Sweet Serendipity in Bretagne
On Hiatus: A Mini Travel Journal
Part 3: Manoir de la Villeneuve, Bretagne
Hi friends,
Like all my previous adventures in France this summer, my trip to Bretagne (aka Brittany) came up organically and spontaneously. It was incredibly hot in the city, mid July, and I was initially hoping to go to Spain for a few days to escape the heat. But flights to go anywhere last minute were so expensive so my friends and I scrapped the trip and I planed to endure another week of heatwave in Paris. Then out of the blue, my French friend, Clara, invited me to go spend time with her at her family’s place in the countryside. She had mentioned that her mom runs a bed and breakfast before but it didn’t really dawn on me how grand and idyllic the estate would turn out to be.
About a year ago, I met Clara on Instagram, a photographer living in Paris, and I saw that she had photographed another model that I really admired (hihi Aina). I sent her a DM about a year ago asking if she’d be open to photographing me and she warmly agreed. Her photos of me are some of my favorites and we’ve been friends ever since.
The next day, I bought my train tickets to head into the north-western region of France. Navigating the trains as a foreigner feels exciting and tricky. It seems like the trains in France are either strictly on time down to the minute or extremely delayed. Mine were all on time and even I had to dash from my first train to catch my connection with only five minutes to spare.
Clara sent a taxi to come pick me up from the train station and as I approached the tree lined property, I realized I wasn’t entering just any old bed and breakfast.
When I arrived, Clara came out to greet me with her dog, Campo, and gave me a tour of Manoir de la Villeneuve. The estate consists of a main house within it a grand kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, and sitting room, farm houses converted into inviting apartments, a garden, chicken coop, and donkeys. The rooms for guests each had their own personality and were beautifully decorated with traditional French furnishings. Inviting, charming, and cared for with love, the rooms were everything that one would expect or imagine for a countryside escape in Bretagne.
Day 1: Arrival
Tour around the estate
Settle into the guest house
Afternoon snack by the pool consisting of French cheeses and baguette
Dinner of homemade quiche, fruit, and charcuterie
Day 2:
Breakfast by the pool
Thrifting at Débarras and Emmaus. I found two skirts and a simple camisole top for 5€. Really good and cheap finds!
A walk by the pier to try a traditional Kouign-amann pastry
Oysters and apéro by the sea
Dinner at home cooking together. We made vegan thai style noodles with tofu and veggies from the garden.
Clara made vegan brownies for dessert
Day 3:
Breakfast by the pool (is there any other way to vacation?)
Shoot content around the estate. Clara did my make up and shot me around the estate in a few different looks.
We took a walk with her mom by the beach and had churros and crepe.
Quick last shoot on the manior estate before heading back to the train station.
Her mom gave me a slice of flan for the road 🤍
My visit to Bretagne felt like a movie unfolding. I really didn’t know what to expect and I was grateful to simply have the opportunity to finally discover more of France. Staying in the little farmhouse over looking the pool, I felt truly grateful to experience countryside living in its most charming form. The homemade breakfast accompanied with freshly made jams and cakes, the sounds of the bugs coming to life at night, the long summer sunsets, even the smell of the salty sea air all contribute to a sense of ease and calm.
Manoir de la Villeneuve is a place that people only dream of visiting. A place tucked away but still only a short car drive away from the seaside. I’m so grateful for Clara and her family’s hospitality. The short visit reminded me to take life slowly and be present for the moment. While much of my time is spent being planned and productive, I cherish the moments this summer I was able to let go and let the next adventure find me.
As always, thanks for reading.
Until next time ~
Kiana
PS: Clara is a photographer and content creator in Paris. She lives in the dreamiest space. To see inside her world, follow her here. To see behind her lens, follow her here.
