Memo from J-P

For this page of oldquimper.com, we give the floor to Jean-Pierre, who serves as the CFO (Chief Feline Officer) of The Meadows Collection.  Appointed to that position in 2007, he has gamely agreed to attempt the daunting task of taking over the duties previously fulfilled by the late, but ever-present-in-our-hearts, Porquier-Beau...whose image continues to grace the upper left corner of this link.

Jean-Pierre is now twelve-years-old, which translates to sixty-four in human years. He is still very young-at-heart and so full of enthusiasm that he has bravely stepped up to the plate.

It is with great pleasure that we pass along the latest Memo from J-P:

Greetings to all.

First a little bit about me:

I was born in Paris and am thoroughly français despite paperwork that lists me as being a chat de la fôret norvégienne (Norwegian Forest Cat). My full name is Châtelain Jean-Pierre. Châtelain because being born in 2007... December 21, 2007 to be precise...means that in accordance with French regulations, my name must begin with the letter 'c'.  Those born in 2008 have names that begin with a 'd', those born in 2009 have names beginning with the letter 'e' and so on.

Châtelain is a French term from the Middle Ages used to distinguish the seigneur or lord of the manor. We live in Quimper now, so it's more like lord of the apartment...but the important part is that I rule the roost, so to speak. Jean is in reference to Jean-Baptiste Bousquet who settled in Quimper in 1699 and Pierre is in honor of his son, Pierre Bousquet, who in 1708 founded Quimper's first modern -day pottery factory.

Every once in a while I like to put the spotlight on a specific topic…it might be an unusual example of Quimper pottery or perhaps a further look at a place or structure…something  that I feel will further your enjoyment of French faïence. 

And then sometimes I take this opportunity to share with you some of our adventures in Quimper...because one of the results of being so gab-smacked enamored of Quimper pottery has led to the inevitable and now we live in Quimper...right in the middle of Old Town !

I'm an indoor cat, but I do see a lot from our windows and the folks are always up for an adventure. Here's a quick rundown of what we were up to last month...it will give you a bit of a taste of the sights and sounds of living in Quimper. 

Sitting on my perch, I have a good view of Quimper's rue Kéréon festively strung with Christmas lights and can see no less than four patisseries and a chocolate shop, but this past month, I was able to catch a view of three very different groups as they paraded below my windows. 

This was the largest of the groups...Bretons on strike against the government over announced pension reforms; thousands walked past in a peaceful, almost party-like atmosphere. The music was good and there were no raucous demonstrators. 

More good music...and this time with Santa Claus playing the saxophone...part of the festivities of the annual Téléthon to raise funds for medical research.

And the third parade was actually a pardon...

...the Pardon Saint Corentin...and the procession under our windows featured parishioners and clergy in traditional costumes and lots of colorful banners representing the various local parishes.

Something special for this year's event, the Cathedral's new banner was put to use for the first time...

We showed you the design last year and here it is all embroidered and first in line...Saint Corentin is depicted on one side with the Cathedral spires and the miraculous fish...

...and on the other side, a local saint...born Jean Discalceat about 1280, he is known as Santig Du in Breton. A Franciscan monk, he serves as a patron for the poor and is also invoked by those seeking to find lost objects or improvements in the weather. 

The folks attended a lecture about the various coiffes that had been worn in Brittany...particularly in the department of Finistère...

Here's one from the town of Châteaulin

...and just a few days later, they had the good fortune to participate in a special in-depth study of the vintage costumes at the Musée Départemental Breton. 

Costumes were on display not only on mannequins protected in glass cases, but on real live Bretons, too ! The experience was fascinating and very informative...did you know that it costs 150 euros to have your coiffe ironed ? That's provided, of course, that you can find  someone capable of doing the job...it's a real art !

The folks also went to an auction preview last month...and saw lots of things they couldn't buy...but they figure that previews can sometimes be a good opportunity to learn and see unusual things...like:

A large and old....MDCCXXV is 1725...book on Breton saints....

...filled with illustrations that would certainly come in handy when trying to identify Quimper figures of saints...but it was really big and,  if the estimate was close to being accurate, it was going to be really expensive .

Some unusual examples of Quimper pottery were at the auction viewing...

...a table topped with fifteen faïence tiles decorated by Bastian Le Pemp...

...signed and dated 1968; the artist...full name Jean-Sébastian Le Pemp...passed away last month at the age of 88 and worked for many years as an independent ceramist in Quimper.

Among the hundreds of items to be auctioned, the one that really had the folks salivating was a Pierre Toulhoat stained-glass window...

it was signed, dated 1967 and dedicated to a couple from Benodet.

Alas, we don't have a place for anything that large, so hopefully it went to a good home...just, unfortunately, not ours.

As I mentioned before, every week, the folks duly cram their backpacks with necessities and don their unfashionable hiking duds in order to enjoy a trek in the countryside surrounding Quimper. Usually the hikes are around 12 to 14 kilometers along the coast or the inland hiking trails of the southern portion of the department of Finistère. 

Last month their most colorful outing was to the Domaine de Trévarez near Châteauneuf-de-Faou to enjoy the holiday lights. The theme of this year's Noël à Trévarez was Les Mille et une Nuits...A Thousand and One Nights. Complete with Aladin and the magic lamp and pashas on flying carpets, the exceptional grounds of the park surrounding the château were transformed into a colorful adventure.

Around one bend in the path was a pasha with a rooster...

...another was discovered dressed in patchwork...

...along the path and deeper into the trees, there were even more pashas !

And where there are pashas, there is sure to be elephants...this full-size creation held court in the former stables of the château.

The château and park are always a delight...

​...but it's even more special during Christmas when the château facade becomes the backdrop for a fairy-tale light show....

Trévarez is about a 45 minute drive from Quimper and I didn't get to go, but there were plenty of holiday decorations right here in Quimper for me to enjoy...

A number of merry-go-rounds...

The Bishops' Garden was transformed into an ice skating rink...

The window of the chocolate shop around the corner had its window filled with chocolate Saint-Nicolas figures...small, medium and BIG !

And one shop had an unusual  mushroom-shaped ornament in its tree.

Another local establishment cleverly tried to lure holiday shoppers in with a sign comparing their beer and hot spiced wine with the froid or cold outside. 

​And, of course, the Cathedral was all decked out for the holiday...

With its own colorful light show during the evening...

...and Christmas trees in several exterior displays.

Inside the Cathedral...

...the traditional manger scene included traditionally-dressed Bretons.

All of these festivities were in addition to celebrating my birthday...

A catnip toy in a brown paper bag...definitely good for several hours of entertainment !

That's my memo for this month; I hope you enjoy my sharing of our adventures in Quimper !