Today we leave Orleans and the Loire Valley to head for Brittany &
Normandie, our destination being the seaport town Saint-Malo . A long drive is ahead of us so we get an early start, opting for
breakfast on the road rather than at the hotel.
The drive across the Loire Valley is uneventful and we make quick time. The
sun is shining and the skies are a clear blue which makes for a most
enjoyable trip. Large open flat expanses of land under cultivation
(lucernse, wheat?) is the scenery of the day. As we near our destination
however, there is a subtle change in the terrain and vegetation, which
indicates we are entering a coastal region.

Entering Saint Malo, we are struck by how different the architecture is here. The
buildings are tall and narrow rather than the wide squat type we are
used to seeing in the interior parts of the country. Seagulls can be
seen (and heard) in the skies, and the unmistakable smell of the sea is
in the air.

The GPS guides us to the front door of the hotel, and what a revelation!!. An old 3 story building right on the seaside. Reataurants and Creperies line the street in either direction -
this promises to be a most enjoyable stay.

Went for a drive/walk to the old fortified town which offers sweeping views of the
ocean on three sides. Inside the walls are the usual narrow streets,
old buildings, shops, restaurants, and historical monuments. Even though
we have seen many "old parts" of towns in our travels, each is unique
in its own way - from the layout of the streets, the number of municipal
buildings, and the architecture of the buildings (which certainly
changes from region to region, and with how old the town is). We soon
single out a couple of restaurants to try for the evening meal before we
head back to the hotel to watch the sun set over the bay.

Another day of exploration. The weather looks like it may be fine for us
(albeit cold), so after a quick breakfast in the hotel breakfast room
(including the obligatory chat with the owner, who passed on some
wonderful tips for where to go and see), we rugged up and headed off.

First up was the town of Dinard , a coastal village on the other side of the Rance Estuary. A charming village with distinctive architecture. As luck would have it, as we
parked the car to go walking, the weather turned sour. A bitterly cold
wind and rain sparang up forcing us back into the car. All was not lost
though. Instead of walking, we just meandered our way through the narrow
streets by car. This proved to be a good alternative to walking, as we
were able to cover most of the town and surrounding areas in warmth and
comfort. The sights were just wonderful - from majestic mansions
constructed of stone, to magnificent views across windswept cliffs and
beaches. just wonderful.

Second stop was one of the larger towns in the area - Dinan.This proved to be just as interesting as Dinard, although it was much larger. Rain was more consistent now, so we pulled up in the town centre for some lunch. Had a wonderful fish soup while Julie munched into a
local favourite, a gallette. Both dishes proved to be superb, and just what we needed on this cold wet day.

Suitablyrefreshed we set off for our last destination of the day, Concale. Circumnavigating the estuary, across a few bridges, and across some windswept country, we arrived at
Concale, situated on the opposite side of the bsy from Saint-Malo. A leisurely drive along the seawall (too cold to stop for photo ops), then twisting and turning thru ultra narrow streets of the older parts of the port, then a scenic drive along the clifftops back to Saint-Malo,
and the warmth of our hotel. All up, a most satisfying day of sightseeing.

Tomorrow, we plan to explore the region to the west of the bay, close to the area where the D-Day landings took place.