Dinan, Brittany and Normandy – The Slow Tourist

Brittany - Dinan, Utah Beach, Mont. Saint-Michel, St. Malo and Cancale

Dinan

Dinan - Medieval Gem

St. Malo

St. Malo-The Land of Pirates

Utah Beach

Utah Beach - Last but not least

Mt. Saint-Michel

Mont. Saint-Michel - Third most popular site in France

Cancale

Oysters!

Explore Dinan. Brittany's Prettiest Town.

Arts and crafts From the port, make your way up the steep Rue du Petit-Fort, which was Dinan’s main point of access until the 18th century. This cobbled hill with its half-timbered houses appears on many a postcard; have a browse in the arts and crafts shops. Dinan has been designated a Ville d’Art et d’Histoire (Town of Art and History) and the town is filled with artists, sculptors, engravers, bookbinders, glassblowers and more.

Waterside restaurants The most attractive part of Dinan is arguably its port, which is where you’ll arrive if you take a boat from Dinard or Saint-Malo. The quay is lined with old stone houses, many of which are now waterside restaurants and chandlers’ shops. Take a walk along the old towpath or cross the 15th-century stone bridge to Lanvallay to find out about life on the river in the Maison de la Rance discovery centre. Wherever you are, you won’t miss the 131ft (40m)-high viaduct.

The old town Dinan’s old town is a warren of narrow streets where it appears that time has stood still. The quaintest part is Place des Merciers where you’ll find the best examples of the town’s half-timbered houses; just opposite is the pedestrianised Rue de la Cordonnerie, also known as ‘thirsty street’ as it has nine bars.

Dinan is without doubt one of the most attractive and best preserved small towns in Brittany. With its 1.8 mile (3km)-long ramparts, half-timbered houses, attractive port and cobbled streets filled with art galleries and craft shops, It is also an excellent point to stay if you plan to visit the many other top attractions in this area of France.

Explore St. Malo. Crepes, Cider and Pirates.

There Be Pirates St Malo is best known as being a breeding ground for privateers, who based themselves in the St Servan district (although to see how they lived you should head back intra muros to Hôtel d’Asfeld). It was here that St Malo was founded by the Welsh monk St Maclou, who built a church on the site of the Roman city of Alet . The main reason to come this area, apart from the views back over the citadel, is to see the 14th-century Tour Solidor, which houses the Museum of Cape Horners.

Inside The Walls St Malo has several districts, the most popular being intra muros or ‘inside the walls’. The tall granite buildings, most of which were restored after being bombed during the war, house an interesting mix of cosy hotels, restaurants to suit all tastes (crepes and cider and local specialties) and shops by the dozen. Take a tour on the little train to get your bearings or enjoy a bracing walk around the ramparts. The Musée de la Ville tells you all you need to know about the town’s history and includes some fascinating maritime objects like the prow of a ship.

Islands
Opposite the old town are two little islands that can be reached at low tide (heed the warnings or you’ll get stuck!). On one is the Vauban-built Fort National and on the other is the tomb of the writer and politician Chateaubriand, who was born in St Malo in 1768.

Saint-Malo, in the northwestern French region of Brittany on the English Channel Coast, has a history dating back to the first century B.C., and its history is as tumultuous as it is fascinating. It was founded by the Gauls — remember Asterix and Obelix? After run-ins with the Romans, the city later became the notorious seat of the French corsairs. Legal pirates of sorts, corsairs were basically privateers, but with an additional religious connotation, since they were involved in the Christian-Muslim conflicts from the 14th century onward.

During World War II, Saint-Malo was heavily bombed because of its strategic location that had once appealed to the corsairs. But the Intra Muros part of Saint-Malo — the old part fully surrounded by sturdy ramparts and fortifications — was immediately and faithfully restored. It now provides something akin to time travel.

We'll Start the War from Right Here -- Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr

"If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone." --General Dwight Eisenhower, future president, in a draft of remarks he'd made in case the invasion was a failure

"I don't feel that I'm any kind of hero. To me, the work had to be done. I was asked to do it. So I did. When I lecture kids, I tell them the same thing." --Private First Class Joe Lesniewski

"There is one great thing that you men will all be able to say after this war is over and you are home once again. ... When you are sitting by the fireplace with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what you did in the great World War II ... you can look him straight in the eye and say, 'Son, your granddaddy rode with the Great Third Army and a son-of-a-goddamned-bitch named Georgie Patton!' "

Utah, commonly known as Utah Beach, was the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), during World War II. The westernmost of the five code-named landing beaches in Normandy, Utah is on the Cotentin Peninsula, west of the mouths of the Douve and Vire rivers. Amphibious landings at Utah were undertaken by United States Army troops, with sea transport, mine sweeping, and a naval bombardment force provided by the United States Navy and Coast Guard as well as elements from the British, Dutch and other Allied navies. — From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Beach

The Power Of Dreams
Legend has it that the Bishop of nearby Avranches received orders in his dreams from the Archangel Michael to built a chapel on the tidal island.

TIPS FOR VISITING MONT SAINT MICHEL AND THE ABBEY As Mont Saint-Michel is France’s most visited attraction outside of Paris, it is always busy. My tip to beat the crowds is to get on to the island early, around 8 am (earlier if you would like to walk around the village and take photographs).Go straight to the entrance to the Abbey, which opens at 9 am in summer (May to August) and 9.30 am from September to April.If staying overnight in one of the hotels at La Caserne, they will sell you a ticket – buy one!At low tide it is tempting to walk on the sand around the island. Only do this where there are lots of people, or by taking a local guide who knows the tide times and where the dangerous quicksands are.

A sanctuary dedicated to Archangel St Michel was established in 708 AD. A pre-Romanesque chapel was built in the 10th century AD, and the Romanesque church a century or so later. Much of the Benedictine Abbey we see today was built between the 13th century, but modifications and restorations continued until the 19th century. The fortifications at sea level were constructed during the 14th century and the Hundred Years’ War between England and France.

During the Hundred Years War substantial ramparts and fortifications were built around the edge of the isle to resist the English. A few hundred years later after the Revolution in 1789, the religious community was dissolved and the abbey used as a prison until 1863.Mont Saint Michel was classified as a historic monument in 1874, and underwent major renovations, which continue until this day. It was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979.

Mont Saint Michel is one of the most visited tourist attractions in France outside of Paris. Visitors come in their millions each year to see this extraordinary feat of medieval architecture. There is no Mont Saint Michel Castle. Rather what you will find is a unique medieval abbey with a diversity of architectural styles, most notably the 13th century, Gothic abbey.

Oysters!
Fishing port and oyster farming centre, Cancale is renowned for its flat oysters that are enjoyed by all lovers of seafood. Situated in the Mont-Saint-Michel bay, Cancale is a seaside resort where it is good to:Walk on the quays and piers of the little harbour of La Houle; Stroll on the Douaniers footpath; Relax on its beaches; Taste its famous oysters.

Oysters in Brittany North, have a long history. Gourmets did not wait for the nineteenth century to appreciate them.In Rome the oyster had a frequent place in the sumptuous banquets. The Romans imported from the coast of Brittany and the English Channel during the invasions in Gaul. In his book "History of oysters in Brittany", Olivier Levasseur speaks of oysters being harvested as early as the 6th century in the region.

The mollusk disappeared from tables in the Middle Ages but finally Louis XIV restores the shellfish to the menu when he makes a point to eat them every morning. The Breton port will become the capital of the oyster. The culture extends to harbors of Saint-Malo and Saint-Brieuc, and even up to the Brest region.In the eighteenth century, overfishing depleted benches. A royal edict prohibited fishing from April 1 to October 31. At the same time breeding techniques advanced, as well as the harvesting technology.In 1858, a Commissioner of the Navy invented the system of collectors to capture oyster larvae, called spat. Its implementation, which starts in Cancale and remained centered on the Brittany coast, started the kickoff of oyster farming. Great care is used to maintain a sustainable system of oyster farming.

Northern Brittany is where flat oysters are cultivated. The Portuguese oyster, more robust and cheaper, was introduced in the region in the mid-nineteenth century. Two animal diseases in the last in the 80 years attacked and nearly wiped out the Brenton oyster beds.The hollow Japanese oyster, gigas, will allow the regional oyster farming to survive. It is now an essential crop. Northern Brittany produces 26,700 tons of Japanese oysters and only 1,500 tons of Brenton flat.

History has it that Louis XIV had his oysters brought to Versailles from Cancale. Centuries later, the farming of oysters is still a major activity in the port and there are oyster beds covering about 7.3 square kilometres easily seen from the pier at the harbour. These beds harvest about 25,000 tons of oysters each year. (From Wikipedia)