It’s no secret that France is one of our go to destinations. We love the food, the culture, the shopping, the wine. 🙂 We’ve visited many areas of this lovely country but my favorite area by far is Brittany. Growing up in Maine, I love being near the ocean ,so I think that’s why I felt such a connection with this part of the country.

We drove from the Normandy region to St. Malo to spend a weekend. I had first heard about the area by reading All the Light We Cannot See , great book by the way if you haven’t read it. Tall granite walls surround the old town, which was once a stronghold for privateers who were pirates approved by the king.

The old town part of the city looks like something out of a storybook, with winding streets and beautiful sunsets, how could you not fall in love with the beautiful French port?

Much of the city was destroyed in WWII but luckily it was then rebuilt to match the original as closely as possible so, St Malo still retains its charm and the type of beauty that you only find in old towns.

We took a lunch trip to Cancale, the oyster capital of the world. Cancale oysters have been famous for at least 2000 years since the days when they were eaten by the soldiers of Julius Caesar and later when they were delivered daily to Louis XIV. Andrew is a HUGE oyster fan, me not so much but I’m always up to explore a new area and to try to the local delicacies.

It was a short drive from St. Malo, just under 30 minutes. Cancale is a tiny seaside town with oyster beds in plain view. We started our visit with lunch near the harbor (at La Houle) surrounded by pretty old fishing houses, many of them now restaurants and shops. We stopped first at Bar le Galion for some oysters and Saucisson.

We did some shopping and explored the area a bit. We could see Mont St. Michel in the distance, which was so cool! (That was next on our travel list as we drove to the Amboise.) As we were exploring we saw some stalls set up near the beach, women selling fresh oysters that their husbands were harvesting down below on the beach stood beside them. We stopped by and got the most delicious, fresh oysters. They were no fuss, served with a lemon and you threw your shells down on the beach when you were done. Talk about fresh from the sea!

Next time you are planning a trip consider this area. The cobbled streets, Ramparts and St Vincent Cathedral make St. Malo the ideal place to wander  and soak up the history. We were only here for a couple of days but I cannot wait to return. Be sure to get a crepe at Couleur Safran, a Chat Malo beer and a cup of tea and dessert at Timothy’s.

Bonnes vacances 🙂