Most of the second day has been spent in Pontivy, one of the larger towns in the Central Brittany region. Although the sky was grey and damp on the drive down, not long after our arrival the clouds cleared and it became sunny and very warm indeed. We had a short exploration of the town itself and also circumnavigated the 15th century medieval Chateau Rohan. Unfortunately, due to the recent collapse of part of the southern wall, the chateau was closed to the public. Whether or not the funds or the will exists for repair remains to been seen.
Following the old adage of "when in Rome", we joined the locals in the town square for a long and leisurely lunch. The restaurant was crowded and busy, the service was attentive and the boys did well ordering their "jambon et frites" in very respectable French. It is always one of life's pleasures to share a meal in the sunshine with friends and today was no exception.
After lunch we found the local Carrefour and stocked up on some fresh fruit, and then popped into the local patisserie to buy the creamiest of gateau. We then drove a short distance to a picnic area by the side of the dry lake bed and sat with a view of the rolling countryside to consume these sticky and extremely tasty essentials.
The last stop of the day was at an outdoor arena advertising an "Excalibur and the Knights of the Round Table" extravaganza. The small but appreciative crowd enjoyed a show reminiscent of a pantomime version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The boys thought it was a scream even though either they, or us, could understand barely a word. In fairness the displays of horsemanship were quite impressive and the performers acted with enthusiasm.
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