The Road to Le Mans
We have two days on the road before we are due at the Le Mans 24 Hour on Wednesday 12th June. Looking at the map, we decide to make our way to Brittany to a campsite just outside of Dinan.
The campsite is above the River Rance and only a short 30 minute walk along its banks to the river port of Dinan, and the ancient walled city that sits on top of the hillside. Steep cobbled streets connect the port to the town.
The walk up to the town is very steep and lined with old buildings, some dating back to the 13th Century. After a short wander, as most of the town was shut, we treated ourselves to icecream and then walked back down to the port, where there were several lively riverside bars. Here we met a Dutch couple and spent the next hour chatting about everything and nothing.
The next day we decided to take the moped into Dinard, on the Brittany coast about 20 minutes away. Dinard is just around the bay from St Malo. Dinard is a seaside holiday destination and many of the hotels and houses datefrom the Belle Epoque, a period of French history that began after the Franco-Prussian War ended in 1871 and the start of World War 1 in 1914.
It was a time when arts and culture flourished and Dinard became a fashionable holiday resort frequented by the wealthy, including Americans and British aristocrats. Today there is a sense of faded glamour about the town.
The town overlooks the Rance Estuary and out towards St Malo. The bay is filled with boats and a couple of large cruise ships are moored up. Small ferries and the cruise ships’ own tenders are constantly buzzing about. The view to St Malo feels like looking back into the past when St Malo was a haven for corsairs, privateers and pirates.
It was really, really windy so after a walk, we found a small quayside restaurant with outside tables sheltered from the wind, where it actually felt like Summer. We decided to have a small lunch and drink before heading back to the campsite for a swim in their outdoor heated pool.
The menu had a couple of ‘small plates’, great for sharing, so we ordered Rillettes de la Mer, pain grille (Fish rillette with toasted bread) and Sardines Millesimees, pain et beurre Bordier (sardines with bread and butter). A perfect lunch accompanied by a glass of cider for me and glass of wine for him.
About 15 minutes later, our drinks arrived closely followed by our food. We could barely contain ourselves when the sardines arrived.
The Chef had opened a tin! Apparently millesimees means Vintage, I think rather than old sardines out of a tin, it was meant to be this is how people ate sardines in the ‘old days’. But it did seem a bit much to charge 12 Euros for them!
Very beautiful part of France but watch out for vintage sardines!
Next stop the madness that is Le Mans and a chance to catch up with our son, Olly.
RoundandAbout 