Road Trip to Saint-Malo
The beach in Saint-Malo, France
France Road Trip to Saint-Malo
Updated 2020
Amboise to Saint-Malo, and Hirel in One Day
We sent more time behind the wheel today as we headed northwest from Amboise directly after breakfast. Our target was Brittany and more specifically Mont Saint-Michel in Brittany and Agon-Coutainville in Normandy.
Our friend, Philippe, had suggested we check out Saint-Malo as well. We always do what Philippe says and keyed the destination into Google maps :)
Springtime in Saint-Malo
The weather was overcast and the scenery was not as strikingly as some we have seen. More industrial areas now so we just concentrated on getting there.
The Google map ladies' pronunciation of the French cities and road names is at times so confusing that I lose track of what she is actually saying. We never missed a turn though and arrive surprisingly ready to explore after a four and half hour drive.
Arriving in Saint-Malo
The first sight of Saint-Malo is another ooh and ahh moment. The fortified walled city looks very impressive from a distance. We lucked out with a good parking spot and were on our way around the city walls.
At the first sight of the English Channel, Di burst into tears with a sudden attack of homesickness. Her logic was that this body of water was connected to Canada, and there were so many families together on the beach.
The city walls of Saint-Malo
Homesick in Saint-Malo
The fact is, we are both homesick from time to time and it hits us when least expected and often right out of the blue. You hear a certain song or a sight that triggers a few thoughts. The good thing is there are plenty of nice spots to sit down and talk in Saint-Malo. So we did just that.
Fresh air and a good long talk about what it is we are doing helped. The gravity of the changes we have chosen has hit us a few times over the last month. Travel is good but it is also challenging at times.
The planning, different foods (no complainants about the French food though), new beds to sleep in, and so on. We had of course expected this and try to deal with it as best possible.
After our talk, it was as if a cloud had lifted both figuratively and literally. We had moments of sunshine as we walked around the city walls. In a spur-of-the-moment decision, we ordered fish and chips and regretted it somewhat after finding out the cost.
It was however very tasty and we could not complain about the view. We hit St. Malo on a Saturday afternoon and it was quite busy. By far the most touristy spot we have been to in France.
Fish and chips with a view in Saint-Malo.
Hirel
After a quick stroll through town, we decided to move along to our Airbnb for the night, located about halfway between Saint-Malo and Mont Saint-Michel. The Airbnb was in Hirel, a very small coastal town on the north shore of Brittany with nothing more than a few houses, a church, and a small restaurant. Great and very hospitable hosts again.
By choice, we cooked up another bowl of oatmeal porridge for dinner and decided to walk the beach. It was low tide so we walked out in the soft wet sand… and we walked… and we walked… and we walked…
I said to Di; there is no ocean out there. It’s a rip-off! We never made it to the shoreline as our shoes were getting too wet and stuck in the sand. The fresh air however was awesome and sleep came easy not long after.
Update: Since returning to Canada we have both read the novel: All the Lights We Cannot See, which in part is based on fictional events taking place in Saint-Malo during World War II. After spending time in Saint-Malo the events taking place and locations described in the book became vividly alive in our imagination.
Travel Photography From Saint-Malo
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The photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-T1. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/2 R WR - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done with Lightroom and I have made use of Fujifilm’s film simulations in some of the photos.
