I spent a wonderful weekend in Saint Malo, Brittany, visiting my friend, Ally. As brief background, we had met one another at Paris 3 in 2015 as we were assigned as each other's tandem language partners: she wanted to improve her English, and I wanted to improve my French. We would meet one another at parks, cafes, and restaurants, and switch back and forth speaking English and French. Over the past 8 years, we have maintained our friendship: I would always visit her when back in Paris, and we would stay in contact using WhatsApp messaging and video chat. When she moved to Saint Malo, she invited me to visit her, and of course, I couldn't refuse when back in France!
Saint Malo is a historic, walled port city along the English Channel. Construction of the walled city's fortifications began in the 12th century. The town became a key port during the 17th and 18th centuries as a base for both merchant ships and government-sanctioned privateers (pirates, basically) against the constant threat of the English and Dutch fleets. Its most famous seafarer is Jacques Cartier, a born and raised Malouin (the name given the Saint Malo locals), who is credited for discovering Canada in 1534. Unfortunately, St Malo's defensive walls were quite unable to protect the city from bombardment during the Second World War, both by the Germans and by the Allies, and a large part of the old city was reduced to rubble - though not the ramparts. The rebuilding of old Saint Malo was one of the great heritage restoration projects in the aftermath of the war, and while the old city centre was not rebuilt as it was before, it was built in the same way and the same style, without any inappropriate modern developments to change its skyline. Today, it is a popular tourist destination for French and British travelers!
From the spectacular sites and sunny weather to the delicious food and splendid company, I truly enjoyed my trip with Ally in Saint Malo. Every moment was pure and blissful fun. I highly recommend it as a place to visit in France!
FRIDAY
I arrived by train from Paris to Saint Malo. It was an easy 2.5 hour ride with a brief connection in Rennes. As I waited for Ally to finish her work, I spent the afternoon walking around the spectacular ramparts, 1.2 mile loop. (Once she finished, we enjoyed some tea at a local tea salon, returned to her home, and ate a delicious seafood dinner.)
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| Walking along the ramparts with the National Fort in the background |
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| The National Fort. At this moment, it is accessible by walking. However, Saint Malo is home to some of the most dynamic tide changes so one should check the tide before setting out! |
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| Bidouane Tower and the ramparts |
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| Walking along the remparts with Bon Secours Beach to the right |
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| Bon Secours Beach down below with the Grand Bé (where the tomb of 19th century French diplomat Chateaubriand is) and Petit Bé (a small fort) in the background |
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| Looking out to the lighthouse |
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| Still walking along the remparts with Plage du Mole and its seawater pool (and diving board) to the left! |
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| Taken from the rampart to give perspective of the height of the walls |
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| Saint Malo's lighthouse |
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| The old town from a distance taken from the lighthouse walkway |
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| Saint Malo Cathedral taken from the ramparts |
SATURDAY
We had a very full and eventful Saturday together! In the morning, Ally (along with her daughter) showed me many beautiful beaches around Saint Malo. We had a traditional Brittany lunch of savory crepes (galettes) and sugary crepes at a restaurant atop of the old town ramparts. In the afternoon, we explored other parts of Saint Malo and enjoyed some tea at her friend's home. For dinner, we went to a local pub and then, proceeded to dance the night away to American funk music at a local bar... "Freak Out! ... Le Freak, c'est chic!"
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| Plage de la Hoguette with Saint Malo and its cathedral in the distance |
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| Plage de la Varde (or Varde Beach). Here, we sat on the sand and enjoyed cappuccinos and kouign-ammans, a layered, butter-filled Breton pastry. |
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Walking around Pointe de la Varde (or Varde Point)
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| A midday stroll along the ramparts |
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| You can see how much the tide (and resulting landscape) has changed since yesterday! Also, don't let the sun fool you... it was 40 degrees Fahrenheit that day! |
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| Look how much more land/sand the low tides have revealed! |
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| Now the Grand Bé and Petit Bé are within walking distance! |
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| Magical, isn't it? (Especially for January!) |
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| After our lunch of galettes and crepes, we walked over to the Camping of the Cité and walked around this summer camping site; both the lighthouse and old town of Saint Malo are in the distance |
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| The Solidor Tower |
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| The Solidor Tower at sunset |
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| Sunset with the Eglise Saint Croix in the distance |
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| What colors! |
SUNDAY
On Sunday, Ally drove me to several more idyllic towns to explore before I boarded my train at noon. We visited Cancale (pictured below in all 3 photos), the site of the best oysters in France, Saint Pere Marc en Poulet, and Saint Suliac. They were all very charming!
