The research and planning for this trip proved to be very beneficial. Everything went as planned except Mother Nature intervened with some sporadic rain showers which really did very little to dampen our spirits. We arrived a half hour early at the train station and there was a little confusion on our part upon arrival because we were not entirely familiar with their process but this did nothing to delay our trip. The early arrival also allowed us the opportunity to get something to eat in the station. I have never been much of a quiche eater but the quiche I ate that morning was light, creamy and delicious.
Once the track number for our train was displayed on the electronic display boards that are positioned throughout the station we walked to our platform which was only a 3-4 minute walk away. We learned that the train departure platform information is not displayed until 20 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. Once on the train the trip to St. Malo took approximately three hours and we made several stops at small towns on the way. The countryside was pretty; filled with rolling hills, green fields and rustic farms, though it was difficult to see all this beauty at times due to the heavy rain showers popping up from time to time.
Once the track number for our train was displayed on the electronic display boards that are positioned throughout the station we walked to our platform which was only a 3-4 minute walk away. We learned that the train departure platform information is not displayed until 20 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. Once on the train the trip to St. Malo took approximately three hours and we made several stops at small towns on the way. The countryside was pretty; filled with rolling hills, green fields and rustic farms, though it was difficult to see all this beauty at times due to the heavy rain showers popping up from time to time.
Upon arriving at the St. Malo train station it was drizzling but we were prepared with rain jackets and umbrellas so we were good to go. The tour guide representing LinkParis.com that we had booked through the internet met us on the platform and led us to the van where we met the other people that would be taking the tour with us. We knew that the tour was limited to a total of eight people but were pleased to see that there were only six of us which meant a little extra room in the van that was built to accommodate eight passengers and the driver. The driver/guide was very knowledgeable about all of the areas that we traveled to during the tour as she was a native of the region and she had been a tour guide for a number of years. Upon arriving at our first stop which was the old walled city of St. Malo and seeing the impressive grey stone city walls and the adjacent port with the majestic ships (even though I knew that they were replicas) I immediately felt in awe of the place, knowing that it had been home to Corsairs manned by privateers. We walked around part of the city atop the walls and the views from the wall were filled with rocky island fortresses and sandy beaches but the wind was really howling so it was a little uncomfortable. After walking the wall we walked around much of the city within the walls and bought some souvenirs before returning to the van. I don’t think it is necessary to mention the fact that we took lots of pictures and I mean lots.
Our next stop was Mont Saint Michel which was about an hour drive away. We passed through a number of small quaint towns and an area known for harvesting oysters. Our guide spoke proficiently about the towns and the oyster industry in the region. When Mont Saint Michel first came into view while we were still miles away driving on the coast it appeared to be floating on the horizon. I have seen many many pictures of Mont Saint Michel but nothing can take the place of the first time that you actually see the historic abbey rising out of the sea. It was raining lightly when we arrived and the guide told us that there were two paths to the top of the monastery; the normally used one that had over 350 steps and the side path that had about 180 steps. Even though we knew that to get to the top using either path that you would have to climb to the same height we took the side path because it sounded less intimidating. Don’t be fooled unless you are in good physical shape, and I’m not, the climb will kick your butt but I have to add the trip is well worth it. On the way down we took the main path and there are tourist traps on both sides of the entire length of the path and it was inundated with tourists. We found a small outdoor eatery with a view of the sea and Normandy beyond. We had a glass of wine and a snack of tripe and apple gallets (crepe like things) before leaving the island. It started raining even harder as we left the monastery and we still had about an hour before the van was scheduled to depart for the next excursion so we looked for a place to get out of the rain. We got lucky and found a small Mercure hotel with a bar. However when we entered there was no one to be found including the staff. After looking around and calling for assistance the young woman who was to be our bartender arrived and we had a very relaxing drink before climbing back aboard the van.
The next stop was Dinan and it took about 30 minutes to get there and when we did it was raining even harder. Susan insisted that we explore in and around a church that was located in the immediate vicinity of where the van was parked. After exploring the church I had had enough of the rain so we found a small eatery where we took refuge and had a snack along with some wine. From the little that we saw of Dinan it appeared to be a picturesque small town that if not for the rain we could have spent a couple of hours wandering.
Once again we climbed into the van and the next stop was the Rennes train station where we boarded the train to Paris. This trip took about two hours and we arrived in Paris approximately 10:30PM. Then we took a taxi back to the area of the hotel where we sat at an outdoor café across the street from the hotel and had a final glass of wine for the day.