St Malo and Dinard - June 30th
We spent a lovely day in St Malo and Dinan on June 30th. The day started out cool, dark and cloudy - which was a welcome relief to the heat that we had been experiencing for the previous week. However, by lunchtime the skies had cleared and we had a beautiful, sunny day. The temperature never got above 80 degrees, so it was very pleasant.
St. Malo is a short hour long train ride from Rennes.
St. Malo is a historic French port in Brittany on the Channel coast. The population is less than 50,000, but can swell to 200,000 during the summer due to all of the tourists that flock to the city.
Founded by Gauls in the 1st century BC, the ancient town on the site of Saint-Malo was known as the Roman Reginca or Aletum. During the decline of the Western Roman Empire, Armorica (modern-day Brittany) rebelled from Roman rule and in the 5th and 6th centuries received many Celtic Britons fleeing instability across the Channel. The modern Saint-Malo traces its origins to a monastic settlement founded by Saint Aaron and Saint Brendan early in the sixth century. Its name is derived from a man said to have been a follower of Brendan the Navigator, Saint Malo or Maclou, an immigrant from what is now Wales.
Later, Saint-Malo became notorious as the home of the corsairs, French privateers and sometimes pirates. The corsairs of Saint-Malo not only forced English ships passing up the Channel to pay tribute but also brought wealth from further afield.
In World War II, during fighting in late August and early September 1944, the historic walled city was almost totally destroyed by American shelling and bombing as well as British naval gunfire. The city was rebuilt over a 12 year period from 1948 to 1960.
Much of the action in Anthony Doerr's 2014 award-winning novel, All the Light We Cannot See, occurs in Saint-Malo. If you're one of the 6 people who haven't read this book yet - get on it! It's excellent. Also, if you ever get to hear Anthony Doerr speak live - don't pass it up. He is a very entertaining speaker.
Read MoreSt. Malo is a short hour long train ride from Rennes.
St. Malo is a historic French port in Brittany on the Channel coast. The population is less than 50,000, but can swell to 200,000 during the summer due to all of the tourists that flock to the city.
Founded by Gauls in the 1st century BC, the ancient town on the site of Saint-Malo was known as the Roman Reginca or Aletum. During the decline of the Western Roman Empire, Armorica (modern-day Brittany) rebelled from Roman rule and in the 5th and 6th centuries received many Celtic Britons fleeing instability across the Channel. The modern Saint-Malo traces its origins to a monastic settlement founded by Saint Aaron and Saint Brendan early in the sixth century. Its name is derived from a man said to have been a follower of Brendan the Navigator, Saint Malo or Maclou, an immigrant from what is now Wales.
Later, Saint-Malo became notorious as the home of the corsairs, French privateers and sometimes pirates. The corsairs of Saint-Malo not only forced English ships passing up the Channel to pay tribute but also brought wealth from further afield.
In World War II, during fighting in late August and early September 1944, the historic walled city was almost totally destroyed by American shelling and bombing as well as British naval gunfire. The city was rebuilt over a 12 year period from 1948 to 1960.
Much of the action in Anthony Doerr's 2014 award-winning novel, All the Light We Cannot See, occurs in Saint-Malo. If you're one of the 6 people who haven't read this book yet - get on it! It's excellent. Also, if you ever get to hear Anthony Doerr speak live - don't pass it up. He is a very entertaining speaker.