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Autumn, Winter, Spring tour schedule

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  Here is my schedule of guided visits for autumn, winter and early spring.    These can be booked direct with me via email or through Airbnb Experiences.   From the week commencing September 26th to December 16th 2022 scheduled tours will run on the following days;- Mystery and Prehistory of the Pink Granite Coast - Mondays from 1PM The Ménéac Markers Tour - Thursdays from 10AM The Locminé Loop Tour - Fridays from 1PM   From the week commencing January 9th 2023 scheduled tours will run on the following days;- Mystery and Prehistory of the Pink Granite Coast - Mondays from 1PM The Ménéac Markers Tour - Thursdays from 10AM The Locminé Loop Tour - Fridays from 1PM   Tours are also available to the fantastic assemblage of sites at St Just, near Redon in Ille-et-Vilaine, and to the small cluster of four burial chambers near Lac Guerledan. These can be taken on a day of your choosing subject to availability with the exception of Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturday afternoons.     Should you b

What will you get from a Timetrails tour?

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Let's take a look at the Locminé Loop tour. Adult prices from 44€ per person (based on a group of nine adult guests booking as a single party) If you are living or taking a holiday in central Brittany, the busy little town of Locminé is a great starting point for a visit to some fascinating sites, ranging from the modest to the intriguing and the truly spectacular. Église Saint-Sauveur et Saint Colomban is our rendez-vous point in Locminé. After meeting in the centre of Locminé w e will head south to explore six fascinating sites. Our first stop will be a brief pause at a small dolmen (burial chamber) after which we will move on to discover a range of menhirs (standing stones), and a couple of sites of uncertain purpose, most of which rarely figure on the itinerary of visitors to this part of Brittany. Our first stop We will explore some of the associations between these sites and their natural surroundings whilst also taking some time to appreciate the ingenuity of the

Transport for your tour

In response to a number of enquiries I would just like to confirm that for insurance and licensing purposes I am unable to provide transport for our tours at this time. For the time-being all our tours are undertaken on a guided self-drive basis so you will need to have access to your own vehicle. Should demand for a chauffeured service continue at the levels we are currently experiencing, however, I will investigate the possibility of offering transport in the not-too-distant future.

Keeping the Dead Amongst the Living

On my tours I talk lots about the continuing relationship between the living and the dead and the significance burial monuments had for ancient communities. Many of the tombs I will take you to show evidence that they were the centre for ongoing rituals over many hundreds of years and, it might surprise you to learn, this didn't just happen in prehistory. All over the world similar rituals still take place. Here's a link to an interesting short video from the BBC that gives a snap shot of one such ritual in Mexico. https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p07srkd7/the-village-that-exhumes-its-dead-once-a-year If you'd like to see the evidence of similar rituals in prehistory why not join me on the fascinating Guerlédan Heights tour? Alternatively, my Locminé Loop and Pink Granite Coast tours also include some compelling evidence of long-term interaction between living people and the ancestors. I look forward to sharing these amazing places with you.

What is Timetrails?

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Timetrails is run by a qualified archaeologist who gives guided, self-drive tours of many ancient and mysterious sites in central Brittany. All tours are conducted in English and they focus on sites dating from the Neolithic (New Stone Age) and Bronze Age. Depending on the tours you chose, you will visit Menhirs (standing stones), Cromlechs (stone circles) and several types of ancient burial monument known collectively as Dolmens. Your guide will explain about the lives of people in Brittany up to 6,000 years ago, highlighting their ingenuity and skill as they constructed monuments which demonstrate a deep understanding of engineering, the land, the seasons and the skies above them. At some sites you'll see enigmatic carvings which tempt us to speculate on the beliefs of prehistoric communities and you'll be amazed at some of their achievements. These tours are a unique experience for small groups, offering unrivalled access to an expert guide who will be happy to answer (or at

Places to Stay - a little bit of luxury on Carnac Plage

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Following on from my recommendations on places I think you'd enjoy staying, here's something that definitely isn't at the budget end of the market, but I think it's worth considering. If you’re planning a visit to the incredible archaeological sites of Carnac, don’t forget that Carnac is also a thriving seaside resort through the summer months. It offers several lovely beaches, a good selection of bars and restaurants, a casino and a wide range of accommodation options. For a little taste of luxury I can recommend the four star Le Diana hotel. It's right on the seafront and many of the nicely furnished rooms have views over the bay.   The bar and restaurant are on the expensive side but the quality is extremely good.     There’s a health spa and a lovely heated, outdoor pool and terrace, so you can combine your exploration of some prehistoric wonders with a little pampering.   I’ve not been paid anything for this recommendation. I just happen to have stayed here and

We're back, and busier than ever!

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  After a short pause in August while I visited Italy, I'm back out on the Timetrail again.   My tours are growing more and more popular and I'm finding new sites to visit all the time. I've recently added an extra site to the Locminé Loop tour which has a lovely little surprise in store. Tours are booking now for the remainder of September, part of October and selected dates in November. IF you are booking through Airbnb don't forget my tours are scheduled according to a fixed calendar. For more flexibility with dates and times, please contact me via email using enquiries@timetrials.fr See you soon!