BRITTANY COAST

Saturday, May 19, 2012

We set out from Dinan about 9 am with Linda’s Backroads of France book for our guide.  It is a wonderful little book that has page after page of driving tours on country roads all over France.  It’s been a marvelous guide on lazy days.

We first headed for the Point du Chevet; Daisy had some problems finding it until we put the nearest city and then we were on our way.  It is a long drive out but worth the time as the tide was out again and the sandy tidal shores were loaded with French people digging for clams.  There were also many just walking out on the exposed sand bridges to parcels of land that are usually islands during higher tide.

We noticed a gentlemen with two large telescopes set up on tripods; then we saw books about birds lying nearby on a bench that he was referring to.  We started talking about birds and he soon spoke to us in English and invited us to look through his telescope.  Terry was beside himself as you might remember he loves to discover and identify birds.  Another surprise!

Soon we were off for another town.  Along the way we passed a fifth century church; actually a Benedictine Abbeye by the name of Abbeye de Saint Jacut.  The steeple was very unusual and made a great photo stop.  It is not open to the public.

Continuing along the coast we arrived at the village of St. Cast-Le-Guildo; directly on the seashore with wide sandy beaches.  We then turned around to find gas at a grocery store…the cheapest place for us if they have an attendant…otherwise our credit cards will not work in their pumps.  Voila…an attendant…we now have gas for our trip tomorrow on Sunday when nearly everything closes down.

We then went back to the center of the village and the beach.  We all walked out on the sand but only Linda and I actually walked the quarter of a mile to the water to put our hands into the English Channel.   Along the way we each picked up a number of pretty shells to bring home with us.  With the tide out so far we had a choice of many but only selected a few pretty ones.

Since it was noon Jim found us a place for lunch; Chez Jules.  We each had the traditional Galette Crepe made from Buckwheat Flour in Brittany.  We had a salad…very French with only torn lettuce with a creamy vinaigrette dressing; our crepe was ham, cheese and an egg plus mushrooms…delicious and then we had flour crepes with caramel or chocolat for dessert.  Jim had the cider drink and the rest of us enjoyed beer.

Back in the car…the rain had really started coming down during lunch…we set Daisy for Dinan and have enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in our hotel.  Linda and Terry’s room overlooks the square and they have enjoyed simple plays being performed in the square all afternoon…in the rain and sometimes under the overhanging roof of the very old building.

Tonight is a light supper….maybe a Croque Monsieur.  Tomorrow we’ll pack early and go to nine o’clock Mass around the corner from the hotel.  Then by ten we should be on the road.  Not sure just where as the weather predictions seem to change every hour.  We may go all the way to Caen…about two hours…do the WW II Museum….and then return to Le Mont St. Michel where we have reservations on the island for the night.  This will be new as they just started this month with a shuttle service; no one is allowed to drive across the old causeway and they have removed all of the former parking lots.

Each day brings new challenges; Fifi quit working for a time this morning…we think she is getting full.  I called the car agency and they said to take her to a dealership so they can reset the controls.  She must have heard us as suddenly…she was working again!

A toute a l’heare…….
AND HERE IS A POSTNOTE....
After a light dinner of a shared croque monsieur and a piece each of flan we walked with umbrellas all the way down the steep street of Rue Du Jerzual; the oldest street in Dinan, ending in the Port along the Rance River.  A few photos and then it was back up...a twenty minute walk that had taken only about ten minutes going down.  The street is about a forty-five degree angle.