Page 37 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Brittany

BRIT T AN Y THROUGH THE Y EAR  35

Average Daily Hours of Sunshine
Sunshine Chart
Hours High pressure from the
12 Azores gives southern
Brittany more than 2,200
10
hours of sunshine per
8 year. The north, by
contrast, has only 1,700
6 hours per year. Coastal
4 areas, where rainfall is
lighter than in the
2 interior, sometimes
suffer from drought
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec during the summer.
of contemporary painting, Fête des Remparts (third
sculpture and photography. weekend in Jul, every two years),
Troménie (second Sun in Dinan, Côtes d’Armor. Historical
Jul), Locronan, southern reconstructions, theatrical farce,
Finistère. One of the largest dancing, games, concerts, jousts
and most elaborate pardons and a procession in costume.
in Brittany. Grand Pardon (26 Jul),
Festival Médiéval (14 Jul, every Ste‑Anne‑d’Auray, Morbihan.
two years), Josselin, Morbihan. Brittany’s greatest pilgrimage
A day of medieval entertain‑ has a million followers.
ment centred around the Festival de Jazz (last week of
old market square, with Jul), Vannes, Morbihan. Blues
troubadours and tumblers. and jazz played by professional
Festival des Vieilles and amateur musicians are the
Charrues (mid-Jul), Carhaix‑ festival’s main attractions.
Plouguer, southern Finistère.
Rock festival featuring both August
international stars and local Fête des Fleurs d’Ajoncs
bands. James Brown, Massive (first Sun in Aug), Pont‑ Fête internationale de la Mer et des
Attack and numerous others Aven, southern Finistère. Marins in Brest
have performed in front of A picturesque procession in
large audiences here. honour of flowering gorse, Route du Rock (mid-Aug),
Fête Internationale de la dating back to 1905. St‑Malo, Ille‑et‑Vilaine. Held
Mer et des Marins (mid-Jul, Festival Interceltique (first in the Fort de St‑Père, a rock
every four years), Brest, northern two weeks in Aug), Lorient, festival at the cutting edge
Finistère. The largest tall ships Morbihan. Musicians and of the genre.
regatta in the world, first held other performers from Festival des Hortensias (late
in 1992. Scotland, Ireland, the Isle Jul to early Aug), Perros‑Guirec,
Fête de la Crèpe (third weekend of Man, Wales and Cornwall, Côtes d’Armor. Accompanied
in Jul), Tronjoly‑Gourin, southern Galicia and Asturia (in Spain), by traditional music, festivities
Finistère. Pancake‑tastings and and, of course, Brittany gather in honour of the hydrangea,
lessons in how to made pancakes, for the largest Celtic festival whose deep blue flowers are
held in the municipal park. in the world. prized and which thrives in
Brittany’s acid soil.
Fête des Filets Bleus (mid-Aug),
Concarneau, southern Finistère.
Traditional Breton bands parade
through the streets of the
town, and a festival queen is
chosen. The programme also
includes concerts, shows and
fishing competitions.
Fête de l’Andouille (fourth
Sun in Aug), Guéméné‑sur‑
Scorff, Morbihan. The Confrérie
des Goustiers de l’Andouille
(sausage‑makers’ guild)
celebrate this prized
Rock group at the Festival des Vieilles Charrues at Carhaix-Plouguer Breton delicacy.

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