Nice series I didn't know much about France but you said the Dukes pledge loyalty to the king or gets effed up, it's like the template of candidate re running he goes after them too yeah same as 700's 😂 Tommy Hilfiger vlogging guy you going to Normandy shoreline as ND the French Alps? My goodness gracious farmlands
A heartfelt thanks to you, Tommy for this video. My father was part of the Normandy landing. An American soldier, 18 years of age. I couldn't help but cry seeing this. He passed at the ripe old age of 94 in 2020 and your video took me back to a time to actually see where he was. I would have never had that opportunity if it hadn't been for your video. I am so grateful.
Nicely said! My Dad served in the Pacific Theater onward to Japan. He passed in 2013, age 98. As a Veteran myself, lots of respect and love to that generation.
@@marcot4863 The problem could be improved greatly tomorrow. All they need to do is stop giving away money. No need to do deportations. They'll self deport
visiting Poitiers & Brest would be at the bottom of my list as a frenchman though. This video only needed Le Havre to make the list of busted cities complete lol But at least it's original IG
@@linmal2242 indeed. Don't you love how that applies to all European or white countries but doesn't apply to anyone else? You don't suddenly become Chinese, Japanese, Nigerian, Mexican etc. British, French, German? Sure!
From a French, merci !! Seeing your open minded interest in history, culture and languages all over the world really is inspiring. You should be an exemple to your fellow compatriots.
@@WiseOnion I said HIS INTEREST is open-minded, not that Americans were not. I won’t teach english to a native speaker, that would be as arrogant as your comment is racist
@@WiseOnion let's be honest americans tend to be very dismissive of foreign countries and say that they're trash etc. At least on social media these types of comments are very common
@@josefpoukine most Americans you will talk to are genuinely nice and open-minded, so open-minded that it is the country to invent LGBTQ, the pride flag and popularize third gender concepts . It is also the birthplace of jazz, blues and rock n roll when the world was singing spirituals and church music. It began the Hippie movement in the 60s, and it is the mecca of pop culture and counter cultures like Punk, Rap/Hip Hop and of course The Hollywood. Internet trolls are 0.5% Americans and 99.5% bots. trolls and foreign adversaries.
I live in NYC and work in transit buses. And a met a man that actually fought on that beach. He said the most of the soldiers died not from being shot at but they drowned. Heavy gear on there backs, they drowned because the navy guys driving the landing craft wouldn’t go all the way ashore because they didn’t want to get stuck and be a sitting duck. He used expletives while telling me the story. It was horrible he told me, the water by the shore was red from the blood of these young men. Btw he showed me a picture of him at the beach with surviving men. Thank you all for your service.
I’m from Ireland now and I went to France on my Motorcycle in June this year and spent the first days in the Brittany region before heading south and into Spain. By avoiding the bigger cities and sticking to the smaller roads you get the most beautiful French towns and countryside. By the way UK registered cars are very common in northern France as there are hundreds of ferries full of cars every week between UK and France, cars from the Channel Islands do not have UK country identifier, they have their own country code and vehicle registrations. I really enjoyed this video.
As a frenchman i 100% agree with that title, nowadays, if youre a tourist in Paris you must stay no more than 2 days there, french countryside is one of the best in the world, not even talk about our beaches or moutains sides, many things to visit in France but not specially Paris
2 days in one of the most iconic city in the world is not enough. Try to cure your hate against Paris. French countryside ? I come from a little village in Correze but a village like thousand others in the world. I like it but I'm not a liar. Paris is more interesting to visit than my countryside. Englsih coutryside, italian countryside, us countryside are beautiful too. A tree is still a tree, a cow remains a cow, a hill remains a hill everywhere in the world. But what is different between coutries is what humans build. And Paris for that is one of the most beautiful city in the world. You can hate it for other raison, you can think that it is not a good place to live. But how can you think that it is not a great place to visit ?
Just found you. You crack me up, furthermore, you incorporate history pertaining to the region. History was my major. A little history: my father almost singlehandedly demined the coast of Normandy for D Day to take place on June 6th. My fathers fellow deep sea demolition divers perished in that operation. My father received two medals along with a letter from the Navy stating that due to my fathers skills as a deep sea diver and ridding the ocean there so that the marines could land. They were called frog men later renamed the NAVY SEALS. My dad also demined the coast of Sicily and Northern Africa. After the war my Father was sent to Washington DC, to head up his unit. Subsequentlt, he was sent to New London, Connecticut and lastly San Diego, California. My fathers famous words, which I will never forget, " Just send all those generals, smoken those cigars, acting like big shots, to the battlefield and I would bet my life that they would END ALL WARS IN ONE DAY". My Dad, never spoke about what he did which accelerated the END TO WORLD WAR 11. My brother and sisters only found out when our Mother gave us all the letter pertaining to my fathers heroic actions. My Dad was a silent hero. He was against the Vietnam War, The Iraq War, The Afganistan War. Side note, prior to the Korean War my Dad was asked to lead a secret mission to Korean. My Dad declined to lead the mission nor go. Best decision he ever made because ALL HIS FELLOW FROGMEN, ( AKA NAVY SEALS) DIED ON THAT MISSION.) INTUITION IS KEY PEOPLE.
For anyone curious about how to speak Breton: Demat - Hello Kenavo - Goodbye Trugarez - Thank you Mar plij - Please Penaos emaout? - How are you? Me zo o teskiñ brezhoneg - I am learning Breton
It's important to note that Breton isn't widely spoken in Brittany anymore. While some people may recognize words like "kenavo" or possibly "mar plij," the form of Breton you're using seems to be "neobreton" - a modernized version that was developed in the 70s, which differs significantly from the traditional Breton spoken by older generations. I personally attended Diwan, and from my experience, it was difficult to communicate with native speakers using this form of the language. Conversations often ended up switching back to French due to misunderstandings and frustration, which was disappointing, especially for my grandmother. If you're aiming for more practical communication, you might find "merci braz" more effective than "trugarez," and "mad an traoù?" instead of "Penaos emaout?"
Actually, "Demat" is not a traditional word because there were traditionally no word for "Hello" or for "Thank you" either. "Demat" was an old Breton word which became fashionable again. It's fine words, but not just idiomatic of old people would say hello. Instead, to be polite, one would traditionally ask a question relevant to the current situation (e.g. about the weather or about what the person was doing). A generic way could e.g. be: Mat an traoù ganit? (Literally: Good are things with you?) It's true that it may be hard to hear Breton if you ask someone randomly. However, there are for sure people who speak and speak it well. Too bad you did not meet any Breton speaker. Your French is quite good by the way. Well done!
All of those super nice folks you encountered on your walkabouts Tommy , did not have any snobby , stuck up ,arrogance about them whatsoever , which you mentioned ? Everybody was so friendly and cooperative to you ..fabulous and welcoming . The places you visited were cool ,quiet and clean and life looked as if it was lived in a relaxed , second gear , measured attitude ? I loved it ..great entertainment once again ..be safe big man .
In 1985 I was in Lincoln, one morning Good Morning Britain, a TV program, had few minutes about a rugby match between teams from Brittainy and Wales, the teams found that they could understand it others Gaelic
As a Poitevin living in Poitiers I must clarify certain details about the Battle of Poitiers. The exact date, location, size of the armies and duration of the battle are not known. We only have a vague written description of the places and the course of the battle coming from songs and poems of the time, often to the glory of the Mayor of the Palace Charle Martel and therefore very probably turned to his favor. It should also not be confused with the Battle of Poitiers of 1356 which was during the 100 Years War. Just in the surroundings of Poitiers there are 3 places which claim to be the exact location of the battle
You are the most intelligent blogger I’ve ever seen online. I enjoy all of your videos. You’re very informative when you’re video taping. You are like my history teacher always accurate. Nothing beats an intelligent mind. Keep video taping and I’ll keep viewing your channel. Love your videos. Keep safe in France 🇫🇷 🥰👏👏👏
Tommy is not one of those clickbaiting travel vloggers, saying "Solo in France's most dangerous hood" etc. He's taking us to different places and educating us at the same time. An inquisitive, entertaining polyglot and Brest lover. Can't wait for the next adventure.
That French Baguette, with a touch of that Breton butter, looks delicious. My mum, God rest her, loved Northern French butter. She said it tasted like the home made Irish butter my Gran used to make.
I know you compare Brittany to Scotland, Wales and Ireland. But its history is much more parallel to Cornwall. Both places have very few people who speak the language, both places essentially have their cultures erased with the distinction between the local and national very thin. Second home buyers from the big (and capitol) city, buying out idyllic country homes, pricing out the locals and completely destroying the economy. With the only real industry being seasonal tourism and some agriculture. Sorry for the long essay 😭, I love your videos :)
Hi there, fan here from Iceland. The Channel Islands are actually the insular part of Normandy but are not a part of France or the UK for that matter (They are Crown Dependencies since Normandy conquered England in 1066). The native language of both Jersey and Guernsey is the variants there of the Norman language, also spoken in continental Normandy by a few still. Although the Channel Islands are English speaking today they still retain a strong connection to their Norman heritage. For example to become a lawyer in Jersey you must study Norman law in Caen, Normandy.
I absolutely love this. I studied French A-level many years ago and have always had a little regret that I didn't take it further or really do anything with it. I've always harboured a longing to take a month or so out, get myself a funky camper van and travel around France to immerse myself in the language, the landscape and yeah, the food! You have massively inspired me and maybe one day...! Thanks for all that you share with us, honestly it's the most interesting, most engaging travel content on RUclips. Massive thank you.
Suis American, et Moi, je Parle aussi très bien Français….Quant à vous, vôtre capacité de parler en Français, C’est fort imprésionnante!! Where did you learn to speak such good French? I bet a lot of French people say, to you “ wow, it’s very rare to see an American Speak French… you seem very comfortable with them too, vice versa… You seem to speak several languages… What was your educational background? Languages was part of it ? Love it that you can speak with all these people from different areas !! just high value videos. Much respect, Thomas. Thomas Boisraméy
I'm a french guy following your videos for years, I wanna thank you for showing a beautiful part of France, each region is kinda unique in France, maybe it will motivate people to not only visit Paris, plus I even learned few things of my country. So i'm really glad, see you a next time
Incredible that there is another France video to enjoy. I particularly enjoyed the serenity and beauty of the coastal towns. There's a lot more to France than just the big cities. Thanks for bringing this awareness to us, and for exploring the lands in search of Breton language. I did have tons of adverts though, sometimes every 2 minutes!
My grandpa fought in WW2. My brother has his metals in a frame at his house. My mom was 18 yrs old when she came to America by herself on a boat. I think my mom was very brave...I miss you mom...
Love history….been to a lot of battlefields in France….come to think about it ALL OF FRANCE is a battlefield. Glad to see you changing up the content. Always enjoy seeing a Tommy travel video drop
Great!! can`t wait until you travel to southern France. Your trip to Normandy brought tears for my music teacher was 18 years old when he hit the beach scared sh--less!!
top 3 favorite youtubers in the travel and historic essence, you definitely bought me back in tune with history and reminded me why it's filled with fascination and beyond. sabbatical you're amazing and your existence is appreciated.
Hi Tommy we are in the south of France in a small village near the Atlantic ocean , if you want we can make you visit over here pretty calm now as tourists left and some good historic places ...just let me know how to link up.Keep up the great work mon ami !
Thank you so much for showing this Tommy. My maternal grandad was one of many brave British men who landed on the beach in Normandy. I have his Parachute Regiment Red beret in my display cabinet xxx
I'm sad you never got to see the Monte st Michel on your trip through France. It's honestly one of the most beautiful man-made places in the entire world
As a French expat I really enjoyed watching you explore my country, though some sunscreen may also have gotten into my eye after seeing my hometown at the end of the video. Thanks for the great work and will continue to follow your adventures across the world!
Brest was a major Germany navy base and with heavily fortified submarine pens - the largest the Germans' built. The city was bombed more than 80 times by the Allies to destroy the pens; of course, bombing in those days was pretty inaccurate. The British designed and assembled special 12k pound bombs to bust through the roof in August '44. The concrete roof of the first structure was 3.6 metres thick and 4.3 metres at the second pen. A second concrete roof was added to provide the subs with up to 6.2 metres of protection.
Sabbatical - You are amazing. You have such a gift for foreign languages. My French isn't bad but yours is much better. I love the way that you are so clued up on Celtic/Irish traditions, languages and customs.
@@LizzieJaneBennet Legally yes, but it would be a bit ignorant to say l'Outremer are "still france", they deffinetly have their own diffrences compare to metropolitaine france
Always lovely to watch your videos, and so spread over our magical mystery planet. And your language skills adding such autencity to the content, out of many other qualities. Insights. Openness. Humanism. Thanks for the inspirational, quality and meaningful relax / Thomas and the bunch
@@PavillonNoirParisAu delà de l'identité ou origine régionale effectivement. Je suis personnellement originaire du Tarn, d'Auvergne, de Bourges, de Paris, D'Alsace-Lorraine et je vis en Bigorre, je suis fier de parler l'Occitan local et à la fois le Français. Bon j'ai des origines Andalouses et Austro-Allemandes aussi mais voilà haha
French American here sending greetings from Long Island. And yes, I had some baguette 🥖 this morning. I get the Whole wheat ones at North Shore farms. That said, this was a great video. I always wanted to see those areas and your historical knowledge is a great accompaniment.
That was kind of a emotional ride here, in the same video you managed to show Poitiers which is my "ville de coeur" where I did all my studies and grew up as an adult (by the way the building of the university of Poitiers you shot is the library of the law faculty, and it's pretty incredible inside, I spent a bunch of hours in it, bur it's a very small part of the university itself which is quite big, yes Poitiers is actually a college city), and Normandy where I lived 14 years (and about 6 years in Rouen, before that I lived in Pont-Audemer and then some years in Vire) before I got back to my native region at the beginning of 2024. Not that far from Poitiers by the way, I live in the Deux-Sèvres region, which is very, very rural. But I love countryside, I guess in a way or another you always come back to where you're from.
great video its amazing to see what is outside of Paris . the only think you miss might be the mountain near the alps , i recommend the pre alps in Chartreuse to visit , in between savoy and dauphiné many castle and amazing scenery .
Your vlogs are the best out there man. I prefer this style of vlogging then the super highly-produced highly-editted videos you usually find here. Tommy is much more down to earth and feels like we're walking alongside him wherever he goes.
Thanks, Tommy. I enjoyed tagging along on your latest trip to France. I've never been, but who knows, I might get to see some of it before I die. Anyway, you always do a great job showing us the highlights and the lowlights of the places you visit. Merci!
No, Jersey number plates are prefixed with a J followed by 1 to 6 numbers, and Guernsey's number plates are all 1 to 5 numbers. Those with a G prefix are from Gibraltar.
exactly, that was not a plate from any of the Channel Island, but from mainland UK. There are hundreds of thousands of British migrants in Brittany, many of them fleeing Brexit.
I had to mow aprox 2 1/2 acres with a very large 1970s push mower. And chop and stack firewood...and weed huge fields of peas. We had 3 acres of crops and also over 100 chickens to care for.
@@josefpoukine As he explained, French identity is pretty relative and often imposed. Also if you think arabs are the only ones who partake in illegal activities, or even say "wesh"' for that matter, think again.
Je suis American mais mon ame est Francais ! I share a similar experience as you have had but it happened in the late 70’s when i lived in Paris for 2 years going to film school. I rode my bike from Paris to Brittany , all the way around the peninsula and then down to Spain, across the Pyrenees and up to Marseille with my wife. We camped every night and ate out every night for dinner. The french loved us cause this was long before Lance Armstrong and they took us in and embraced us every place we went. If The Orange haired idiot wins in November, I am moving permanently back to Languedoc. Love your videos!
Agréable, cette visite de la Bretagne. Btw, I love your NY accent! It's pleasant to listen to, has more character than the typical US accent (West Coast fry) you usually get in travel vlogs from Americans.
@@ambessaseway5594 Civil infrastructure was a blessing to everyone who didn't have it. To take it away today would be detrimental, and far more serious than the other. OK. Maybe not even possible now? So please give up this silly stuff. You don't mean it. Its just a tool used to take advantage and guilt innocent GOOD people who bring blessing and health. We dont live in the olde days anymore. Why bring it up? What is the goal? Are you sure? And Maxi is 100% correct. We owe nothing. We deserve a THANK YOU.
been following for years since the 1st african trip during covid... finally here you are en France mon pays, ça fait 4 ans que j'attends de d'entendre parler français mec, tu te débrouilles pas mal du tout!
You're one of my favorite travel vloger. You have your way to discover the little details that make the real life here and there. And talk to random real people. You've taken me to Africa, China, Japan, South America, even upstate New York ... Now ... you're taking me to my place :) Normandy. Which is not very exotic, but that was funny. Your imitation of the hood guy"Ouech cousin, casse toi" was very authentic. Are we really perceived as rude from abroad ? I clearly can see though how we are negative, and forever complaining about everything compared to americans.
Tres bon, mon amie ! Merci......... and that is about all the French remaining from my very kind French teacher who actually gave me a pass in my high school French exam ! Mon Dieu ! Thankyou for your interesting walk n talk around Brittany ! Cheers from Australie !
@@deanl0 vets didn't use it so much as the civilians protesting the war, people who thought vets were all "baby killers." it's not just a protest sign, it often means the person fundamentally and ideologically disagrees with their government to the point that they reject it as representing them.
Thomas, your travels to Normandy beach and France were excellent. My Father and Uncle Francis fought in World War two, both landed on Omah Beach on D-Day. My Uncle succumb to his injures in the battle of the budge. Thank you for your professionalism.
It was in France where I was able to see how badly the US food market from farm to table had been hijacked by corporations compared to the process in France and other areas in Europe although times are changing fast
Been living in Britanny , France for almost 11 years. Beautiful region, nice weather, not too cold in winter and only snowed once since. Every summer, we go and visit a different place in France. People are so much nicer in the countryside. I love it when we take the small roads and see the green fields, the hay stacks, the animals grazing in the fields. Such a beautiful country indeed. Although a very few people speak Breton, I have never encountered one yet. Even my 80 year olds in-laws do not speak it. But now, they are teaching it back in the public schools.
"Breton" was spoken when I hitchhiked throughout Brittany in 1969. Some expats I know said the EU and tourism pretty much removed any reason for retaining the tradition. I was touring the draft horses of rural France, with interest in the Brabant (a Belgian breed) Tommy, I'm sure the countryside still harbors some traditional folk. It is such a lovely part of the world, despite the new ways of the EU. Good job driving stick!
My wife and I spent 3 weeks following the band Brothers trip through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Germany, Austria it was quite a trip of a lifetime
Love the video! It was fun to see just how much you hit in this video. Definitely worth a second watch so I'll probably go through it again. You putting the helmet on at the end was definitely a nice touch.
France is a wonderful country with the countryside AND the big cities. Those who are fascist don't want to see the real France today who is not an all white country. If you are racist and fascist don't go to big cities or even better don't come to France. Fascism is on the rise in this country, we don't need more fascists
Cool ! A lot of people when you say " I'm French " tell you about Paris. I am 40 and I only went to Paris twice and it was to go to court. I live near Dijon (Dijon mustard and Burgundy wine)
Also the painting that they say was depicted during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is in Dijon. "Le festin des Dieux" The Feast of the Gods (van Bijlert)
This is almost like 3 videos in 1. It has everything, even Brest.
Luv all your videos!
牛
Sweating like a whore in church trying to parallel 😅
Nice series I didn't know much about France but you said the Dukes pledge loyalty to the king or gets effed up, it's like the template of candidate re running he goes after them too yeah same as 700's 😂
Tommy Hilfiger vlogging guy you going to Normandy shoreline as ND the French Alps? My goodness gracious farmlands
Love you Tommy
This dude is becoming one of my favorite travelers. Super smart, witty, and well done history lessons in each video. Cheers Tommy, respect!
🎯
absolutely!
Same!
witty gritty
And takes the time and effort to learn the local language to some degree, he deserves extra points for that alone
A heartfelt thanks to you, Tommy for this video. My father was part of the Normandy landing. An American soldier, 18 years of age. I couldn't help but cry seeing this. He passed at the ripe old age of 94 in 2020 and your video took me back to a time to actually see where he was. I would have never had that opportunity if it hadn't been for your video. I am so grateful.
🫡 to him
🫡
Lot of respect for your father, and all others who were there.
Thank you, from a guy from Europe.
Nicely said! My Dad served in the Pacific Theater onward to Japan. He passed in 2013, age 98. As a Veteran myself, lots of respect and love to that generation.
God bless you & your father! A true American hero!!! They just don't make men like that anymore. A golden era!
Merci d’avoir visité la France et pris le temps de partager ! Great video
Paris and Marseilles,is a tragedy, especially Paris...we think our open borders are bad but France is on another level. Paris is lost.
@@marcot4863 The problem could be improved greatly tomorrow. All they need to do is stop giving away money. No need to do deportations. They'll self deport
visiting Poitiers & Brest would be at the bottom of my list as a frenchman though. This video only needed Le Havre to make the list of busted cities complete lol But at least it's original IG
@@bluered3228 Not the next generations; they will be "French " , HA !
@@linmal2242 indeed. Don't you love how that applies to all European or white countries but doesn't apply to anyone else? You don't suddenly become Chinese, Japanese, Nigerian, Mexican etc. British, French, German? Sure!
From a French, merci !!
Seeing your open minded interest in history, culture and languages all over the world really is inspiring.
You should be an exemple to your fellow compatriots.
Americans are the most open-minded people compared to Europe and Asia.
@@WiseOnion So says the WiseOnion
@@WiseOnion I said HIS INTEREST is open-minded, not that Americans were not.
I won’t teach english to a native speaker, that would be as arrogant as your comment is racist
@@WiseOnion let's be honest americans tend to be very dismissive of foreign countries and say that they're trash etc. At least on social media these types of comments are very common
@@josefpoukine most Americans you will talk to are genuinely nice and open-minded, so open-minded that it is the country to invent LGBTQ, the pride flag and popularize third gender concepts . It is also the birthplace of jazz, blues and rock n roll when the world was singing spirituals and church music. It began the Hippie movement in the 60s, and it is the mecca of pop culture and counter cultures like Punk, Rap/Hip Hop and of course The Hollywood. Internet trolls are 0.5% Americans and 99.5% bots. trolls and foreign adversaries.
I live vicariously through you my dude lol
I also live precautiously because of him.
I live in NYC and work in transit buses. And a met a man that actually fought on that beach. He said the most of the soldiers died not from being shot at but they drowned. Heavy gear on there backs, they drowned because the navy guys driving the landing craft wouldn’t go all the way ashore because they didn’t want to get stuck and be a sitting duck. He used expletives while telling me the story. It was horrible he told me, the water by the shore was red from the blood of these young men. Btw he showed me a picture of him at the beach with surviving men. Thank you all for your service.
I would have never thought that Sabbatical would visit my homeland and make a video about it, but here we are ! Quelle bonne surprise.
He loves France
J'étais surpris aussi lol et j'ai rigolé quand j'ai vu sa vidéo à saint Denis ptdr
C'est pas le plus petit pays du monde
I was surprised too, he came to Germany
I’m from Ireland now and I went to France on my Motorcycle in June this year and spent the first days in the Brittany region before heading south and into Spain. By avoiding the bigger cities and sticking to the smaller roads you get the most beautiful French towns and countryside. By the way UK registered cars are very common in northern France as there are hundreds of ferries full of cars every week between UK and France, cars from the Channel Islands do not have UK country identifier, they have their own country code and vehicle registrations.
I really enjoyed this video.
As a frenchman i 100% agree with that title, nowadays, if youre a tourist in Paris you must stay no more than 2 days there, french countryside is one of the best in the world, not even talk about our beaches or moutains sides, many things to visit in France but not specially Paris
Mass immigration has ruined france
Alsace and the vosges in eastern France are amazing too! I been there many times since I live close to it in the Black forest, Germany
2 days in one of the most iconic city in the world is not enough. Try to cure your hate against Paris. French countryside ? I come from a little village in Correze but a village like thousand others in the world. I like it but I'm not a liar. Paris is more interesting to visit than my countryside. Englsih coutryside, italian countryside, us countryside are beautiful too. A tree is still a tree, a cow remains a cow, a hill remains a hill everywhere in the world. But what is different between coutries is what humans build. And Paris for that is one of the most beautiful city in the world. You can hate it for other raison, you can think that it is not a good place to live. But how can you think that it is not a great place to visit ?
Both are France.
how many immigrants are there?
Very clever translation of 'la ferme est fermée' into 'the farm is farmed out', you managed to translate the pun and keep its meaning, well done.
Learnt more about France and French language, culture, history etc in one hour in 63 years 😂😂❤ Love France 👍🏼🤗🇬🇧
Just found you. You crack me up, furthermore, you incorporate history pertaining to the region. History was my major. A little history: my father almost singlehandedly demined the coast of Normandy for D Day to take place on June 6th. My fathers fellow deep sea demolition divers perished in that operation. My father received two medals along with a letter from the Navy stating that due to my fathers skills as a deep sea diver and ridding the ocean there so that the marines could land. They were called frog men later renamed the NAVY SEALS. My dad also demined the coast of Sicily and Northern Africa. After the war my Father was sent to Washington DC, to head up his unit. Subsequentlt, he was sent to New London, Connecticut and lastly San Diego, California. My fathers famous words, which I will never forget, " Just send all those generals, smoken those cigars, acting like big shots, to the battlefield and I would bet my life that they would END ALL WARS IN ONE DAY". My Dad, never spoke about what he did which accelerated the END TO WORLD WAR 11. My brother and sisters only found out when our Mother gave us all the letter pertaining to my fathers heroic actions. My Dad was a silent hero. He was against the Vietnam War, The Iraq War, The Afganistan War. Side note, prior to the Korean War my Dad was asked to lead a secret mission to Korean. My Dad declined to lead the mission nor go. Best decision he ever made because ALL HIS FELLOW FROGMEN, ( AKA NAVY SEALS) DIED ON THAT MISSION.) INTUITION IS KEY PEOPLE.
So impressed with your French!
I am surprised, I speak Mandarin and have seen the videographer speak Mandarin, but I didn't know he also speaks French. Bravo!
For anyone curious about how to speak Breton:
Demat - Hello
Kenavo - Goodbye
Trugarez - Thank you
Mar plij - Please
Penaos emaout? - How are you?
Me zo o teskiñ brezhoneg - I am learning Breton
Trugarez!🙂👍
Kenavo.😉
Trugarez!
It's important to note that Breton isn't widely spoken in Brittany anymore. While some people may recognize words like "kenavo" or possibly "mar plij," the form of Breton you're using seems to be "neobreton" - a modernized version that was developed in the 70s, which differs significantly from the traditional Breton spoken by older generations.
I personally attended Diwan, and from my experience, it was difficult to communicate with native speakers using this form of the language. Conversations often ended up switching back to French due to misunderstandings and frustration, which was disappointing, especially for my grandmother.
If you're aiming for more practical communication, you might find "merci braz" more effective than "trugarez," and "mad an traoù?" instead of "Penaos emaout?"
Agur jauna 😁
Actually, "Demat" is not a traditional word because there were traditionally no word for "Hello" or for "Thank you" either. "Demat" was an old Breton word which became fashionable again. It's fine words, but not just idiomatic of old people would say hello. Instead, to be polite, one would traditionally ask a question relevant to the current situation (e.g. about the weather or about what the person was doing). A generic way could e.g. be:
Mat an traoù ganit? (Literally: Good are things with you?)
It's true that it may be hard to hear Breton if you ask someone randomly. However, there are for sure people who speak and speak it well. Too bad you did not meet any Breton speaker.
Your French is quite good by the way. Well done!
Most underrated Travel Vlogger, funny, witty and educational, always impressed with the languages 👍🏻
Tommy's such a great yank...cool,super polite, and chilled.
I dunno, doesn't seem like great yank material. Lol 😅
All of those super nice folks you encountered on your walkabouts Tommy , did not have any snobby , stuck up ,arrogance about them whatsoever , which you mentioned ? Everybody was so friendly and cooperative to you ..fabulous and welcoming . The places you visited were cool ,quiet and clean and life looked as if it was lived in a relaxed , second gear , measured attitude ? I loved it ..great entertainment once again ..be safe big man .
In 1985 I was in Lincoln, one morning Good Morning Britain, a TV program, had few minutes about a rugby match between teams from Brittainy and Wales, the teams found that they could understand it others Gaelic
As a Poitevin living in Poitiers I must clarify certain details about the Battle of Poitiers. The exact date, location, size of the armies and duration of the battle are not known. We only have a vague written description of the places and the course of the battle coming from songs and poems of the time, often to the glory of the Mayor of the Palace Charle Martel and therefore very probably turned to his favor. It should also not be confused with the Battle of Poitiers of 1356 which was during the 100 Years War. Just in the surroundings of Poitiers there are 3 places which claim to be the exact location of the battle
Love you love your channel!! Thank you for taking us places!!❤🫶🏽
Same Dimi #2 here and I agree
Brittany and Normandy both are really nice to visit in the summer, nice vlog
You are the most intelligent blogger I’ve ever seen online. I enjoy all of your videos. You’re very informative when you’re video taping. You are like my history teacher always accurate. Nothing beats an intelligent mind. Keep video taping and I’ll keep viewing your channel. Love your videos. Keep safe in France 🇫🇷 🥰👏👏👏
Tommy is not one of those clickbaiting travel vloggers, saying "Solo in France's most dangerous hood" etc.
He's taking us to different places and educating us at the same time.
An inquisitive, entertaining polyglot and Brest lover. Can't wait for the next adventure.
This comment is kinda ironic when you look at the title of his next vid
@packers256 can't argue with that 😂
That French Baguette, with a touch of that Breton butter, looks delicious. My mum, God rest her, loved Northern French butter. She said it tasted like the home made Irish butter my Gran used to make.
I know you compare Brittany to Scotland, Wales and Ireland. But its history is much more parallel to Cornwall. Both places have very few people who speak the language, both places essentially have their cultures erased with the distinction between the local and national very thin. Second home buyers from the big (and capitol) city, buying out idyllic country homes, pricing out the locals and completely destroying the economy. With the only real industry being seasonal tourism and some agriculture.
Sorry for the long essay 😭, I love your videos :)
Seems this is happening all over the world!😮😢
I'm happy to visit the french countryside every year.
C est beau les villages francais .
Cornish is a backwards and silly language anyways god bless english
miew cat
Hi there, fan here from Iceland. The Channel Islands are actually the insular part of Normandy but are not a part of France or the UK for that matter (They are Crown Dependencies since Normandy conquered England in 1066). The native language of both Jersey and Guernsey is the variants there of the Norman language, also spoken in continental Normandy by a few still. Although the Channel Islands are English speaking today they still retain a strong connection to their Norman heritage. For example to become a lawyer in Jersey you must study Norman law in Caen, Normandy.
Bro how many different languages do you speak. You always seem to know the language. Your videos are great, thanks for taking us along
I absolutely love this. I studied French A-level many years ago and have always had a little regret that I didn't take it further or really do anything with it. I've always harboured a longing to take a month or so out, get myself a funky camper van and travel around France to immerse myself in the language, the landscape and yeah, the food! You have massively inspired me and maybe one day...! Thanks for all that you share with us, honestly it's the most interesting, most engaging travel content on RUclips. Massive thank you.
Bienvenue ! 😊 Hope you make it here! 😊
Suis American, et Moi, je Parle aussi très bien Français….Quant à vous, vôtre capacité de parler en Français, C’est fort imprésionnante!! Where did you learn to speak such good French? I bet a lot of French people say, to you “ wow, it’s very rare to see an American Speak French… you seem very comfortable with them too, vice versa… You seem to speak several languages… What was your educational background? Languages was part of it ? Love it that you can speak with all these people from different areas !! just high value videos. Much respect, Thomas.
Thomas Boisraméy
I'm a french guy following your videos for years, I wanna thank you for showing a beautiful part of France, each region is kinda unique in France, maybe it will motivate people to not only visit Paris, plus I even learned few things of my country. So i'm really glad, see you a next time
Incredible that there is another France video to enjoy. I particularly enjoyed the serenity and beauty of the coastal towns. There's a lot more to France than just the big cities. Thanks for bringing this awareness to us, and for exploring the lands in search of Breton language. I did have tons of adverts though, sometimes every 2 minutes!
My grandpa fought in WW2. My brother has his metals in a frame at his house. My mom was 18 yrs old when she came to America by herself on a boat. I think my mom was very brave...I miss you mom...
One of the best travel channels on YT.
Love history….been to a lot of battlefields in France….come to think about it ALL OF FRANCE is a battlefield. Glad to see you changing up the content. Always enjoy seeing a Tommy travel video drop
And Belgium.
"If we don't know our history, we won't know where we're going." Thank You for sharing your knowlege, and travels, Manufique!
Gotta love the small towns in France. I hated Paris but loved the suburbs with tons of parks and history sites
Hello Tommy Being from Poitiers, I'm thrilled to see you traveling to our stunning but little-known city!
Great!! can`t wait until you travel to southern France. Your trip to Normandy brought tears for my music teacher was 18 years old when he hit the beach scared sh--less!!
Tommy, wow educational and entertaining. Thanks for the trip👍
What a coincidence. I just came back last week from a road trip through Normandy & Bretagne in France 😊 It was beautiful
top 3 favorite youtubers in the travel and historic essence, you definitely bought me back in tune with history and reminded me why it's filled with fascination and beyond. sabbatical you're amazing and your existence is appreciated.
Hi Tommy we are in the south of France in a small village near the Atlantic ocean , if you want we can make you visit over here pretty calm now as tourists left and some good historic places ...just let me know how to link up.Keep up the great work mon ami !
Thank you so much for showing this Tommy. My maternal grandad was one of many brave British men who landed on the beach in Normandy. I have his Parachute Regiment Red beret in my display cabinet xxx
Excellent video. Many thanks for sharing your awesome adventure.
Your videos entertain and enlightened me today. I had no idea the Celtic language was spoken in France. Thank you my friend
I'm sad you never got to see the Monte st Michel on your trip through France. It's honestly one of the most beautiful man-made places in the entire world
As a French expat I really enjoyed watching you explore my country, though some sunscreen may also have gotten into my eye after seeing my hometown at the end of the video. Thanks for the great work and will continue to follow your adventures across the world!
Brest was a major Germany navy base and with heavily fortified submarine pens - the largest the Germans' built. The city was bombed more than 80 times by the Allies to destroy the pens; of course, bombing in those days was pretty inaccurate. The British designed and assembled special 12k pound bombs to bust through the roof in August '44. The concrete roof of the first structure was 3.6 metres thick and 4.3 metres at the second pen. A second concrete roof was added to provide the subs with up to 6.2 metres of protection.
There is a u-boat base in Bordeaux I’ve been to as well. They kept it intact and it is now an art gallery
@@Laminar-Flow Good re-purpose !
That is an awful lot of slave-labour concreting !
Sabbatical - You are amazing. You have such a gift for foreign languages. My French isn't bad but yours is much better. I love the way that you are so clued up on Celtic/Irish traditions, languages and customs.
Was it the dying language of Breton or the sunscreen that got in Tommy's eye that got him tearing up? We may never know...
... or Brest on his mind 🤷♂️
Thanks Tommy, from an old man in Missouri, I really enjoy your trips around the world.
After France I really hope to see you in Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Reunion etc!
Et la nouvelle caledonie spécialement avec l’insurrection présente
It's still France.
Les autres régionsoui et surtout St Pierre et Miquelon
@@MishaElRusitoet wallis et futuna egalement
@@LizzieJaneBennet Legally yes, but it would be a bit ignorant to say l'Outremer are "still france", they deffinetly have their own diffrences compare to metropolitaine france
Always lovely to watch your videos, and so spread over our magical mystery planet. And your language skills adding such autencity to the content, out of many other qualities. Insights. Openness. Humanism. Thanks for the inspirational, quality and meaningful relax
/ Thomas and the bunch
As an Irish living in Cork i can see a lot of similarities in Brittany. Thank you for sharing as always Tommy. leanaigí oraibh leis an dea-obair!
I m breton and i did dna test on 23andme . I have 97 irish wales dna other is iberian and italian.
0% english, 0% frank.
We are not french.
@@Christophe-pl5xu Français n'est pas une identité tribale, ce n'est pas comme Allemand ou Japonais, c'est plutôt comme être un citoyen romain.
@@PavillonNoirParisAu delà de l'identité ou origine régionale effectivement. Je suis personnellement originaire du Tarn, d'Auvergne, de Bourges, de Paris, D'Alsace-Lorraine et je vis en Bigorre, je suis fier de parler l'Occitan local et à la fois le Français.
Bon j'ai des origines Andalouses et Austro-Allemandes aussi mais voilà haha
French American here sending greetings from Long Island. And yes, I had some baguette 🥖 this morning. I get the Whole wheat ones at North Shore farms. That said, this was a great video. I always wanted to see those areas and your historical knowledge is a great accompaniment.
That was kind of a emotional ride here, in the same video you managed to show Poitiers which is my "ville de coeur" where I did all my studies and grew up as an adult (by the way the building of the university of Poitiers you shot is the library of the law faculty, and it's pretty incredible inside, I spent a bunch of hours in it, bur it's a very small part of the university itself which is quite big, yes Poitiers is actually a college city), and Normandy where I lived 14 years (and about 6 years in Rouen, before that I lived in Pont-Audemer and then some years in Vire) before I got back to my native region at the beginning of 2024. Not that far from Poitiers by the way, I live in the Deux-Sèvres region, which is very, very rural. But I love countryside, I guess in a way or another you always come back to where you're from.
I learn more about France from you than I could ever from any other source! Thanks.
13:55 left side of that flag, in the middle is Asturias, north of Spain. You should visit
Also the black with white cross of the Cornish (Kernow).
From top left: Scotland, Isle of Man, Brittany, Asturias, Galicia, Wales, Cornwall & Ireland.
Decided to continue watching because of my interest in history, in the Battle of Poitiers specifically. And now, I'm a subscriber! Haha!
great video its amazing to see what is outside of Paris .
the only think you miss might be the mountain near the alps , i recommend the pre alps in Chartreuse to visit , in between savoy and dauphiné many castle and amazing scenery .
Your vlogs are the best out there man. I prefer this style of vlogging then the super highly-produced highly-editted videos you usually find here. Tommy is much more down to earth and feels like we're walking alongside him wherever he goes.
Amazing video, I love your views on France.
Thanks, Tommy. I enjoyed tagging along on your latest trip to France. I've never been, but who knows, I might get to see some of it before I die. Anyway, you always do a great job showing us the highlights and the lowlights of the places you visit. Merci!
Noo way you came to my home town of Brest ! I love your vidéos
Magnifique vidéo !
As we say in France.
Thanks for visiting my beautiful country, and I hope you had an amazing time!! 🇫🇷
That numberplate was a UK mainland plate. Jersey plates are just a string of 1 to 5 numbers and Guernsey plates are the same but with a G prefix.
No, Jersey number plates are prefixed with a J followed by 1 to 6 numbers, and Guernsey's number plates are all 1 to 5 numbers. Those with a G prefix are from Gibraltar.
@@andybaker2456 I knew it was something like that.
exactly, that was not a plate from any of the Channel Island, but from mainland UK. There are hundreds of thousands of British migrants in Brittany, many of them fleeing Brexit.
Love the video Tommy 💯 keep them coming, was cool to see France not too many good videos on the country but you got one for sure
I had to mow aprox 2 1/2 acres with a very large 1970s push mower. And chop and stack firewood...and weed huge fields of peas. We had 3 acres of crops and also over 100 chickens to care for.
Yeaaah you came too Normandie!! Please do more videos about France's country side. There is so much to see and lovely people to meet :)
33:57 "Wesh cousin, casse-toi wallah !" j'ai explosé de rire à cette imitation parfaite des individus en question 😂😂😂
il en sait trop
But then he said those are typical "french" gangsters which deserves a bit more context I think lol
😂 des supporters anglais
@@josefpoukine As he explained, French identity is pretty relative and often imposed. Also if you think arabs are the only ones who partake in illegal activities, or even say "wesh"' for that matter, think again.
Les fameuses chances
Thank you for sharing this. please explore France more and share what you learn. x
Je suis American mais mon ame est Francais ! I share a similar experience as you have had but it happened in the late 70’s when i lived in Paris for 2 years going to film school. I rode my bike from Paris to Brittany , all the way around the peninsula and then down to Spain, across the Pyrenees and up to Marseille with my wife. We camped every night and ate out every night for dinner. The french loved us cause this was long before Lance Armstrong and they took us in and embraced us every place we went. If The Orange haired idiot wins in November, I am moving permanently back to Languedoc. Love your videos!
You are so amazing. Thanks for a great video, and thanks for taking us along.
Should have kept a Brest counter
Great 🇫🇷history research there, Sabbatical👍…..& onwards w/that cool helmet, dude!😅
Agréable, cette visite de la Bretagne. Btw, I love your NY accent! It's pleasant to listen to, has more character than the typical US accent (West Coast fry) you usually get in travel vlogs from Americans.
heureux de te voir de notre pays man ! profites bien !
France for the French 🇫🇷
New Caledonia 🇳🇨 for native kanak
Enjoy 😉 that
@benvad9010 yes imagine 10 billion nickel/gold exports only for 150k people 🤑🤑🤑
@@ambessaseway5594 Civil infrastructure was a blessing to everyone who didn't have it. To take it away today would be detrimental, and far more serious than the other. OK. Maybe not even possible now? So please give up this silly stuff. You don't mean it. Its just a tool used to take advantage and guilt innocent GOOD people who bring blessing and health.
We dont live in the olde days anymore. Why bring it up? What is the goal? Are you sure?
And Maxi is 100% correct. We owe nothing. We deserve a THANK YOU.
Mali to Congo, let's go go 😅
been following for years since the 1st african trip during covid... finally here you are en France mon pays, ça fait 4 ans que j'attends de d'entendre parler français mec, tu te débrouilles pas mal du tout!
Merci de parler le français et merci pour la visite
You're one of my favorite travel vloger. You have your way to discover the little details that make the real life here and there. And talk to random real people.
You've taken me to Africa, China, Japan, South America, even upstate New York ... Now ... you're taking me to my place :) Normandy. Which is not very exotic, but that was funny. Your imitation of the hood guy"Ouech cousin, casse toi" was very authentic. Are we really perceived as rude from abroad ? I clearly can see though how we are negative, and forever complaining about everything compared to americans.
Down south in the marseille area is not so good right now.
I wonder why?
@@deniseg-hill1730third world mass immigration as usual and its ruining europe
@@deniseg-hill1730Islam and illegals
@@deniseg-hill1730i think we all know why
Tres bon, mon amie ! Merci......... and that is about all the French remaining from my very kind French teacher who actually gave me a pass in my high school French exam ! Mon Dieu !
Thankyou for your interesting walk n talk around Brittany ! Cheers from Australie !
Great Video Content Tommy. 🇺🇸
what does upside down American flag means?
@@ambatubelo radical Donald Trump supporters hate the rest of us for our freedom.
@@ambatubelo Maga people used it but before that it was Vietnam vet.
protest sign
@@deanl0 vets didn't use it so much as the civilians protesting the war, people who thought vets were all "baby killers." it's not just a protest sign, it often means the person fundamentally and ideologically disagrees with their government to the point that they reject it as representing them.
Usually associated with military flag etiquette, it signifies “in distress”.
Thomas, your travels to Normandy beach and France were excellent. My Father and Uncle Francis fought in World War two, both landed on Omah Beach on D-Day. My Uncle succumb to his injures in the battle of the budge. Thank you for your professionalism.
It was in France where I was able to see how badly the US food market from farm to table had been hijacked by corporations compared to the process in France and other areas in Europe although times are changing fast
in france a large part of the food market is also controlled by large corporations and of very low quality
Awesome vid, getting ready to go for the first time in a few weeks... so exited! Thank You!!!!!
Tommy definition ~ seriously skilled individual 👆🏻💯
Been living in Britanny , France for almost 11 years. Beautiful region, nice weather, not too cold in winter and only snowed once since. Every summer, we go and visit a different place in France. People are so much nicer in the countryside. I love it when we take the small roads and see the green fields, the hay stacks, the animals grazing in the fields. Such a beautiful country indeed.
Although a very few people speak Breton, I have never encountered one yet. Even my 80 year olds in-laws do not speak it. But now, they are teaching it back in the public schools.
"Breton" was spoken when I hitchhiked throughout Brittany in 1969. Some expats I know said the EU and tourism pretty much removed any reason for retaining the tradition. I was touring the draft horses of rural France, with interest in the Brabant (a Belgian breed) Tommy, I'm sure the countryside still harbors some traditional folk. It is such a lovely part of the world, despite the new ways of the EU. Good job driving stick!
Your best video to date, the historical details are amazing 😅
hi mate, if you get a chance. Honfluer an old port. cheers, Geezer.
My wife and I spent 3 weeks following the band Brothers trip through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Germany, Austria it was quite a trip of a lifetime
One time when I know a Sabbatical translation error. Mower man lived there 24 not 28 years. You got the real flavour of France there.
Yes I noticed that. Mostly very well translated but I vomited when I heard that.
There are translation errors or misunderstandings in almost every third sentence of the video
Love the video! It was fun to see just how much you hit in this video. Definitely worth a second watch so I'll probably go through it again.
You putting the helmet on at the end was definitely a nice touch.
France is still a wonderfull country, just stay out of the big cities ^^
France is a wonderful country with the countryside AND the big cities. Those who are fascist don't want to see the real France today who is not an all white country. If you are racist and fascist don't go to big cities or even better don't come to France. Fascism is on the rise in this country, we don't need more fascists
Thanks
Cool !
A lot of people when you say " I'm French " tell you about Paris.
I am 40 and I only went to Paris twice and it was to go to court.
I live near Dijon (Dijon mustard and Burgundy wine)
Also the painting that they say was depicted during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is in Dijon.
"Le festin des Dieux" The Feast of the Gods (van Bijlert)
Your content and presentation are top notch, as always!
- A long-time viewer