Not Those Islands

Just a note of appreciation for your many articles about little-known gems such as the islands in Nino Lo Bello’s June 15 story. These are the kinds of places I love to visit, especially since they are rarely crowded with other sightseers, like me. You might pass on to Lo Bello, however, that Quessant does not have the distinction of being “the nearest parcel of French soil to the United States,” not by a long shot. In fact, not by the width of the Atlantic. That honor goes to the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon (the latter by a whisper), which are as French as bad manners and good food, and are just off Newfoundland. The French spoken there is considered on a par with Parisian. They merit an article themselves if you haven’t already done one.

I note that Lo Bello is a college teacher. I trust not of geography.

RALPH BRIEN

Los Angeles