Fort La Latte was constructed in the 14th century on a site that reputedly had a castle built on the same location during the 10th century

Fort la Latte is located along the picturesque coast of North Brittany, France, on top of 70 metre high cliffs.

la Latte was constructed in the 14th century, on a site that reputedly had a castle built in the same location during the 10th century, by one of the oldest Breton families, the Goyon-Matignons.

Between 1379 and 1381, the castle fell into the hands of du Guesclin after a successful campaign to seize the castle from the Goyon-Matignons. It was eventually handed back after the signing of the treaty of Guerande in 1381.

In 1490 it was the turn of the British to lay siege to the castle after Brittany become a part of France.

During the later part of the 1500’s, Fort la Latte once again came under attack, ransacked and burnt to the ground. The Keep was the only thing left standing after the devastation. She stayed like that until the end of the 17th century when Louis XIV rebuilt her as a part of his coastal defences to protect Saint-Malo from the Dutch and English invaders.

La Latte had the privilege of playing host to James II of Scotland in 1715; whose thoughts of the place were not kind. He thought the castle was menacing.

Fort la latte has been used to make cannon balls and as a prison for counter-revolutionaries. She came under attack one final time in 1815 by a group of men from Saint-Malo during the “Cent-Jours”. After the unsuccessful attack of 1815, she fell into disrepair and sold by the family in 1892.

Today she has been restored to her former glory and there are still signs of the originally 14th century castle still visible.

• 3-4 lbs. eels • Salt • Saffron • Pepper • Red wine

Method :

If using fresh eels skin & clean, then cut them into portion-sized pieces.

Lay them in a baking dish and sprinkle on salt, pepper, & saffron. Add enough red wine to just come to the top of the eels.

Cover the dish and place in a 375° F oven.

Bake for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, or until the eels are thoroughly cooked and tender when tested with a fork.

Serve forth and Enjoy!

As with keeping with the times, if you were lucky enough to be one of the families who had a little wealth then you could build your house in style.

You could have paved floors and tiles, hang tapestries on your walls for extra warmth and if you were really wealthy you could afford to have glass panes in your windows.

As a peasant all you would have were some rushes and herbs to cover your barren, earthen floors. It was nearly always noticeable warmer outside of your home than inside with very little light getting in.

This was because all your windows were built small, just big enough to see out and not let intruders in. They were covered with wooden shutters which could be closed at night or against the extremes of the weather.

As a peasant you did not have the luxury of a kitchen and the staff to cook and prepare your food. Your house consisted of one or two rooms, in which you ate, slept and gathered in. Your roof was made of thatch which was a great nesting place for rats and birds and was easily destroyed by fire.

• Find out what types of diseases are common to the area you’ll be visiting and take actions to prevent your exposure to those diseases.

• Find out what types of vaccinations you will need to enter the country, there may also be medications you’ll need to take before, during and even after your trip.

• Find out what types of vaccinations you will need to enter the country, there may also be medications you’ll need to take before, during and even after your trip. Get you vaccinations done early in case you have a reaction and need some recovery time.

• Do some research with your Customs Officers to find out what you can take with you and what you may bring back?

• You should consider a dental appointment if you haven’t had a check up in a while.

• Be careful what you eat and drink.

• Carry complete health information with you on your trip.

I hope you have enjoyed reading issue 3 and if you have an suggestions or comments about any part of the newsletter then please feel free to contact me.

As always, if you have a story,photos or questions you wish to ask or share with our readers then please email me and I will be happy to include them in our next edition.

All submissions should reach me by no later than the 20th of June