Friday
We are on the bus heading to Le Havre (change of dock) and I was able to snag one of the available Internet connections. So, without further ado, I will try to get some pics posted toute suite.
Welcome to the walled city of Saint Malo. An ancient port with a wild and crazy trade history, most of the old city within the walls was nearly destroyed by American bombing after D-Day. Unfortunately, it was targeted due to misinterpretation of intelligence from the French Resistance. But, like so much of old Europe that found itself in the line of fire, it has been reborn. And the local population was almost completely spared by a German commandant who followed his instinct rather than his orders and generously warned the civilians to flee for their lives.
When in Brittany, one must have crepes. This tiny restaurant was a definite find. It had several levels: a ground floor where we were seated; a first floor up a half-dozen or so steps where the kitchen and les toilettes were located; and then more steps to a second floor balcony with additional seating that partially wrapped around and above the ground floor. The hard-pressed but very healthy owner/server had to climb up and down the stairs for every drink, dish or demand. I was getting exhausted just watching her — especially since we were seated next to and partially under the staircase. We each had a different delicious regional meal while enjoying the busy ambiance.
And, aprés, what more could one ask for in a dessert: ⅓ flour + ⅓ sugar + ⅓ butter combined, rolled and sliced into spiral disks before being baked to sweet, sweet perfection. So simple yet so profoundly delicious.
More to come on Peter, privateers, pirates and Pride & Prejudice.
Ah heck! Here’s the pirate:
[Added May 15th] Sorry, MDR, but I never returned to complete my thoughts as promised. While it was just a few weeks ago, I am already drawing a blank on some of what I intended to recount as promised so alliteratively.
Let’s start with Peter: Peter was a British ex-pat who was our local guide for the first few hours in Saint-Malo. It was he who defined the fine line that separates a Pirate from a Privateer while touring one of the few remaining corsaire residences: one is a crook; the other is a king’s crook as per royal proclamation. And Saint-Malo’s early fortunes were made on the entrepreneurial wherewithal of these royal rogues.
As for Pride & Prejudice: With all the trips we’ve made, shopping for souvenirs has never been a big part of the travel experience for us. However, every so often, when the spirit moves me, I seek out a copy of my favorite novel in the local language. This quirky little quest is becoming more and more difficult as bookstores become less and less a part of the retail landscape.
In Saint-Malo, we located what appeared to be a quaint old bookstore that, from the photos posted in a display window, was occupying one of the few buildings that survived the Allied bombing of WWII. However, no one appeared to be staffing the store. And, even more confounding, there was no door for entry! Stymied — and disappointed — we left to continue our exploration of the town.
Later, I spotted a mixed retail store that had a few stocked bookshelves within. A bonjour and few bon mots and I walked out proudly clutching my copy of Jane Austen’s Orgueil et préjugés.
Once we had thoroughly explored the walled town, we exited through the royal gate and leisurely walked along the beachfront promenade to our hotel.
France: Normandy to Paris 