France - Thursday to Saturday (St. Malo & Home)

Thursday, 2 November 2017

Now we have a car we can go a bit further afield, so today Saint Malo is on the program.  It's approx. a 1 1/2 hour drive, so easily done as a day trip.

It's a foggy start of the day, but the sun makes its appearance in no time and we enjoy the country site.

Luckily I have been able to get my old GPS for Europe to work again, although the suction cap is broken and there is no way I can attach it to the windscreen.  The magnetic suction cap that I use for my mobile phone doesn't hold the GPS as the back of it is curved.  Patricia finally makes the discovery of the day: a sort of sponge/chamois cover with a pocket in which I can slide the suction cap part of the GPS.  My day is made!

I have looked up possible parking areas at or near St Malo, but when we arrive I quickly discover a sign for free parking and a spot to park the car to boot.  From the parking lot we walk to the nearest street where we have noticed a few shops and lots of people, so that must be the centre.  Although we are at Saint Malo, we're not yet at the old, walled town.  We still have a bit of walking to do....

However, first things first.  We stop for a cup of coffee at the first cafe we see: le Cafe du Theatre.

A Google Earth picture (as usual when I forget to take pictures)

The coffee is great (French coffee always is!) and the plat du jour looks inviting, so we order lunch as well: chicken, haricots verts (smaller and softer than ordinary green beans) and a salad.

Next we wander off in the general direction of the old town.

Unfortunately there wasn't any life left in them....  Would have made a nice meal!

Not sure, but we think this was a dry dock

The old town comes into view

However, before we get as far as the above pictures show we have to find one or more caches on our way.

#1783 - Sea gate (cache)

I had to walk all the way around, because we had approached GZ from the wrong side.  Patricia was (patiently???) waiting on the other side of the gate for me to return... 

#1784 - Les écluses du Naye !! (cache)

This cache was somewhere we thought it couldn't be.  It was behind the locks and a building, but even close by the compass was pointing into the water.  I had better ideas and looked on the building side and that was the right thing to do! ;-)

Then we walk on and on our approach of the walls we see a beautiful old sailing boat and we want to have a closer look before we entre the gates.  It is a replica of a Russian Frigate of 1703.  It's worth the entry fee to have a look around, because I have never been on a ship like that before.  With Frank's love of boats he would have enjoyed this too.  We are lucky, because the ship is only in town for a few days.

Then it's about time we enter the walled part of town, otherwise we won't get to see anything.  The first few streets make you wonder, but after we have walked to the eastern walls, and have search for a cache in vaine, we hit the main street with all the shops, souvenir shops!!!  I woundn't want to be here in high season, that's for sure!  However, at this time of the year it's not unpleasant if you concentrate on the buildings and other surroundings.  After a while we hit on a little cafe: Le Cargo Culte, un cafe brocante original.  It is most certainly original and brocante as well.  Almost everything in the cafe is retro and almost everything has a price tag attached, even the chairs we sit on.  Quite an original idea and the coffee tastes good, as usual.

After that Patricia wants to return to the car, so we make tracks to the parking lot all the while taking a few more pictures.  I will certainly come back here again, if not together then I have a fortnight by myself which I have to fill in, so that won't be a problem.

A little tourist attraction - you see them everywhere...

Souvenir shops galore

The newer part of town

Friday, 3 November 2017

I might as well add two more days, as I haven't much to tell and neither do I have a great number of photograps.

Friday morning was a lazy morning (by choice) and in the afternoon we went to Fougères to find a bigger supermarket than the one here close by.  We also wanted to get a feel of the town to see if it is worth visiting otherwise.

The supermarket I found was a hypermarket, so big enough for our taste and besides the staple items we found a few nice frozen meals.  Not your average meal, but a great seafood paella with real mussels and another oven-bake dish.  Of course we cook now and again, but a ready meal after a day out always comes in handy.

We knew that we would find the oldest castle of France in Fougères (dating back to the year 1000 I believe), so I did a quick drive past and we noticed that behind the castle there is a wealth of old houses and buildings, worth a visit.  We also saw a most beautiful mural, and looking at the names of various geocaches in town there may be quite a few more.

Saturday, 4 November 2017

The plan was to go back and visit Fougères today, but the air was moist in the morning and later the rain set in, so it was to be a quiet day at home.  Not bad, because I have had plenty of time to catch up on some outstanding jobs on te computer.

The dining room where I work on my laptop

The kitchen

And just when you think that nothing else is going to happen, Michelle knocks on the door with her laptop in hand.  It would be funny if you could see the two of us: both with our laptops at the table to communicate through the translator! :-)

Anyway, she was here to tell us about another possibility when we leave here by train and the question also was if I wanted to come to the orchard to buy apples.  Any time!  I love a drive in the campagne (country), so I came home with apples and Patricia is currently making apple sauce.

I don't expect any surprises anymore, so this should be it for today.