(WARNING: We did a lot over these 2 days so if you plan to read this all in one sitting, grab a favourite beverage and get comfy.)
When we first started planning this vacation months back, I had mentioned an interest in visiting one of the Channel Islands, specifically Guernsey as my favourite book is the Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (which I’ve read 5 times in approx the same number of years and given as a gift to a few others). Jan has also read the book and Peter was interested in the history (the Channel Islands were the only UK land occupied by the Germans in WW2) so our intent was to take a side trip to Guernsey. Last week, Tuesday to be exact, I got serious and started making real plans, only to discover that 1) Guernsey is further away so Jersey would be more likely; 2) the ferry from St. Malo to Jersey is quite costly; 3) official Channel Island websites promote “fun” things to do with the family that really didn’t interest us; 4) we would have to use British Pound currency; 5) we would have to drive on the left/wrong side of the road. All these considered, I started looking elsewhere and changed our plans. Fortunately, there was no dissension from the others…
Yesterday, Monday, we piled into Peter’s rental, along with our overnight bags, and headed east along the St. Malo Bay coast, back to Mont Saint Michel. Of course we had to do this again, as it was a MUST for J&P. Besides, walking all those stairs is a great way to exercise off all the food we’ve been eating 🙂 As I’ve already been lost for words once before about this magnificent historical site, I’ll let the pictures do the talking again but will add that the temperature was a bit warmer this time and we brought sandwiches and had our lunch outside the abbey doors before heading in for the second half of the facility tour.
Instead of returning home like we had done the first time, I had made a reservation at a little hotel in Dinan, 30 minutes back from Mont Saint Michel, called Hotel de la Porte St. Malo. It was recommended in my travel book “Backroads of France”, and supported by very favourable reviews in TripAdvisor. It was a little gem, just outside the fortification walls of Dinan, at a very reasonable cost. With only 17 rooms, one might call it a boutique hotel (without the boutique pricing).
We checked in around 6, then had drinks in one of their little gardens tucked into a quiet corner of their property.
Our hotel owner recommended 3 restaurants inside the town walls. We chose #2 – Restaurant de la Mere Pourcel – which served more traditional French food. It was located within one of those ancient timber houses that looks like it’s going to fall over any minute. Fortunately for us, it remained standing throughout an excellent meal. I was excited to have Steak Tartare, common in France. It was very good, although I can still remember another occasion in Canada that I prefer. Because we didn’t have to drive – and I’m usually the DD – I was able to indulge in a little more wine than usual, which also meant I was asleep within 5 minutes of falling into bed. It was a bit of a restless sleep, though. Despite being totally thrilled with the crisp cotton bedding, the duvet was integrated into the top sheet and, throughout the night, I was either perfectly cosy, or too hot, or too cold if I stuck my feet and/or arms out. I survived.
This morning, Tuesday, started in the quaint dining room with quite the cross selection of goodies for breakfast – lots of breads, cheeses, fruits, yogurts, cereals, juices, teas, coffee. Our total bill, including room, stay tax, 2 glasses of wine, and 2 breakfasts came to 103.70 euros (about $145C).
Dinan is a very old, quaint town, with lots of history and lots of character. One of the entrances to the ramparts is just inside the gate, literally a 2 minute walk from the hotel (and our car). We spent a good amount of time wandering a section of the ramparts, marvelling at the structure and the homes within the walls, then hung around a very pretty garden while Jan and Peter took refuge from that wind in the cathedral.
Dinan is also not very big, and we were into the centre of the old town on the other side of the cathedral. There is an ancient clock tower that we could have ascended, for a fee, which we all decided to pass on. While J&P were in a couple of shops, we stumbled across a very stately looking gentleman playing a Hurdy-Gurdy. Fascinating instrument (we didn’t know what it was, he had to tell us).
The last part of our side trip was a visit to St. Malo, another fortified town directly on the coast, about another 30 minutes from Dinan. Steve and I really liked Dinan, and there was more to see according to our travel book, so maybe we’ll come back next week.
The build-up for St. Malo is extensive and everyone who knows about it says you should visit. I hate the expression “been there, done that” but, I’ve been and I’ve done. Yes, it’s impressive and yes, it’s chock full of history (most was destroyed during WW2 and it has been rebuilt). But it’s also so commercial and jammed with tourists (there are 25 hotels within those walls!!!). But we were there and you can’t say you’ve done it unless you actually have. We immediately headed up to the ramparts because that’s where you get the absolute best impression of the overall size of this infamous walled town, its fortifications (both at that site and offshore), and, of course, the view of the ocean (which is always so appealing no matter where you’re standing). And we had to be able to say we visited Jacques Cartier’s homeland and statue…
By the time we were tired and hungry it was 4pm and, as usual, couldn’t find anything to eat. We drove straight back and ended up at our favourite creperie at our beach. We can always count on a good meal, good service, and beautiful view at Quai de l’Iles.
That was a very excellent 2-day sojourn and no one mentioned the Channel Islands at all.