Jayne’s Travels

June 12, 2024

Tuesday 11th June Dinan

We had the day to ourselves today, but our tour guide, Trudy, took some of us for a walk through the town and down to the port for a hot drink. First stop was Bertrand du Geusclin, a military commander who fought Thomas of Canterbury during the Hundred Years’ War. He did become conbstable of France. There is a story that when he died he ended having parts of him buried in different places. Where he died he was embalmed for his journey back to Dinan, so his entrails were buried there. The embalming didn’t work well so his flesh was buried somewhere else, his skeleton in another place and only his heart made it back to Dinan and is in sun urn in the Basilica of Saint Sauveur.

The Basilica is interesting as it has been built over several centuries from 12th to 16th mostly and has both Romanesque and Gothic arches. Built over several centuries.

From there we went through what is called the English gardens with several large specimen trees, to look over the ramparts of the original city down to the Port.

We then wandered down Rue de Jerzual. Lined with lovely old buildings and Artisan shops, The street was quite steep in parts, It’s amazing how they manage to get roses to grow in very tight spaces .

We went through what would have been the Entrance to the city and further down to the port area on the Rive Rance. We stopped here for a coffee or in my case a hot chocolate and mused on the fact that we were sitting at an outdoor cafe by the river in a beautiful town in Brittany France

From there we all went our separate ways, Some to shop, some to tour in a local tour trolley thingy, and me well I got a sandwich and some water and walked along the river to the next village, 2.5km away

Looking back the cafe was under the umbrellas on the

It was a place called Lehon, and it was delightful especially sans (without) all the tourists, I walked up to the Chateau, which was just a field with a few parts of wall left, but with some nice views.

Down again to the Abbey which had some lovely cloisters and a Physique garden beside it.

Back down the river a walked, took a seat to finish my sandwich, an lady perhaps in her late 70’s called out Bonjour, I replied the same so she came and sat next to me, and we tried to converse for about 15 minutes, She had no English and I had some French with poor pronunciation, but we got on okay. She asked me where else I was going, how long I was in France, whether I was with family. Then she told me that she lived in the Port area of Dinan, and she walked every day to the Abbey at Lehon it was a place of sanctuary for her. I told her I had already seen it, we talked about the day C’est Magnifique ! She told me that she hadn’t travelled much but her children had. She also said people don’t say bonjour when passing som much anymore - that may be why she came to talk to me. Then we shook hands, wished each other Bon Chances, laughed and went our separate ways. It was a delightful experience.

Looking back towards Lehon.

Back to the Port I slowly made my way back up Rue du Jerzual, donated 50 cents to a man playing the harp, he insisted that I try to play it ( he spoke English) so I plucked a few strings, told him I would rather listen to him, which I did for a few more minutes, wished each other a good day, and then I purchased a blackberry and raspberry Sorbet to aid me to walk the rest of the way back to the hotel for a wee rest.

Back out again I went to St Catherines clock tower which we had passed earlier in the day, climbed to the top took some photos over the city.

Up close to the bell which chimes every quarter of an hour so it was quite loud! They warned you before climbing the tower.

Then walked further in to the more modern part of town to a supermarket, Ceaser salad and some flatto peaches for tea with some lemonade and some water for my water bottle, back past St Malo Church that I had seen from the tower wandered past the shops again, it’s a good thing I have no room in my suitcase!