Sessions in Mesquer-Brittany-France (44)

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Thu Oct 03, 2002 2:33 am

Just to let you know, since it seems a few C&Fers do live in South Brittany. So--hoping this is not OT :

Irish session every 2nd Friday evening (so next is Oct. 11th), at Mesquer's pub "Le Skipper".
Main participants are from the Beltaine association of Nantes, and Uillean piper Pascal Martin can be expected. And all are of course welcome.
Mesquer is 10 minutes away from Guérande (44), 45 min. from Vannes (56).
Mail me korop@wanadoo.fr for further indications if needed.

Kenavo
--
(edited for spelling)

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Zubivka on 2002-10-03 04:36 ]</font>

StevieJ · Post by **StevieJ** » Thu Oct 03, 2002 6:15 am

Had I known that a month ago I'd have called in - was staying near Nantes. Next year maybe!

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Thu Oct 03, 2002 7:51 am

Ir's a monthly session, but...
(take date!)
there's also, held by the whole village, an Irish music festival 1st week-end of July.
2003 will be 2nd edition.
Pretty nice success this July 2002. Beside sessions, a couple local flute makers exhibited (one does whistles as well-I'll investigate) and the Nantes association held bodhran, whistle, dance workshops. All this free.
For the Festival, all bistrots were open all day (and late night, of course) to informal sessions. Saturday had a free concert under a huge tent (circus-like), featuring also dance demonstrations and singing (and Murphy's on tap with 2 beer-stands inside the tent. Our Bretons natives, more accustomed to bagad music, enjoyed it a lot, half of the ladies in the village lobbying now for a tap-dance regular worshop in the Mairie's hall.
When it was over, you could find all the musicians in a pub again for a gig 'til 4 a.m.

About Mesquer : in winter we are less than 1000 voters, which leaves 6 pubs open all year round… In summer it's rather more like 25.000 (people, not bars), since we have a few nice sand beaches.
Mesquer is certainly not trying to outdo Lorient, but maybe provide something homely and more affordable, more in live sessions than stage-and-mikes.

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Fri Oct 04, 2002 8:54 am

Ok, but _Murphy's_???? Yetchh.

Tell them to put the hammer on Guinness's for sponsorship!!!

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Sat Oct 05, 2002 3:16 am

C-mon! I like Murphy's, especially Red, as I like Cornish--yes--dark ales.
As for dark stout of the multi-national big brewery you quote, I like it too. But you know you just don't get the same, depending which country you get it in. Don't tell me the G in Brussels is the same as, say, Dublin. They just brew it as close as possible to distribution. Return for investment syndrome. So we get Guinness that's just as authentic as the bodhrans we get with the same harp logo printed on :roll:
That's the difference with the lesser advertized brands. And the Murphy's we get here apparently is the real O'Coy.
Probably traded for cider, which we traditionnally reserve for export

brendan ring · Post by **brendan ring** » Sat Oct 05, 2002 12:34 pm

Shouldn't you lot be drinking Coreff and Dremwel ect instead of this Irish stuff, tasty as it is!

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Sun Oct 06, 2002 3:32 am

Brittany has frequent yet odd drinking habits.
Roughly summarizing, we drink only what we import (mostly red wine, beer, an occasional couple bottles mineral water for highballs), and export what we brew : chouchen (honey wine) :roll:, cider, breton Whisky

and even beer advertised to be brewed from sea water

From July 15th to Aug. 31 st, all these may freely be sold locally to the tourists

at higher prices.
You are free to transpose to the case Eire and bodhrans and other folkloric items with "celtic" designs

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Zubivka on 2002-10-06 05:34 ]</font>