One year later

This blog was originally created to document the adventures of Eric, Jessica and her sister Erica in Europe while we were living in Paris from September 2014 until June 2015. In June 2016, the adventure continued when Jessica and Erica returned to France to explore Brittany.

In late June and early July of 2016, my sister Erica and I explored the Emerald Coast of Brittany on a 9-day walking tour arranged by Headwater. Brittany (Bretagne in French) is a region in northwest France, west of the coast of Normandy. 

Brittany and Normandy viewed from the Space Station

Brittany has a distinct Celtic cultural identity with strong connections to the British Isles. Well before the Romans arrived, trading across the Channel thrived. Conquered by Julius Ceasar in 56 BC, the region became part of the Roman Empire. After the Romans withdrew, Celts from Britain moved into the area. Brittany became the battleground during the Hundred Years’ War between France and England. While still a duchy, Anne of Brittany married French kings Charles VIII and Louis XII of France. In 1532, Brittany finally became part of France.

Our trip got off to an abrupt halt with passport problems. Thanks to Eric's step-sister and travel agent extraordinaire Deedee at WorldTravelService, we were able to book a flight to France the following day. 

Jet lagged but relieved, we arrived in Paris the next morning. We checked into the Hotel du Cadran in the 7^th arrondissement, just up the street from our old apartment on Square de Robiac. Exhausted, we managed to enjoy a late dinner at Les Cocottes, one of our favorite local restaurants on nearby Rue Saint-Dominique.

The next day, we explored our old Rue Cler neighborhood.  First stop, our favorite boulagerie Nelly Julien for a baguette.

Photo by Erica

We bought a some nice cheeses at our favorite Rue Cler fromagerie.

More errands: We bought train tickets to Brittany, and a SIM card for our cellphone. We spent the evening with our dear friends Mary Ellen and José who welcomed us to their lovely home near Place de la Nation.

Like most of the world, we were shocked to wake up to the news that the UK had voted to exit the European Union. No one expected this result. Strangers were asking our opinion!

Is France next?

We departed early the next morning by train. We were met at the Lamballe station by Steve (featured in the Headwater video) and his nephew James who drove us to our hotel.  Steve gave us a thorough orientation to our upcoming walk.  

A taxi picked us up at our hotel the next morning and drove us to the fishing village Dahouët where the walk began. We followed the Grandes Randonees, G.R. 34 trail which hugs the Brittany coast. 

Photo by Erica

photo by Erica

  

Photo by Erica

Thoroughly exhausted after having walked 14 miles, we arrived at Sables d’Or-Les Pins. 

Although not a culinary center (Brittany is the only region of France without a Michelin starred restaurant), there are some marvelous regional specialties. The oysters are world famous and pair well with the local muscadet wine. Cidre is a refreshing alcoholic apple cider served in bowls.

 

We spent the day in Sables d’Or-Les Pins (golden sands in the pines), a sleepy town that was once a resort for the rich and famous back in the 1920’s. 

We were back on the trail the next day for what proved to be the most spectacular walk of our tour. We hiked steep trails that hugged the craggy cliffs.  Looking out at the  panoramic views, we passed through wild moorlands of  heather and  a myriad of other wildflowers. We encountered few tourists, but heard the cacophony of bird calls from the nearby bird sanctuary.  

Finally, we reached the apex, the lighthouse at Cap Fréhel. 

Photo by Jean-Marie Hullot

  

Photo by Erica

From there, it was onward to Fort la Latte, a dramatic castle on the coastline. Those of us of a certain age will recall Fort la Latte as the settling for The Vikings, a 1957 Hollywood movie starring Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.   

We were done for the day. Steve picked us up in the parking lot behind the castle and drove us to our hotel in Dinard. By then my Achilles tendon was so inflamed I could hardly walk. I spent the evening icing it in my hotel room in Dinard while  Erica brought back take-out crepes for dinner.

The next morning  we took the ferry over to St. Malo.  

Both of us had read All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and wanted to see the medieval walled city. Most of the city was destroyed by bombs in World War II. The granite-walled port has been rebuilt. This was the only touristy area we encountered in Brittany and we were a bit disappointed, though we had a great meal of moules et frites. 

Photos by Jessica

St. Malo was also the birthplace of François-René de Chateaubriand, a French politician, diplomat, writer and historian. He is best remembered as a lover of good food who had a steak named after him.

St. Catherine's Tower in Dinan

 

On our next hiking day, we left the wild coastline for a long stroll along the towpath of the River Rance to the medieval city of Dinan.

Reaching the harbor entrance of the city, we climbed up a steep cobblestone street  past half-timbered buildings into the town center. The next day we explored the wonderful farmer’s market outside of our hotel and checked out the many artisan shops. 

View of Dinan and the Rance River from St. Catherine's tower

Dinan farmers' market

Dinan crêperie

We had a great late dinner at a local crêperie.















Our last scheduled hike was through an ancient forest, but rainy weather had turned the trail into a miserable muddy slog. We elected instead to return to the coastal trail, which would take us back to Dahouët. This was the most challenging hike for me with an endless succession of steep ascents and descents. Thanks to my walking stick and assists from my sister, we reached our final destination. What an exhilarating feeling of accomplishment! The rain began to fall as we entered Dahouët. We sought shelter in a local bar where we were joined by Steve. Together we toasted a wonderful trip! 

The story really ends here but for one postscript. The next morning we had train tickets to the Rennes Airport for our flight to Dublin. Our host Steve insisted there was no train stop at the airport. We decided to take our chances. So it was with trepidation that we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere.

There was no airport, no sign for an airport, and no sign that there was going to be a sign for the airport. I started to panic when a woman with her dog sauntered by. We asked her if she knew where to find the Rennes Airport. "Bien sûr," she replied and pointed to a bridge over the highway. Sure enough, once we crossed over the bridge we were in a city with signs for the airport.  Phew!

Rennes airport, looking south on runway 28

So, where was Eric during all this? Oh, we left him at home to stare at the four walls!