Saint Malo

We woke to rain and it continued through the morning.  Nonetheless we had plans, so we suited up and rode the two hours to St. Malo, keeping dry--no leaks in the rain pants and boots.  We had a recommendation for a restaurant at Cap Hornier which turned out to be a fine meal, eaten a bit earlier than our usual 1:50 and indoors due to the still-threatening weather.

Saint Malo walls

The famous walled town is 2k from Cap Hornier so we rode, parked, were duly impressed by the walls, and took a 90 minute walk around half the ramparts and through the inside town.  With the tide out, many people were walking on the sand or out to various forts nearby.  We noticed the statue of Jacques Cartier, a native son who departed from Saint Malo in 1534 on his voyage to claim Canada for France.  Apparently Chateaubriand was also born here, but we didn't see any mention of this.  The town is famous as a base for pirates.  It was fortified against attacks by Normans (British).  The city and walls were largely destroyed during WWII but have been painstakingly rebuilt.

Breton dancers in Saint Malo

At 4 we headed for Granville where Rob had secured a room.  This is a fairly large town but we had never heard of it.  We rode past the harbor and up to Le Roc with its lighthouse, bunkers from WWII German occupation, and sea views in all directions. Granville's most famous native son is Christian Dior.