Pushchair Walks in Brittany
There can be few better places to
introduce children to walking in the great outdoors than
Brittany; a land of fairies, hoards of undiscovered hidden
treasure and mischievous pixies at every turn. With just a
little forethought and preparation it is entirely possible to
enjoy walking en famille. Admittedly, for seasoned walkers various
adjustments are inevitable as children cannot walk too fast too
far or too high but in the increasingly inactive world that is
modern day childhood, the benefits far outweigh these minor
considerations.
Up until the age of three, children are
normally carried or pushed by their parents. Babies can start
off in frontal baby sling and once able to sit confidently, may
transfer to a baby backpack. For extra adult comfort, look out
for models with padded shoulder straps and waist belt whilst
for baby the addition of sun and rain guards is essential.
Remember to protect little ones with plenty of high factor
sunscreen and to shelter them from the elements.
Although children may appear more
energetic between the ages of two and three, they will still be
unable to cope with lengthy walks. During this awkward phase
when they either become to heavy to carry or begin to wriggle
and protest unbearably the best solution is to invest in a
sturdy, all terrain pushchair. These have three wheels and
pneumatic tyres and have become much more affordable in recent
years.
Between the ages of four and seven, it is
said that children can walk approximately one kilometre for
every year of their age. However do bear in mind that the pace
must be much slower than that of an adult walk and for a really
winning strategy try to build in lots of interesting diversions
such as waterfalls, rockpools and rock formations along the
way. Encourage children to look out for wildlife and
interesting shells, rocks and leaves. Little legs tire quickly
so allow for plenty of rest and refreshment breaks; tiny cubes
of cheese, vegetable sticks, raisins and fruit are good,
portable choices.
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So where to walk? In Finistère
head towards Mougou Bihan and the wooden walkways of the
Korrigan Trail. Take a picnic and lunch near a remarkable
alley-grave complete with ancient carvings. Once on the trail,
children can access the information boards along the route and
learn about the carnivorous Drosera plant and the star-shaped
moss sponges which are able to absorb up to thirty times their
weight in water.
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Also in Finistère, a 7km level
walk around the Lac du Drennec is just enough to stimulate the
appetite and encourage children with the promise of delicious
fare at the attractive lakeside crêperie.
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South of Vannes in Morbihan there are
many pleasant seaside walks around the oyster beds and the
spectacular megaliths at Erdeven and Carnac present wonderful
opportunities for accessible walks with
lots of child appeal. Local Breton
tradition claims that the reason the stones at Carnac stand in
such perfectly straight lines is that they are a Roman legion
turned to stone by Merlin!
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For easy walking options throughout
Brittany look for paths in parks and along rivers or canals
such as sections of the Nantes-Brest canal. The Sentier des
Douaniers around Perros Guirec in the beautiful Côtes
d’Armor provides stunning coastal scenery. Further inland
explore the many forests steeped in legend such as
Brocéliande with its reputation in the medieval
imagination as a place of magic and mystery involving King
Arthur, Lancelot and Merlin. The Forest at Fougères in
Ille-et-Vilaine has an attractive lake with sandy beach and
children’s play area. In most forests you’ll need
an all terrain pushchair after spells of wet weather.
My hope is that you’re now suitably
inspired to begin enjoying a future of walking with your young
family. To paraphrase a famous philosopher: “The journey
itself is much more important than the destination. The doing
is more important than the outcome.” Take heart!
© Karen Guttridge 2008. Karen is a
mum of three and director of Holiday Tots.
With warm thanks to Wendy Mewes for all
her help and advice in my endeavours!