I’ve just had a lovely short break in Brittany with my daughter Nicola and grandson Rufus (see part one). After leaving a wet St Malo after lunch on the first day, we were pleased to find the weather brightening and sun forecast for our first evening in Dinan. We’d chosen Dinan as our base for its proximity to St Malo and because of finding the kind of accommodation we were looking for there. It seemed serendipity was at work for it turned out to be a fantastic location and we loved the town. Although it was quite busy as it was peak holiday season, it’s less touristy than St Malo and full of independent shops, many craft shops run by the craftspeople themselves, and of course has many restaurants, cafes and bars – and lots of crêperies!

I didn’t really know much about Dinan when we booked it but then discovered that it’s one of the best preserved medieval towns in France. The town walls are probably the oldest in Brittany. They are 3 km long and were built in the 13th century with renovations in later centuries. From parts you can look across the Rance river – the town is built in its valley – and also enjoy fantastic views across different parts of the town itself. The town is stunning. Nicola said at one point it’s almost like being in a film set because we hardly saw a modern building and were surrounded by beautiful 15th and 16th century houses and buildings. But, having said ‘film set’, I should add that there was a very real, lived-in feeling to the town. This wasn’t any kind of tourist set-up. It was full of real people and everyone was incredibly friendly. We encountered much kindness and thoughtfulness and before we left we were working out how we could get back another time soon! It was an absolute joy to walk around the town and it seemed that every corner offered a perfect photo opportunity. Thank goodness for cameras that you can edit and choose the best to keep. My phone camera was constantly snapping shots.

I’d booked a hotel situated in the middle of the town so we were central for everything and could easily walk anywhere we wanted to go. Hotel Marguerite is in Place Deguesclin and is one of the oldest hotels in the town. It was originally called Hotel Le Challonge but recently changed its name to Marguerite to honour its roots and the name of its owner at the beginning of the 20th century. There is parking in the large place (which you have to pay for 9am-7pm), but on Thursdays when there is a market from 8am until 2pm, no parking is allowed until evening. It’s a family run hotel and the essence of ‘family run’ was evident in their friendliness and helpfulness at all times. It’s a simple hotel with 3* but for us it was perfect.

Our rooms were on the first floor and right next to the breakfast room. Breakfast was included in the price and it turned out to be a really special one. It was in many ways the usual hotel breakfast buffet with cold meats, cheese, pastries, yogurts and fruit. There was also some warm food including delicious scrambled eggs. What was special about it was that it was largely homemade – homemade cakes etc – and organic. There was a bread maker in the room and one evening I looked in, curious to know what the noise was from inside. It was the bread maker making some banana bread for the next morning.

The first evening we ate dinner in the restaurant attached to the hotel – Le Longueville. When we spoke to the receptionist in the hotel she kindly offered to go through and get us a menu so we could look at it and then reserved a table for us. Nicola and I both had Cocotte de Lotte de l’americaine (€19.90).

We both like lotte (monkfish) a lot so a good choice. In its cocotte, it was rather a modern approach, but still delicious and Nicola said she’d seen the cocottes used elsewhere, so clearly a favourite way of cooking dishes now. Rufus had a kids’ size fish and chips, then I totally indulged by ordering a Cafe Gourmand – coffee that comes with three little portions of different desserts – remembering discovering them years ago in Lille with my son. When it arrived it was so much more than the kind of thing I usually eat now I feared I’d made a mistake ordering it, but it was delicious. The small slice of cake was Far Breton which we found a lot – including on the breakfast table – and is baked custard cake packed with dried prunes and typical of the Brittany region.

Next morning we got up to our lovely breakfast in the hotel.

We managed to get a table by the window from which there was the most perfect French view. What a lovely way to start the day.

The plan for the second day was to visit Mont St Michel, which would take us briefly into Normandy. However, we took at quick look at the Thursday market in the Place Deguesclin first. It was a fantastic market selling not only food but crafts things too. I bought a small leather purse and Nicola bought a few bits of fruit – figs, greengages – to eat later. The food all looked so good and tempting and it would be great if you were self-catering to shop here.

 

 

Then it was time to set off to Mont St Michel. We’d been there before but many years ago. It’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and we knew it would be very busy, so we set off straight after our quick look at the market. We still hit a long traffic jam as we neared it, heading to the car park from which there is a 35-minutes walk to the Mont or a bus ride of 20 minutes. The queue for the bus was so long, we decided to walk and in the end were pleased we’d approached it this way. We took a bus back but agreed you wouldn’t get the same feeling for the place by taking the bus there. It required a slow approach.

It’s such an amazing, extraordinary place, the Benedictine abbey reaching into the sky at the centre of a huge rock in the sea (it was low tide but at high tide it’s surrounded by water). In the 8th century there was just a small oratory but in the 10th century work began on the abbey. It’s free to go onto the island and walk round the ‘village’ but you have to pay to go into the abbey. We decided against an abbey visit with a 7 year old in tow but more so because of huge crowds. It was all so different from when I first went back in the 1980s and you could drive close to the abbey, park and then walk across the causeway. Now there is a bridge, built in 2014, which while practical for the large number of visitors the site now receives, I did feel it took away a little of the magic of the place.

It was packed so much it was hard to walk (think the London tube at rush hour!). We slowly made our way up one of the very steep and narrow cobbled streets. I expressed a wish to stop for coffee; the crowd was a bit overwhelming. We stopped right by a restaurant – La Croix Blanche – and went inside. We were greeted by lovely people and took a table by the window with a fabulous view across the sands.

After coffee (and tea for Nicola; Orangina for Rufus) and little pains au raisins, we were ready to brave the crowds again and make the steep climb. We climbed quite high, though not as far as the abbey, and the views are spectacular.

Interestingly, before going I was reminded that on my first visit I heard about Madame Poulard and her famous omelettes. I looked it up and found that omelettes in Hotel La Mère Poulard were €45. I really couldn’t bring myself to go in and spend that amount of money on an omelette … imagine if it had been a bad omelette.

Nicola and I were pleased we’d made the return to the Mont and shown it to Rufus, it is a special place, but we agreed we’d never go back at peak season. Nicola thought the best time would be in the winter!

Back in Dinan, I went off to find some lunch as the other two had been snacking on things but I hadn’t and needed some food before dinner. By chance I found a great bar, Le Duclos, where I had possibly the best Croque Monsieur ever. It looked a bit large when put before me – I only wanted a snack – but it was made with the lightest of breads, more like brioche, and was delicious – and just €6.90.

Later in the afternoon we went to the famous Tour de l’Horloge – clock tower – that stands in the middle of the medieval centre and dates back to the 1400s. At 43m high, it affords you great views of the town.

We’d passed it on the first day and there was a long queue but Nicola suggested later afternoon might be less crowded. Indeed it was and almost immediately we were buying tickets (€4) and climbing many steps up. It was worth it for the views and happily a lovely evening to appreciate them with a blue sky and just a few puffy clouds.

For our evening meal we’d booked a table at La Fleur de Sel, a restaurant highly recommended it various guides. It had been full the night before but we’d managed to get a table for 7.30 on the second evening.

The man serving us (there didn’t seem to be anyone else!) was kind and helpful as we were encountering everywhere. He was very helpful at changing the kids’ menu (€14.50 for 2 courses) for Rufus who doesn’t eat meat and he ended up with a small portion of their Lotte dish. Nicola had Pavé de Thon mi-cuit au sésame, choux par-choi, vinaigrette Thai (€22).

I had Faux-Fillet Mature, pommes grenailles au romaine, sauce chimichurri (€24). Everything was delicious and Nicola and I had glass of wine each.

Of course we had to have pudding! Rufus had Pêche pochée miel et citronelle, streusel et son sirop mousseux from the kids’ menu – which was rather impressive for a kids’ dish! I had Compotée de rhubarbe, biscuit huile d’olive, et chocolat blanc (€11). Nicola had Assiette de fromages (€11).

It was a great meal and very reasonably priced for such a nice restaurant and good food.

Next day – our last – we decided to stay in Dinan. There was so much more to see and enjoy. The first day I’d managed to buy bowls for the three grandsons at home – these Breton bowls were seen everywhere – with their names on.

But no Rufus …

I went out early on the last morning on my own and found another place selling them and the man asked what name I was looking for, then said he could paint one for me – it would only take a couple of minutes. And he did. And it looked just the same as the rest. I was given instructions to put it in an oven once home for 30 minutes to set the name. Later, I went back with Nicola and Rufus and bought more things. It was a tourist shop really but he had some nice things and when people are so kind and helpful and friendly it does encourage you to go back.

After breakfast, we decided to head for the town walls and walk along part of them. On the way we walked down a steep cobbled road and found ourselves in a kind of craft centre, shops with artists, jewellers and other craftspeople working and you could buy their work.

A particularly wonderful place was where a guy made jewellery from crystals but also made guitars. He offered to play one and it sounded a little like a sitar with a beautiful sound.

   

We reached the river as rain arrived.

Nicola spotted a crêperie on the other side of the river so we crossed the old bridge and went into Crêperie Entre Amis. We loved the name: a crêperie between friends!

We had fabulous galettes again – Rufus had cheese and mushrooms (€5.50) and Nicola and I had scallops with a leek purée (fondue de poireaux) that’s a speciality of the region (€13.50 each).

 

Nicola and I had beers. They had sweet crêpes for dessert and I had ice cream.

We started walking back towards the hotel when we saw a man busking with a harp and stopped to listen. Then he offered to let Rufus try playing – which Rufus managed well for a first go! -and it was a special thing to enjoy.

When we went out to dinner, we’d booked at another restaurant with good reviews. It didn’t open until 7.30 and a large crowd of people went in – not a good sign if you wanted reasonably quick service! And the woman – who seemed to be the owner – was so rude to us and others that we left and headed back to the part of town with lots of restaurants. It was the only experience of an unpleasant person on the trip for one of the great things about the whole holiday were the lovely people we met everywhere we went.

It was getting late and many restaurants were full. We saw a North African restaurant – a couscoussier.

Couscous has been popular in France for a long time due to its historical ties to the region. There were tagines on offer too. They had wines from Maghreb. They seemed to be fully booked but the helpful woman at the reception area said she’d see what she could do. Soon we saw them moving tables around at the back and making room for us. It was wonderful – further kindness.

 

Nicola and I had traditional chicken couscous ((€17.50) and Rufus had fish and chips – not especially North African but a very good dish!

Despite the slight hiccup of the first restaurant, it all ended well. We had a lovely meal in a very nice restaurant and then slowly walked through a now quieter Dinan, passing all the beautiful medieval buildings and the clock tower we’d climbed, to our hotel and bed. We had an early start the next morning for our ferry home.

Nicola received a text saying the boat was very busy, we should arrive earlier. But breakfast at weekends (it would be Saturday morning) wasn’t served until 8am (7.30 in the week). What should we do … should we risk staying for it? Nicola went back to reception where they so helpfully said they’d let us in for breakfast early. We saw the woman getting everything ready at 7.00 the next morning and at 7.20 we were invited to go in and eat. More kindness.

It was a holiday of much kindness and friendliness; wonderful food; and stunning locations. It had been a brilliant three nights … for the experience of what Brittany offers and of course enjoying the time with my daughter and grandson.