Elven and Gavrinis
10-13 August
Between sitting in the the sun, shopping at the local market, attending an open-air concert in Malestroit, where Alex’s parents still live, checking out the crepes in Vannes, visiting an island, spending some time on the beach and just catching up in general, we had a very busy weekend!
To avoid brushing the sides of the inside of the dolmen, bags are left at the office and also to protect the interior, cameras are not allowed. So my photos can only show the outside. The cairn, as it is called, is a dolmen covered with stones, and dates from the neolithic period- dry stone walls – somewhere about 3500 BC. At the time the sea level was much lower and the area had much more land than nowadays.
There are other things worth mentioning. Like the fact that the sun at the solstice shines right through from the entrance to the room at the back; the air inside is very fresh; and the energy inside seems to be restorative, something that Alex feels strongly is important about this place.
10-13 August
Between sitting in the the sun, shopping at the local market, attending an open-air concert in Malestroit, where Alex’s parents still live, checking out the crepes in Vannes, visiting an island, spending some time on the beach and just catching up in general, we had a very busy weekend!
The cairn of Gavrinis needs a particular mention. Alex worked as a guide here over one summer and was particularly struck by its energy. So a visit there was a must. You take a boat from the port of Larmor-Baden and the guided visit is included in the deal. The boat-trip is only 10 minutes but the waters have tremendously powerful currents surging around. You would not want to fall overboard.
To avoid brushing the sides of the inside of the dolmen, bags are left at the office and also to protect the interior, cameras are not allowed. So my photos can only show the outside. The cairn, as it is called, is a dolmen covered with stones, and dates from the neolithic period- dry stone walls – somewhere about 3500 BC. At the time the sea level was much lower and the area had much more land than nowadays.
The size is striking – 50m across and 6m high – and for many centuries it looked simply like a stony hill. The interior, which is the dolmen itself, has a 14m ‘corridor’ with a square room at the end, 2.50m each side, in the centre of the mound. The corridor and chamber are covered with huge stones, of which the largest is 17 tonnes, covering the room itself. I don’t know whether all these figures are helpful in trying to visualise this place. But the stones are massive, the corridor pretty long and the age seriously old. The sides of the corridor and the room are covered with carvings which no one is quite sure how to interpret. They look a lot like gigantic thumb prints to me!
There are other things worth mentioning. Like the fact that the sun at the solstice shines right through from the entrance to the room at the back; the air inside is very fresh; and the energy inside seems to be restorative, something that Alex feels strongly is important about this place.
So there we are. Another little insight into our past. Well before Stonehenge . And even the great pyramids.
Photos at:
