24 March, 2025
Paris beckons. Some cities remain timeless, majestic, and full of charm. They offer a tapestry of culture, history, food and drink. Paris holds that promise and more. I have visited Paris numerous times and look forward to sharing this marvelous city with my niece, Gabrielle.
(more…)23 March 2025
There are cities in the world that deserve repeated visits. Being the greatest on any list is an honorable position. Paris fits that description. I rejoice in visiting the City of Light for the third time this decade. Sharing it with first-time visitor Gabrielle makes it even better.
When my niece Gabrielle said she wanted to see some of France, I took the opportunity to invite myself along. “Pick some sites” I suggested. Then, when done, “I would love to share Paris.”
(more…)22 March 2025
“I was looking into Carnac, France” my niece messaged me, “because they are famous for their 10,000 standing rocks. It’s about 1.5 hrs from Rennes and might be a little far to look at rocks.”
Prehistoric rocks in France? The only Carnac I am familiar with is Carnac the Magnificent, a recurring comedic role played by Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. Sounds like an interesting excursion.
(more…)19-21 March 2025
In fall of 2019, I visited this city and thought “a perfect stop. I wish I had more time.” Well, the time has come as Gabrielle and I lodge here for the next two nights. I choose the same hotel as I know it has parking and is well-located to walk into the Intra-Muras, inner walls, of the old city.
(more…)20 March 2025
Departing Saint-Malo, we drive west through farm land, lush forests, and small villages to the headlands of Cap Fréhel. Occasionally, we spy peeks of bays and a rugged Brittany coast. Stone buildings dot the way. This land has seen the passage of everyone from the Knights Templars to Resistance Fighters and Allied soldiers of WWII. Now us.
(more…)19 March 2025
Caught up on blessed sleep. Weather is sunny and cool. With rain predicted for later in the week, we adjust plans accordingly.
After a coffee and biscuit, my niece Gabrielle and I returned to Rèn’s modern train station, maneuvering its many levels and services. Our destinations over the next few days seem best reached by automobile. Therefore, we retrieve our Peugeot rental car and drive the 45 miles to Mont-Saint-Michel along the western coast of France.
(more…)18 March 2025
Sometimes the most challenging part of visiting a foreign country is pronouncing your city of destination. One wrong inflection, and I would find myself hundreds of kilometers from my room for the night. Such is the case with our first stop: Rennes. I may think I correctly pronounce the city’s name, but the French say differently.
For Americans, European train travel is so civilized and convenient. But then, we are not apt to discover big bombs, well, at least not WW2 ordinance!
Earlier this month while replacing a railway bridge just a few miles from here, construction workers discovered what SNCF described as a “really huge” unexploded ordinance. The 1100 pound bomb dropped some 80 years ago, contained over 440 pounds of explosives. Enough to make a really, really big hole!
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