Channel Adventure Day 12

Day 12 - Thursday, April 19, 2018 – Drive to Dinan; Walk Local Weekly Street Market; Visit Dinan Port; Lunch in Beauvoir

The breakfast room opened at 8:30 and we have usually been waiting until those who need to get on the road have finished. Today we were there just as Danielle was opening the door and all of her guests seemed to be ready to eat at once. As she has seven rooms, she is very busy first thing getting everyone fed and checked out.

Our quest for the day was to drive to Dinan and visit the famous weekly local street market. The drive was only about an hour and a half, nothing compared to our long journey yesterday!

The skies were blue, the sun was bright, and it was already 62 degrees when we left Beauvoir. We took the farm roads, winding our way through the round-abouts and enjoying springtime in France. We saw free-range chickens, many herds of dairy cattle, a few horses, and even a small wild deer.

The bicyclists were out in full force this nice morning, in the country of Le Tour de France, this seems to be a national pastime. It helps that there is mostly flat land, beautiful scenery, and the cyclists can see forever.

When we reached Dinan we drove to the city center and to the Tourist Office, as it was right across the street from the weekly market. We could see the local people pulling their little carts, carrying colorful baskets of fresh produce, and tour groups making their way to the heart of activity.

As we strolled the many walkways of the market, we were offered tastes of sausage, cheese, candies, honey, and caramel. We bought a vegetable fritter, fried tempura style. It was a little heavy and doughy, but the flavor was excellent.

After eating our way through the fruits, vegetables, and other home cooked products, we walked quickly through the flowers, seafood, and clothing. The local people were buying their fresh produce for the day but they were very tolerant of all of us just visiting.

It was not hard to find the old medieval section of Dinan because the whole central area was so well preserved. The half-timbered homes were built on a small footprint and then expanded to two or three stories, all larger and more spacious than the one below.

In the early days the taxes were based on the ground floor square footage. It was advantageous for them to have a tiny first level and then an inverted wedding cake home. To those walking below, it seemed a wonder that the buildings did not topple.

Continuing our walk we found a candy shop where they sold licorice, Vic’s favorite. We bought several kinds to take back home and ration during the upcoming months.

We climbed the city walls for a great view of the homes and gardens contained within the old city. The city was spared from the devastation of WW II as the troops bypassed this area to concentrate on the upper strongholds of the peninsula.

After walking the walls as far as we could, we walked down to the River Rance and the port. Passing many art galleries, pottery shops, and jewelry artists we realized that Dinan was another touristy city, but we probably saw it more crowded than usual because of the market today.

By the time we walked back to the car it must have been 75 degrees. We tried to buy a Coke but all of the cafés were serving lunch and would not let us just buy a drink.

It was after 1:00 but lunch is late in France and after being turned down at several cafés, we decided to drive outside of Dinan and stop at a grocery store. We bought two apples and two drinks and were happy travelers!

Taking the long road home to Beauvoir, we reached the hamlet at 3:15 and stopped for a Panini and fries at a local food truck. We are used to eating street food in Austin, TX, so we took a chance. The sandwich was very tasty and the fries were excellent!

Summer has come to Brittany and when we got home we saw that Danielle had put the lawn chairs out by our patio. We sat in the warm sun for a few minutes and relaxed before going to work on the journal and the photos.

We are savoring these last days in France and trying to make the most of our time. Today was another beautiful day and we have been very lucky with the gorgeous weather.

If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

Yogi Berra

Accommodations: Les Vieilles Digues B&B - - - Meal: B