Domaine des Ormes is for you. Here you can find everything, except a bobsleigh track. Among the different activities offered you will find golf, fishing, paintball, a water park, horseback riding, and of course cricket.

The golf course at Domaine des Ormes is a park course. It has many large trees and it is well kept as it is meandering its way through the landscape. All the holes are beautiful, the bunkers are excellent, and there is a great deal of water. If we are to criticize the course, one can say that it is a bit too forgiving. Most positions are playable which perhaps indicates that they want the players to keep moving forward to please vacationers and other guests. In addition to the eighteen-hole course, there is also a short-hole course and putting greens, as well as a miniature golf course for the one who has totally given up. Personally, I do not know if I enjoy this kind of all inclusive vacation resorts. I think I would be fed up after a few days. Or, perhaps I am only worried that I would enjoy it so much that I would never accept anything else in the future.

 Historical beaches
Although I could not make it myself, our friends took the time to visit the beaches of the big battles on D-Day, 1944. About an hour north with car you will find the historical places, beaches, war cemeteries, and museums important in the recollection of France's liberation. Although I myself cannot recount the feeling of being there, our friends were emotionally affected on the night of their return.

Well, well. We all got our things together and split up into three cars. One went back to England, one headed for the airport, while we felt lucky enough to have two more days by the ocean in Brittany. Even better, we did not have to stay in a hot car for long. Less than an hour north-west was our next place for the night: the castle and vacation resort, with conference hotel, Domain Du Val. The castle is located south-west of Pléneuf val-André which is a summer resort with a casino, a boardwalk and everything else one may wish for. As we got there during the last week of the French summer vacation, it was difficult getting a room. Domain Du Val offers both tennis and indoor swimming facilities, but what we valued more was the 1.5 km long trail down to the bay with the mussel-factory and shellfish restaurant. Also Pléneuf offers much shellfish, and it is almost required to overindulge in common mussels and French fries.

The course was/is in great condition, and the environment is ideal for making the course truly spectacular without losing either 'golfish' value or game sense. There is nonetheless one hole that is not sensible, but that was inevitable. The yellow, not to speak of the white, tee of the eleventh hole is located about 30 meters above the fairway. On top of that you have to deal with ocean winds from the left, or sometimes headwind slightly from the side. This is a short par five playing 434 meters with a slight dogleg going left. Although we did out best to focus our drives, it was impossible. Wherever you tried to aim, the only thing you could see was an abyss and an impossible tee-off. Fantastic! During picture taking we amused ourselves by watching three gentlemen tee-off. They experienced the same phenomenon. Completely disillusioned, they were simply trying to get their balls into play without expecting anything but that the wind would take their balls either into the ruff on the right or into the shrubs behind.

However, the eleventh hole is still just one in a series of some of the most enjoyable holes I have played. The ninth hole for example, which green is depicted here, is leading up to one of the most beautiful greens I have ever seen. And the following tenth hole is like a downspout with a drop of some fifteen meters. Here the drives tend to move toward the middle but the difficulty is to get the ball to stop on or near the green in a steep slope where the green is shallow but wide before continuing to fall. After this alpine experience, you finally hit the eleventh hole, the downhill race. The one who this enters, lets go of hope!

Pléneuf, as well, subsidizes students to participate in courses. For 600 Franc, these youths are given one practice opportunity per week with a coach. Not bad! I also happened to meet Georges Barbaret, vice president of the French golf association, who was there to supervise the championship since he also is the head of Brittany's golf association. He said that he was very impressed with the development in Sweden, both in terms of width and excellence. Yet, he also promised that France will catch up within soon, at least nominally looking at the number of members. There is today about 325,000 golfers in France, but this number is increasing with about 7-9 percentage points per year.

When it comes to golf, France is still suffering from the construction boom of golf courses that took place some twenty years ago. At the time, the number of courses increased from about 100 to 500 without any new players coming along. Today the construction is more thought trough and done in a modest pace, and the interest for golf is big. In addition, the enthusiasm for the sport in Spain as well as in Portugal has made it relatively cheaper to play in France. Also other Europeans, as well as us Scandinavians, are finding our way to the French courses. Our conversation also touched upon the construction of simpler golf facilities, and some ideas, such as the Dans La Ville project (in the city), are under way. Such projects involve building nine-hole courses in smaller communities close to cities so that in particular young people can access the courses. There is a certain cultural problem however, since French people are used to be well cared for with restaurants and full service.

We decide to have lunch – mussels with leak and ham in a cream sauce – before joining the rest of the group. After some discussion we all agreed to drive back to the golf course and spend some time on the beach. We played around in the refreshing waves and the twenty degree water in order to forget the fact that we were homebound. We had time for a last stroll to collect seashells before we returned home to freshen up before the farewell dinner, this final night.

We had already settled on mussels, and there were plenty of restaurants to choose from. I was teased for not understanding the menus, not even the English version helped me understand the ingredients of the last mussel dish. So I simply decided to follow a very stupid but exciting principle, to order without knowing (or as we say in Sweden, "to buy the pig in the sack"). After being served a very generous portion of Moulles á la Bretagne, with apples and boiled in cider, what remained was to identify the pieces of meat on top of the dish. The meat had a smoked flavor, and after examining these square pieces I guessed that it was either brain or stomach. After a polite inquiry I was told "stomach." When I then asked if it was from cattle I was told "pig." So, I literally bought the "pig in the sack." It did taste rather good however, like ham with a somewhat rubbery texture.

Well, I am still alive, and eager to return to Brittany. There is still so much to explore, both on the golf courses and on the menus.