Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Fabulous Fougères

I'm spending a month near the Morbihan/Ille-et-Vilaine border for the new book and am rediscovering what a wonderful place eastern Brittany is. It's years since I toured the border castles, but they don't come more fabulous than Fougères, and I could happily have spent several days exploring the lower (medieval) and upper (18th century) streets as well. What is truly impressive from my professional point of view is the quality of the tourist literature and the superb modern presentation of information at the chateau, in harmonious contrast with the ancient structures. Certainly the building helps with its obliging discrete sections illustrating every phase of defensive development over the centuries, which lends itself to explanation, but they do things very well in this part of the world. Education and imagination - now there's a powerful combination.