Off Paris Seine Hotel - Paris, FR

 

Our very last day in France.  We took an extra day to see the progress that they are making on Notre Dame.  It is due to open in December and it is buzzing with activity.  The new spire is up and the scaffolding around has been removed.  There’s lots more scaffolding to go.  There are massive cranes bringing up supplies and steel beams.  There is a wall dedicated to all the artisans that are working in their respective fields to restore the building.  There is another wall that explains some of the detailed work that is being done. When they are done, they will have restored centuries of grime and completed some archeological findings as well as rebuilding after the fire.

A pool on our bateau 

As we stroll around Paris, we are planning our next trip to France, next fall for a canal trip.  We are thinking about setting up a hub and doing some other small trips before and after.  Paris seems like a logic place for a hub, but…nah…maybe Zurich.  

Off Paris Seine Hotel - Paris, FR

 Following our carefully laid out plan to escape Dinan with roller bags with a minimum number of cobblestones (our little wheels need to last at least two more days), we make our way to Paris.  It’s three trains with connect times less than ten minutes.  As our host explains, French trains always run on-time, unless they don’t.  At any rate, we make it to Paris with no issues, and hire a taxi to our next hotel.

We are staying in a 4 star barge on the Seine.  The rooms are more like what you would find on a ship, but a 4 star ship.  As an example, the shower stall is less than 2’x2’ but there is a control panel where you set the ambiance with a color wheel.  They had a Sunday brunch at €49/pp but we opted (apparently I opted) for a crème fraîche, mozzarella, pine nut and honey pizza with arugula on top at a local brasserie.  

There is a new film on Netflix, Under Paris.  I shouldn’t give any spoilers, but it’s about a huge Mako shark that accidentally ends up in the Seine.  As we look out our window to see if we see any fins, dinner cruises come right by the window, everyone waves at us.  Little do they know what lurks below them!

La Maison Pavie - Dinan, FR

 

It’s our last day in Brittany.  It’s really a great place to visit in France,  although it is more of a French vacation destination, mostly Parisians.  We are pretty much into the Brittany timetable, not being the only ones in the restaurant, etc; although the place we are staying offers a family style breakfast from 8 to 10 and Deb and I ate alone at 8:01.

After breakfast, we walked the ramparts which were built in the 1400’s, moved to make room for roads in the 1600’s, removed in the 1800’s, restored in the 2000’s.  The ramparts overlook the Rance river which has carved a 300 ft valley.  From Dinan, there is a rambling cobblestone path leading down to the port on the river.  Lots of little cafes line the banks with dozens of boats moored up. 

Looking up at the ramparts, we realize that they are a formidable defense against an invading army.  Looking at the cobblestone streets, we realize that they are formidable defense against rollerbag tourists.  For our afternoon walk, Deb and I plot out an exit strategy that minimizes the number of cobblestones.  We now have a plan!  Tomorrow we execute!

Our final conquest in Brittany is to climb the clock tower.  It’s only slightly slanted and mostly just at the top. There is a small landing at the top which used to be where one of the town’s people would look out for fires and invading armies.  The bells chiming are a little off putting, to say the least.   We can see all of Dinan from here…even our little hotel!

Tomorrow we return to Paris.

La Maison Pavie - Dinan, FR

 

It’s a pretty short trip from Saint Malo to Dinan, they are only a few miles apart.  Saint Malo was a fortification on the coast.  The Germans used it as part of the “Atlantic Wall” so it was heavily defended.  About 80% of Saint Malo was destroyed, but it was rebuilt to match what it looked like historically.  Dinan was not strategic, so it suffered no damage.  Our hotel was built in the 1400’s!  Although there have been some improvements to the interior, the bones of the building are original.  

Many of the old houses have a second floor that overhangs on the street.  Some of them look a little rickety which terrifies Deb.  I don’t know if the fact that they have been standing for 600 years is a good thing or a bad.  The reason that they built the houses this way is because the city taxed them based on the square footage at street level.  You’d think that the tax collectors

would have seen that coming!

There is a heat dome over New England with temperatures reaching near 100, so I’m a little apprehensive about mentioning that today was the first day that we were comfortable in short sleeves.  

The day we got to Saint Malo was the Festival of the Corsaires (pirates).  Pirate parades, face painting, street performances, etc.  So it was pretty crowded.  Well…in Dinan, it’s the Festival of Music with 50 bands performing on the streets and in the squares.  The place is packed!  Our host suggested that we make reservation for dinner, which was an excellent idea.  The other choice was to finish the half sandwich that Deb didn’t eat for lunch.

Tomorrow, we will roam the city and the port. Maybe eat lunch, take a nap, have a drink, eat dinner before retiring for the evening.  

La Hôtel Nouveau Monde - Saint Malo, FR

 Our last day in Saint Malo.  We are starting to feel like we know the place fairly well after being here for a few days,  we start with a nice walk on the beach.  At high tide there is no beach, at low tide you might be able to walk to England (just kidding).  Walking into the wind would lead us east to Normandy, walking west with the wind behind us leads us to an Indian restaurant (the choice is simple).   By now we pretty much have a routine(routine).  After lunch(déjeuner), I start to yawn(baille) and continue to yawn until we get back to the hotel(hôtel), where I take a short nap (siesta).

 After the nap a short walk(promenade), a quick drink(boisson), a long dinner(dinner) and return to the hotel for the evening(soirée).  It’s pretty much exactly what we do at home, but in France we get to do it all six hours(heures) earlier (en français).

Hôtel Nouveau Monde - Saint Malo, FR

 

One last walk on the ramparts of Mont Saint Michel before departing for Saint Malo.  There is an interesting hiking trail at Point de Grouin that leads to the very most northern tip of Brittany.  After a brisk walk, it’s lunch time and, of course, there is a brasserie right there.  While Deb plays it safe with a melon salad, I go all out with some raw Cancale oysters (harvested about 100 ft away) followed by a seafood salad of smoked salmon, shrimp (whole) and whelks (in the shell).  My stomach is not exactly sure what to make of what I have been eating recently.  

Rum Baba (so good)

Back to Saint Malo, drop off the car and hike to the hotel.  Our room overlooks the ocean and its high tide with the waves crashing into the sea wall.  While I am out getting some wine, Deb has discovered that she is about three days short on clothes.  I was wondering what we would do tomorrow.  A quick google check finds a laundromat nearby, so tomorrow is set!

Deb says it’s time for dinner, my stomach says way too early.  I have found the perfect place that serves pork and beef. Unfortunately, they are having a private party.  The Italian restaurant down the street is closed on Mercredi.  After some discussion, we decide that it is indeed Mercredi (Wednesday).  We settle on a restaurant that in English would be called “Mouth to Ear.”  The food is delicious, I opt for a non-seafood, non-crepe, non-omelette dish, I get the lamb while Deb has salmon.  

Les Terrasses Pollard - Mont Saint Michel, FR

 Today, we are off to Mont Saint Michel, one of the most iconic places in France.  Our special advantage is that we get to park in lot P3 because we have the secret code (I thought that the treat was free parking, but is apparently incorrect, so I have no idea what it is!). From the parking lot it’s a 35 minute walk or a 10 minute shuttle bus ride.  There is a new bridge, so you don’t have to wait for low tide anymore.  

Just like lemmings to the sea, humans need to climb to the highest point - and off we go.  Mont Saint Michel has a small town (population 29) with a narrow street that rises up to the entrance to the abbey. Once in the abbey, it’s one way traffic climbing to the church and then one way traffic back down through the cloisters back to the town. 

 Most interesting is human size squirrel wheel to raise food and supplies into the abbey. Once back in town it was time for lunch.  The specialty here is  omelettes.  Since the omelette was listed as an appetizer it couldn’t be that big, could it?  Deb and I debate sharing one, but instead she opts for the bolognaise from the kid’s menu.  I was brought up to clean my plate, especially if it’s the specialty.  This one was a struggle.

The rest of the day is dedicated to exploring the town’s 30 restaurants, finding our hotel, and watching the tide come in.  

Tomorrow, we head back to Saint Malo, but this time in one of the beach front hotels.

Ferme de Vent - Concales, Brittany

 

Nothing quite tests your French like trying to tell you VRBO hostess that you had to book the room for three nights but you only wanted it for two, so you are leaving now!  With that behind us, we get our rental car and head for Concales (about a seven mile drive).  It’s a quiet little town on the top of a bluff with a hiking path along the coast.  Off in the distance, we can see Mont Saint Michelle.  At the bottom of the cliff, it looks like there might be a sidewalk cafe.  It looks like a great place for lunch on this uncustomarily warm calm day.  It’s a short drive, but as we get there, we realize that around the bend is the other non-quiet part of Concales with about a hundred sidewalk cafes, amusements, street vendors, etc.  

Ferme de Vent is our, once a trip, luxury stop.  Each Klied (apparently an old Britanny word for shack or shed) has its own personality.  They are all rustic-modern. We are encouraged to walk the grounds and see the vegetable gardens where they grow all their own food. The restaurant is closed on Mondays, so we have our meals in our room, at our little rustic table.  The meals come in clay pots that we heat up in our ultra modern convection oven, so quaint!  We had to put in our order for breakfast before dinner, so when it arrived, we had forgotten what we ordered, but I don’t remember ordering a glass of green juice.  Not really sure what it was, but I’m positive that it was good for me!

VRBO - Saint Malo, Brit

 

Most of the laundry has dried and has slowly climbed back into our suitcases.  Deb is anxious for breakfast but I want to have Kouign Amann (pronounced kwina man) fresh from the oven. It is a local laminated pasty made with 40% flour, 30% butter and 30% sugar.  As the French say, Oh LaLa!

 Saint Malo has the highest tides in Europe.  They can be as much as 30’ but today was only 12’.  There are islands that you can walk to at low tide but not at high tide.  There is even a self filling swimming pool!  

There is only so much you can do here.  You can walk the ramparts(we did eight miles according to Deb’s watch) or you can eat and drink at sidewalk cafes (we ate eight times according to my belt).  Both of these activities provide an opportunity for extensive people watching, which is probably what makes this place so popular.  I wonder if those people were watching us…nah. 

VRBO - Saint Malo, Brittany

 We were up early to catch the train.  By the way, Bayeux is pronounced as Bay-ø (sounds more like the ir in bird).

We are staying in the Intra Muros (walled city) which has few cars and lots of cobblestones (not a great place for a roller bag). One of the specialties here are Galettes which are very thin crêpes folded around virtually anything.  Our VRBO hostess speaks very little English, so we had our first real language challenge.  I think we did okay!  Deb was able to understand almost everything she said, or she was just nodding and pretending (I’m not asking, she’s not telling). 

Saint Malo is the Corsaires city.  Corsaires are pirates who plunder for the king, so it’s okay!  These pirates plunder British ships so that makes it even better.  Today is the annual festival of the corsaires, complete with a Welch bagpipe parade (yet another group not fond of the British).

This is our only chance to do laundry.  As in all of Europe, we have a washer but no dryer, so we have clothes drying everywhere.  Hopefully, they will be dry by tomorrow.

There are more restaurants in Saint Malo than anywhere else in France, but if you subtract seafood restaurants and crêperies, you get Italian (that’s Deb math!)   Lasagna and Calzones and a happy wife!

Tomorrow we walk the wall around the city.

VRBO - Bayeux, FR

 After staying up past midnight watching the Longest Day, we kinda slept in.  Today is Bayeux day,  we are exploring the town.  Our first stop is the Bayeux Tapestry, which isn’t from Bayeux and isn’t a tapestry.  It’s 68.9 meters long and was made somewhere (no one knows for sure, maybe England, maybe Normandy) in 1066.  It depicts the story of William the Conqueror.  Everyone has a headphone so they can listen in their preferred language, and they move at the same pace.  There is a movie at the end.  Deb is a little impatient and doesn’t want to wait for the English version, so we watched in French. (Not really all that helpful)

We spent the extra €2 to gain admission to two other places.  So our second stop was the War Museum.  Yesterday we saw the Normandy beaches and got through the first day.  This museum got us from June 7th to August 14th.  Bayeux was spared any bombing or shelling.  (There are as many explanations for this as there are residents). Either the streets were too narrow for German tanks, or some member of the resistance told the allies it just wasn’t worth it.  

Our final stop was the Museum of History and Art which had loads of painting depicting the several victories of Normandy over England, over and over.  The disembarkation of Normandy was called Operation Overlord.  Our two days in Normandy might be called Operation Overload, but we have a much better appreciation of everything that happened in the Battle of Normandy and how it changed the course of history.

Campanula

Tomorrow we are off to the walled city of Saint Malo in Brittany.    

VRBO -Bayeux, FR

 Today we did a full day tour of the Normandy disembarkation (not invasion - this is just the first of many misconceptions that I had about D-Day).  The itinerary for the trip includes Saint Mere Église, where the paratroopers landed, Utah Beach and Omaha Beach.

Our tour guide, Julie, is knowledgeable and relishes pointing out inconsistencies in the historical recollections of events. The day culminated with the playing of taps at the Normandy American Cemetery as the rain started to come down.  An all day tour can be a little draining, so we had a light dinner at a D-day themed restaurant before returning to the apartment to watch The Longest Day, a three hour retelling of D-day.  (Kind of a fitting title!)

VRBO - Bayeux, FR

We took a long train ride (150 miles) from Paris to Bayeux, our stepping off point for visiting the Normandy beaches.  We arrived a little early to check into our VRBO, so we had lunch, more French style, at 1:30.  After checking in, we ambled around town.  They had just celebrated the 80th anniversary of the invasion on June 6th so the town is still decked out in American, Canadian and British flags.  

We took the obligatory walk through the cathedral (not sure why I need to go into every cathedral I see).  The cathedral was started in 1077 but was nearly destroyed in the 12th century and then rebuilt in the 15th century and completed in the 19th century.  Deb liked it because it has thousands of gargoyles, most of which were pretty secular (like two cherubs heads together sharing one eye)

Today was just a get acquainted with the town day.  We found a few interesting restaurants and a market where we could buy cheese and wine and instant coffee.  And a small loaf of fresh bread for $.75!  

Bayeux is a British and American tourist destination, so all our acquired French dinner time rules do not apply.  Restaurants are full by 6:30, sacré bleu!

Hotel Villathéna - Paris

 We have nearly completed our first day in France. So let’s be completely honest here.  After diligently doing little French lessons for a year, we are still pretty much stuck at “Merci” and “si vous plaît”. 

As we have found before, language is not really the problem.  It’s figuring out when to eat in Europe that always eludes us.  By the time we had reached Paris, we had eaten two dinners: pizza at the airport and shepherds pie somewhere over Newfoundland and a tiny little breakfast snack over the Atlantic at about 3:00AM.  Once we got to hotel to drop off our bags, the bed looked so inviting that we decided to forego lunch for a short nap.  After all, google says that many places stay open all afternoon.  Maybe they do where google lives but not here in Paris. 

Look all ways before crossing!

We set out from the hotel and after a short hike we found a “fast food” eatery.  Deb had a chai latte, while adventurous me had a “golden latte”. Turns out that in a golden latte they replace the chai with curry.  Well there’s a pick me up!  

According to Google, Parisians eat dinner around 8:00.  We arrived at our little sidewalk cafe at 7:00 for dinner and the place was packed, but, voila!, everyone was just drinking.  We finished our dinner by 8:30 (they put us in a back room so as not to upset their regular clientele) and, voila!, the place was still packed with people just drinking.  So when do they eat? Tomorrow, we will slooth this out and report back!

France Trip

 Tomorrow, we head off to France for two weeks in Normandy and Brittany.  Our plan is to fly to Paris, spend one night and then off to Bayeaux for a few days.  We ar3 scheduled for a tour of of the Normandy Invasion (we didn’t realize it would be only a few days after the 80th anniversary).  Then to Brittany for the rest of the time.  Finally back in Paris, we plan to see Notre Dame, and fly home.