June in “La Cornouaille” with a pair of Leica X cameras

La Cornouaille is the French word for Cornwall. It is situated in the southwest of Brittany near Quimper. The coast is home to sandy beaches and granite cliffs. Some locals still speak the Breton language, which is very close to the Welsh language.

Speaking Breton is partly due to the Roman invasions, during which time people fled to Wales and southwest England. They then came back to settle after the collapse of the Roman Empire in 400 AD. Within La Cornouaille lies Le Pays Bigouden, an area that once flourished and is still pretty active thanks to its fishing harbours and fleet. We stayed for a fortnight in one of the fishing villages, Saint Guénolé.

Ice and fishing

Saint Guénolé fishermen specialise in sardine and herring fishing during the summer season in La Cornouaille. Although big sardines are getting scarce due to over-exploitation of resources and global warming, the harbour is still active.

Speaking with locals, they say 90 percent of the fishing fleet will be destroyed in the next few years. Fishermen will be subsidised to destroy their boats. That’s a pretty sad reality, as I remember when we last stayed in the area in the 2010s, it was a flourishing industry. However, this June we were in the middle of what may be one of the last sardine seasons.

A typical fishing day starts with ice produced at the local factory. Every weekday morning, plastic containers are filled with ice and the stocked in refrigerators until the evening. In the evening, fishermen come back to collect it and load it into the holds on their boats.

The fleet usually leaves at 9.30 pm and comes back between 2 and 3 am when I’m fast asleep. The sardines are sold at auction in the morning to the various fish processing factories. And the ones that don’t get sold are left for the gulls to feast on.

Fishermen in La Cornouaille

I spent quite a few evenings by the harbour watching and photographing what was going on. Occasionally I wish I were able to fly, to change my perspective. I met with quite a few of the fishermen to discus fishing, politics, and photography. I often sent them the photo files I took when I got back home.

Jerome works on a forklift every evening bringing the ice to the boats. Ilme is a Turkish fisherman who immigrated to France many years ago. He lives about 17 miles (ca. 27 km) from the harbour and works as a sailor on different fishing boats throughout the year along this part of the coast of Brittany in La Cornouaille.

The first time we met, seeing my camera, he told me “Take my picture, I’m photogenic.” He was a really kind and good-humoured person.  Yet, he was truly worried with the situation in the Middle East as Turkey has got borders with Syria and Iran. He feared for his family. The last image is from a sailor from the Philippines. Oddly enough, one of the boat’s entire crew was Filipino.

Seaweed

Whether clinging to moorings, rocks or stranded on beaches, I have always been fascinated by seaweed. Further north in Brittany, they gather seaweed and sell it to the pharmaceutical or beauty industry. Some of it is also edible.

It is sold to chefs at local restaurants as well. The seaweed found on beaches is ripped from the deep by trawler nets or by breaking waves. I like to capture the patterns it creates on ropes, buoys or just on sand.

We often had one called “Sea French beans” which we bought at the local factory outlet. They tasted delicious with fish, although it looks like green spaghetti.  

Surfers and divers

The area a mile north of Saint Guénolé in La Cornouaille is truly popular with surfers. Just like beaches in Cornwall, you’re bound to spot surfers and surf schools. Looking at beginners trying to stand on their boards frequently has people bursting out laughing. Occasionally, reflections on wet sand are really graphic. Taking a non-weather-sealed camera to the beach can be dangerous, but if one is careful enough it can still be quite safe.

June is a time of rejoicing for students or school-leavers. They either passed their A-level equivalents or graduated from university. The tradition of some young locals is to jump or dive from a particular spot that includes a rocky cliff and a sea wall. They have an audience every evening for their performances. I just stumbled upon them while walking back to the cottage one evening. I was pretty impressed with their daring, but I was worried lest an accident should happen.

Sunsets in La Cornouaille

Being this far west is a blessing, if you’re not an early riser, and you want to capture some evening light. The way the sun gradually changes, colours the rocks, sand, and houses and then fades into the sea. It is always a pleasure to watch. This is just a selection of a few shots I like.

All the images were taken with my X-Vario except one with the X2. I also had one of the latest Xiaomi phones equipped with Leica lenses thanks to their partnership. I mostly use it as a panoramic camera.

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