Rennes

I have been to Rennes about 2 yrs. ago, so I already had seen everything in town, it’s not that big nevertheless it is very nice and almost every day or night there is something in the square where they have lounge chairs, books and ice tea for people to take a break and relax.

Of course the days I was there I could not see any concert or anything because everything had been cancel due to the rains.

I walked the old part which is postcard pretty with its cafes and square and the church.

I also went to the centre, but to tell you the truth, I did not do much because of the rain.

Everybody keeps on telling me that this is not normal, that it never rains this much at this time of year and that it’s never this cold either. All I know it’s that I have been in France for the last two months and it has been cold and raining every day.

Enough is enough. I had it with this rain and cold weather, so I will leave the Normandy beaches for another time, I am going south, I want heat and want to see the sun, I want to go to the beach.

Saint Malo

           It was grey but it was not raining so I went to St. Malo anyway because if I wait for a day without rain I will never go. Anyway after living in England I should be used to going out in the rain.

            What a pretty coastal town. It still has the original wall surrounding the old part of the city, which of course I walked. The town is situated on the English Channel and it also has powerful tides.

        The beaches are very nice however I don’t know how some people could bath there, you could see  all the tourist with sweaters and coats and the locals were bathing on the sea, oh well, that shows you how one gets adapted to their place.

The town its very quant with the old streets with many cafes and restaurants, very picturesque, if it wasn’t for the rain I really would have enjoyed it.

FYI

Due to its location St. Malo was a very important port where people traded their goods.

Now, when we think pirates we think the Caribbean, however, St. Malo was the most famous pirate town of old times. These pirates worked for the King of France and their mission was to fight and ransack English ships. As long as they did that and gave all the loot to the King they had his protection, otherwise they could have been treated as any other pirate. If you saw as many pirates movies as I have you know what I am talking about.

When France signed the treated of Utrecht with England in 1713 the piracy stopped and so did the prosperity of the town.

All the restaurants were really nice and expensive, actually the whole town was expensive, so I went to the supermarket for a change and I had a sandwich.

Oh well, it really started to rain, so I stopped under a canopy of a store and waited for the rain to stop along a bunch of people from Mexico that were there on a tour. After waiting and waiting I decided to leave, it wasn’t stopping.

Mont Saint Michel.

You can see the place on top of the Mont as you are approaching, it’s very impressive.

The legend goes that in 709 the Archangel Michel appeared to the bishop of Avranches and asked him to build a church on the rock.

The Mont Saint-Michelis a tidal island located at the northern coast of France in Normandy. The tidal is the second fastest in the world; it comes at the speed of a galloping horse. I wanted to see the tidal wave come in but that day it went out at 9 am. and it was coming back after the last bus, so no luck.

You can cross the sand when the water is low, however, you need to do it with a guide because there are quick sands and because of the tidal waves many people had drowned. I guess they did not look the times. As for me, I would not do it even with a guide because how do they know exactly where all the quick sands are? I went by bus up to the entrance.

Mont Saint-Michel was one of the main pilgrimage sites in ancient times. So a village was built at the foot of the sanctuary to accommodate the pilgrims.

The Mont is very nice, however you cannot appreciate its full beauty because the village has been converted into restaurants and souvenir shops, one next to the other. The streets are very narrow about 4 to 6 ft. and there are thousands of people visiting the place every day.

Anyway, it started to rain for a change, so I went back to the hostel.

Calvados

It was nice in Laguenne however it rained just about every day; it seems that it always rains there. I did not know that before I went. However my host and her neighbors and everybody I met there was so nice that I did not mind.

From there I went to the north of France because the south it’s too hot in summer so I figure the north will be nice and warm.

I could not be more wrong if I want it.

I went to do a helpX at a Calvados, Sidra and Pommeau farm.

What a beautiful place. 

I have had Calvados the first time I went to Paris and I did not like it, it’s too strong for me, Sidre I don’t like, never did not even as a child, and Pommeau I did not know what it was, but when I tried it I love it. It’s half Calvados and half apple juice, delicious.

I had a great time there as my host and his family were very nice.

The grandmother cooked great lunches every day and one day she made this dish that when I saw it I asked what it was to be told it was pig’s heart. I don’t know what kind of face I put because everybody started laughing at me and they could not stop. Nevertheless as a good guess I tried it and it was not bad, not great either but not bad. I had 3 pieces and if I am serve it another time I will eat it, however it’s not something I will ask for.

Normally it is nice and warm, however this year it’s been cold and raining every day.

I will go to visit Mont Saint Michel, Saint Malo and the Normandy beaches because I am close to them and then I will go south, even if it is hot it will be better than this rain.