The Bhuddist Drukpa Temple at Plouray
And now for something completely different...
If you were trying to think of the least likely thing to be found in the heart of the country in central Brittany you'd be hard pressed to beat the largest Bhuddist temple in France!
It seems an odd thing to suggest for a visit – a mainly modern building with little history set in some pretty parkland. But when you visit you understand. There is something very special about this place. Yes there's the temple, yes you can even spin the massive prayer wheels, and spend some of your holiday money in the brilliant little shop (prayer flags, clothes, books pictures) but it's much more than that.
It's an easy 20 km cycle and the route very pretty - well worth doing a day ride and taking a picnic.
I don't want to go all weird on this, but it is just such a peaceful place – it makes you want to take deep breaths of the air around.
For us visitors it's a lovely cycle ride from Gouarec and a relaxed couple of hours exploring, but it's hard to exagerrate how important the place is to the Bhuddist community in France. The fact that the Dalai Lama visited just a few years ago (and we saw the whole thing) shows how special Drukpa is.
So when you've seen all the usual sites of Brittany why not open your mind and take in something 'completely different'...