The city of Rennes!!

Rennes has provided the New Zealand group with another perspective to Brittany. On arrival within this student city we undertook several walking tours followed by a a day trip to St Michael's Mount on sunday http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Michael%27s_Mount. The business expériences have been very positive for all members. The following is a selection of photos from this weeks activites... Tonights dinner was held in the famous Stade Rennais Football Club Restaurant http://www.staderennais.com/index.php
The New Zealand group is grateful for the ongoing support of all Rotaries who we have met so far. We enjoyed meeting again with those who attended tonights meeting, especally those who traveled a long distance from the south coast of Brittany.

ORANGE LABS - Vendredi 24/10

We met Joel at the headquarters of ORANGE LABS – the heart of telecommunications in France and widely regarded internationally. They were one of the first worldwide R&D centres in telecommunications. This was an impressive facility that occupies an enormous footprint. They have over 3,900 engineers and researchers employed in 15 sites over 3 continents. We were shown a variety of new technologies that are being developed the highlight being live conferencing where people are able to communicate real time with realistic sound quality and imaging. This was an amazing situation where we were effectively in a room with some one in Grenoble, as they moved around their studio the sound levels and directions changed as if they were in the same room as us… this was truly choice and is still under development.

http://www.francetelecom.com/fr_FR/

We had lunch at Orange and then were deposited at the Rotary Club house of Lannion with an open bar and an internet connection to write what we just have…

Cite des Telecom & Morlaix Chamber of Commerce - Jeudi 23/10

The morning started with a trip to the Cite des Telecom http://www.cite-telecoms.com/ a museum tracing the history of telecommunications including the satellite that was used for the first transcontinent television broadcast between France and the US in 1962. This visit was very interesting, including seeing the 50m tall ball that housed the satellite (the arch de triomph would fit inside this!!). Unfortunatley this trip was all to short as we had a sandwich to catch and another meeting to make…
On the road again on our way to Morlaix and another oyster farm, producing 2,800 tonnes per year!! A quick oyster or two along with a loverly Rose and we were off again.

Next stop was a food factory producing 250 lines of foods, precooked and frozen for sale in France (5% is sold internationally).

Next onto the Morlaix Chamber of Commerce to meet the president of the Chamber for a brief discussion of their operations.
From the Chamber of commerce we were rushed off to meet the Mayor of Morlaix for an orange juice before we walked to the restaurant for our dinner and another warmly received presentation….

We packed the van and headed home, another late night but a great dinner and plenty of laughs…

Journee Professionnelle - Mecredi 22/10

Chris – Visited a new development in planning for an existing small town which will look to minimise environmental impact whilst maintaining a traditional appearance. Following an extremely rapid lunch in a hazy bar I proceeded to a 5 home development where each home has been constructed from a variety of sustainable low-impact materials including straw, timber and mud-brick. Unfortunately the three little pigs were nowhere to be seen but there was a goat mowing the lawns. Composting toilets and a natural grey-water treatment facility were also in place. Tres Interessant!!!

Don – Went to the Treguier Agglomeration (Local Council) to meet with a algae-bloom expert working on the problem at the local beaches due to the high nitrate depositing from the local farming industry. His mouth watered when I explained the New Zealand Resource Management Act (He is the only one that does). He is currently working with the local farmers to reduce nitrates through preserving wetlands and replanting hedgerows. This was followed by lunch at the same hazy bar as Chris. I felt right at home. The afternoon was taken up with visiting local farms and looking at the local beach. Joel (EGE Team Leader) also went over Cadastral Maps dating back to 1800 with me.

Stephan – Visited Police Nationale at Lannion and spoke at length with Captain Guerniou and Brigadier Lasblez about Domestic Violence and crime trends within the Cote D’Armor region. The crime is the same but in differing proportions. The interesting facts were that the Police and Gendarmerie do not have a national shared information system and their legal system has many tiers and archaic laws based on Latin Law (and not common law) which severely impedes the execution of their duty. I was treated to a view of the wide variety of tools available to deal with insurrection (necessary in this very political country)... Dirty Harry would be dribbling.

Ben – The entire day was spent with Alain Rey of Newscape Technology and Pascal Mouquet of CEVA – Seaweed Manufacturing Technology Centre. All things discussed were entirely pertinent to Information Mapping and my day to day work in New Zealand. An awesome day. Web Links: http://www.newscape-technology.com/ http://www.ceva.fr/

Wednesday evening was rounded of with a visit to the local Warengham Distillerie producing in the region 2400 litres of 70% whisky per week. This translates to between 4,000 and 5,000 bottles of high-grade malt whisky per week or between 200,000 and 250,000 bottles each year. A majority of the whisky is for the domestic market with only 5% exported. The ‘hooch’ tasted really fantastic and Don tried his best to fit a barrel under his hoody. This was followed by moules marienier frites at a restaurant in Trebourden. Stephan obviously does things in threes as the waiter cleared three empty mussel bowls away to the clear adoration of the Lannion Rotarians.

Guingamp & Cotes d’Armor - Mardi 21/10

Today we are greeted by the Rotary club of Guingamp. The town is 15th century so the visuals of the town itself were amazing. So to start our visit we walked around and visited the Place du Champ au Roy (where the ramparts were once erected) in front of this square is a wonderful bandstand is located inside and dates from the beginning of the 20th century. It is the last remaining Cotes d’Armor. There were many wonderful site but the other that really stood out was the Basilica Church that was built from the X1th to the XV1th centuries. It attests the evolution of styles and shelters a holy black virgin (yes Jesus was a black man!) venerated since the X1Vth century. Then back to the club house for a beautiful lunch with the local Rotary club and back in the van and on the road for a visit to Musee des Manoirs (a 16th century manor that has been restored) and is now operating as a museum with the history of the manor and the times that the monor has lived through.

Then back to the club house again for Apero dinatoire and home james!!

Paimpol - Conference Hydroliennes - Lundi 20/10

Rendezvous at Lannion club for a day in Paimpol, stopping briefly at Treguier to see the cathedral with its’ magnificent cloisters. We were treated to a presentation on sustainable and enviro-friendly building followed by a short walk to the Hotel De Ville to meet with the Deputy Mayor and a press reception. Again, we made it into the national newspaper. By this time we were well used to the fame and celebrity. Then back to the Paimpol Rotary club for a fine cold meat lunch followed by a tour of the local harbours and a tomato hothouse producing 2,500 tonnes of beautiful tomatoes per year. According to Don they tasted delicious... Another quick drive to another local port gave us an insight onto the local scallop industry where they are only allowed to drag for scallops for 1 hour, twice a week under the close supervision of many authorities. Finally we returned to the Paimpol club for a dinner and presentation. Stephan continued his fine form from Saturday and demolished 3 heavy cream deserts to the astonishment and wonder of the Rotarians. The Haka was delivered with Gusto and which was replied to with our first experience of La Marseilles.

BBQ at Landrellec and Promenade cotiere - Dimanche 19/20

Everything is well as we are settled into the new host families and discovered that a BBQ in our honour is planned for the afternoon by the sea in the small village of Pleumeur Bodou. We arrived to find the BBQ smoking and glasses loaded with Champagne at the home of Jean’Pierre Fournier. The menu for the day was SPECIAL SAUSAGES, GIANT STEAKS, BAKED POTATOES, BREAD AND SALTED BUTTER AND THEN THE MEGA WHEEL OF CHEESE (ah this is heaven) of course we needed to wash all that food down with some delicious wine and laughter. The best was saved for last a fine performance from Les Kiwi boys HAKA! With which the French replied with the La Marseilles!
Of course since we preformed the Haka the cigars were brought out! (not for Mary). Then in true French style a walk around the Pink Granite rocks follwed by champagne at the house of the Lanion club president Michel Salon. Exhausted after our day we all returned with our host families to what would be our residence for the week! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Journee Professionnelle - Vendredi 17/10

Professional day !!!!!!!
This day focused on visits and meetings with industry specalists within our indivdual profession.

Mary Blackman – for me I was lucky enough to visit the best Patisserie in Lorient! Oh lala! The patisserie was in a small suburb called Plumier. I was met by the big Chief owner and was given VIP treatment around the kitchen it was amazing they make everything from scratch! They have all the goodies like baguettes, hand made chocolates, every tart you can imagine filled bread rolls loaves of bread, cakes tirimusu and the best cakes in the world! After I managed to wrangle the croissant recipe from the owner I was also presented with a box of hand made chocolates that were the best chocolates ive ever eaten but the thing that they are most famous for is their macaroons! I died and went to heaven as Piere (my host family) brought me a box of macaroons to take with me. And yes I shared with the boys!
After that a complete change in the programmme, I was finally off to a Les Mills Gym! Yeah ! I was suffering withdraw symptoms like a fat bum etc!!

So Madame Fabienne Puddu at the SPORT PLAISIR 2 RUE CHAIGNEAU LORIENT http://www.sportplaisirfitness.com/ met Piere and I at the door and we were straight into it BODY ATTACK was my first class! I enjoyed as it only went for half an hour then I popped off for a little lunch and then back to the gym in the afternoon for a BODY COMBAT class that I swear nearly killed me! I loved every minute of it! After the class it was time to get ready for dinner with Don and his host family and them home for a very goodnite sleep!
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Chris Kendall – visited 2 building construction site – the first being major school alteration and the second being the first and only enclosed mall in Lorient

Don Cameron and Ben Dunsheath – visited Kannard, a company making locator beacons for land sea and air, GPS equipment and bouys for tuna fishing.

We met in late afternoon for lunch.

Chateau des Rohan & Enteprise Armorinox - Jeudi 16/10

Early rise again as we are off to the town of Josselin to visit Chateau des Rohan a castle that has history dating back to the 11th century, where a real Duke and Duchess live. The bottom of the castle is open for the public and the top floor is the living quarters for the family. We were met by the Duchess herself! Within the castle are 4 main rooms the dining room which has sculpured panels all around the room with the Christian name of the first duke to live there wife , Herminie and the children of Duke Alain Rohan. The main drawing room also has a magnificent gold clock that was gifted to the family from King Louis XV, it can tell the time, day, month, the temperature, the signs of the zidiac and the lunar cycle! There are only 2 in the world! The other stand out room for us was the library which contains around 3000 volumes dating back to the 17th century. The garden and the grounds were also magnificent! After the tour we drove up the road to Ploermel to visit de l’enteprise Armorinox which was a very large engineering company that specialized in commercial cooking equipment. After a short dvd presentation on the businesss we were shown around and then returned for a beautifully prepared lunch in the board room followed by a presentation from Les Kiwis!

And to finish the day a visit to museum that was founded by teaching catholic fathers for their pupils. The museum was called Horloge Astronomique it had many interesting eclectic collection ranging from rocks to animal brains but the main attraction for us was the 7 foot clock that was built in 1850 which was able to tell the time, location of planets, sunrise, sunset, moon phases and the time for any country in the planet!!! It was very interesting!
After that home time!!!

Cite de la voile - Mecridi 15/10

We met at 9am at the Cite de la voile (world of sailing) http://www.citevoile-tabarly.com/ to visit the Eric Tabarly Museum and the Groupama2 trimaran! Very lucky indeed as there are very few people who get a personal visit on board these amazing exspensive ($4millon euro) trimarans! They cost 2 million euro per year to operate and have a racing life span of 4 to 5 years. The crew usually consists of 6 persons and the living space is very small and tight!

After the visit to the Groupama trimaran http://www.cammas-groupama.com/fr/index.jsp we headed over to the Eric Tabarly Museum. What an exceptional human being he was! All his designs were well before the times in which he designed boats and has been one of the most famous French men in history. The bottom level held all an exhibition of his life. The second level was about the boats he designed and the history of sailing. There were some very interesting inter-active displays including mini sail boats to race around a small pool, a simulator of riding on a Trimaran which was amazing and also some mapping tests and steering of a sailing boat which was harder than you would think trying to keep it on course – the machine told Stephan he should take a rest under an apple tree as he must be feeling very sick from going round and round in a circle!!! After the museum we were treated to a fabulous lunch and then the afternoon to work on our blogg!!! The largest racing trimaran in the world is shown in the following photos is was launched several weeks ago is currently undergoing testing.
http://www.voile.banquepopulaire.fr/

The evening involved a presentation to several of the Rotary clubs.