On your next visit to Dinan, why not take a day trip to Rennes, the administrative capital of the department Ile-et-Vilaine? It is a big town, packed full of great things to see and do. Like Dinan, Rennes is classed as a “City of Art and History.” Head to the historic centre to admire its fabulous architecture, from fortified medieval walls to half timbered buildings. Les Halles Martenot, a covered market built in the mid-19th century, hosts a market every Saturday morning, which is the third largest in France. Rennes cathedral is well worth a visit. First founded in the 6th century, it has grown with the city, and shows splendid architectural styles of many eras. If you are into parks and gardens, do not miss Parc Thabor, a formal French garden, orangerie, rose garden and aviary. The crown of Parc Thabor is certainly the Jardin botanique du Thabor, a lovely botanical garden. There is a fine arts museum south of the river, but if you are touting little ones around, you might do better with the Brittany Museum (Musée de Bretagne), which boasts a science centre with a planetarium.
Rennes is easy to reach from Dinan by car or public transport. By bus, use route 7. Check with the Office of Tourism for current timetables and prices.

They are in!  The Petit Bleu has posted the most popular baby names of 2011.   For girls, the top names (in order) were Louise, Louanne, Camille, Louna  and Chloé.  For boys, it was Máthis, Nathan, Ewenn, Arthur, Timéo, Axel,  Gabin and Clément. 

According to the Petit Bleu, those names are pretty run of the mill in Brittany.  Some of the more adventurous names cited were Aéva,  Aëlig, Alwenna, Amédée, Anjali, Azéline, Aziliz, Chayatte, Dilyo, Euphénia, Gwenvaen, Hippolyte, Jahoüen,  Keridwen, Lilwenn,  Loïza, Naolyna, Oanell, Parmédine  Silnoë, Sorën, Simao, Tihanna, Wallan and Youna.

So if you are out there looking for an original baby name, there could be something here for you!

French Cinemas have had their best year since 1967, according to the Petit Bleu.  And Vers le Large, Dinan’s own cinema, is happy to report an 11% increase in takings over 2010.  This upsurge in attendance is put down to the fact that people are tired of hearing about the bleak economic  climate.  According to a neighbouring cinema owner, Claude Legrée, people just want a bit of an escape.  What better way than with a bag of popcorn and a good movie?

The top film by far, both in Dinan and France as a whole was a French one called Intouchables.  I will definitely be keeping an eye out for it on Lovefilm.  Harry Potter, Tintin, Pirates of the Caribbean, Twilight and Planet of the Apes were also top films.

Travelling to Dinan with your car? Do you have car breakdown insurance cover? It’s an expensive option to add to your existing AA or RAC policy.  If like me, you typically just add the car breakdown insurance option when booking your ferry – think again! Brittany Ferries charge approximately £34.00 for a week and if you visit Europe more than once a year you might be better off with an annual European breakdown policy.  A policy with Europ Assistance, who I found via Quotelinedirect.com, was only £59.00 per year which not only covers me for European breakdown but also provides breakdown coverage in the UK.  Just a thought!

The folks of Dinan (or the Dinanaise, as they like to call themselves) have always been proud to point to the medieval origins of their town.  But they are even more delighted to find that new research has put Dinan and its environs on the map a full 500 years earlier than previously thought.

According to Le Petit Blue, local historian Yves Castel has unearthed evidence of a local group who, in the 4^th century B.C., constructed a holy place called Dunos Ahna, or “hill dedicated to the Goddess Ahna,” a pagan deity who protected the living and the dead.  According to Castel, memories of this deity were later merged with those of Sainte-Anne when France became Christianized.  This shrine apparently stood exactly where the church of Saint-Sauveur stands today.

So next time you are visiting Saint-Sauveur, or indeed, enjoying a crèpe at Crèperie Ahna, give a thought to the ancient tribes that peopled our most historical town.

Droit de Bouchon
According to the website TV5, (see my earlier blog on this subject), French restaurants have begun a program they call Droit de Bouchon. Basically, this allows the customer to bring his or her own bottle of wine with them for dinner, subject to a 5 euro corkage fee. You are allowed one bottle of wine per two persons. It is seen as a way of saving money on the meal, as well as getting a much better quality of wine for your money. Not all restaurants buy into this plan. When booking a meal (in Dinan, for example), you might want to ask, “est-ce que vous utilizez le Droit de Bouchon?” If the answer is “oui,” simply head down to your favourite cave (wine merchant) and pick up your favourite bottle before heading out for your meal. Bon appétit!

One of my New Year’s Resolutions has been to get back into my never-ending study of the French Language. I took a little too much of a break last year, when I stopped formal lessons for the first time in many years in favour of joining a choir (good choice—great fun!) I promised myself that I would continue French studies on my own with the many resources I have, but the result was hit and miss, at best.
In getting started with my resolutions, I went to one of my favourite resources, TV5. This is a website for the French television station. It has a fabulous range of information and activities, my favourite being a section on learning French called, not surprisingly, “Apprendre le Français.” Here, there is a section called “7 Jours sur la Planète.” Each week, it provides three video clips covering top news stories. After listening to a clip, you can go through a series of exercises, graded for difficulty, to check your comprehension. There is even a transcript of the clip if you get really stuck. If you are into improving your French, I cannot recommend this site highly enough.

 Fete des Remparts (held once every two years)

On Sun, Sat From: Saturday 21 July 2012 To: Sunday 22 July 2012

Adults can get in for free if they dress up, enjoy medieval jousting, banquets and food.

La Tour de l’Horloge

Open From: Sunday 1 April 2012 To: Sunday 30 September 2012

Belfry dating from the end of 15th century. Rising to a height of 30 metres at the parapet walkway, the tower was gifted its largest bell in 1507 by the Duchess Anne. Wooden staircases provide access as far as the parapet walk from where there is a spectacular view of the city.

 Guided Tour of the Churches of Dinan

Every Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri From: Monday 2 July 2012 To: Friday 31 August 2012

Departing every day at 10:00 – 12:30 and 14:30 – 18:00 except Saturday and Sunday a guide will take you round the Churches of St.Malo and St.Sauveur, Dinan. Contact: 02 96 87 58 72.

 Renting Canoes and Kayaks on the Rance

From: Sunday 1 July 2012 To: Friday 31 August 2012

Club canoe kayak on the Rance. Every day in July and August. During the summer discover the beauty of the landscapes and the rivers. Tel: 02 96 39 01 50

Dinan Cruise

From: Saturday 7 April 2012 To: Saturday 29 September 2012

Cruise with commentary from Dinan to Saint-Malo or vice versa along the Rance including crossing the barrage. Journey takes 2 hours 45 minutes. Cost: €20.00 per adult. Tel: 02 96 87 69 70

 Markets

Regional products with fruit and vegatables, meat, fish, flowers and clothes. Every Thursday morning in the Places du Champ Clos et Duguesclin from 08:00 – 13:00. Tel: 02 96 39 22 43

Les Puces Dinannaises Flea Market

Every Wed

Flea market every Wednesday afternoon at Place St Sauveur

Marche aux Livres et vieux Papiers

Every Sun

Every fourth Sunday of the month stalls selling old books and papers at sur les Quais, le Port from 08:30 – 18:30. Tel: 02 96 85 46 54 – 06 88 08 15 13 – Fax:02 96 39 46 94

Whenever we visit Dinan, one of the first things I do (after picking up a couple of pattes d’ours from that delicious bakery down at the bottom of the Rue Petit Fort), is to grab the latest copy of the local paper, Le Petit Bleu.  I have always found that checking out the local press is a great way to get a feel for a place, and when that place is practically home away from home, it’s a must.  Happily, I am now getting Le Petit Bleu delivered to my home in the UK, so I can keep a finger on the pulse of Dinan right here in Old Blighty.

I have found that one of the favourite terms in French journalism is “insolite,” meaning surprising or unexpected.  I have come to love the “insolite” stories in the Petit Bleu (see my prior blog on Arthur, the escaped monkey).   This week’s “insolite” story was a little less attention grabbing.  It concerned a society in Dinan that is setting up a bartering system for goods and services.  Maybe it is the gloomy financial climate, but this week’s paper had a decidedly economic twist.  The big cover story was basically a moan about the cost of getting one’s septic tank inspected and cleaned.

There was an energetic search for the oldest person in the Côtes dArmor.  It turned out to be Louis Le Bouëdec, from Morbihan, who was born 12 February, 1903, making him a whopping 108 years old! 

In other news, a museum/information centre is being built in Tréfumel which will explore the flora and fauna of the region in its prehistory.  Apparently, millions of years ago, the Côtes d’Armor was under the sea, and fossils can still be found in the area of gigantic, monster sharks and incredible shell creatures.  It sounds fantastic.  It is due to open in early 2013.

So watch this space.  I will keep you up to date on all of the ”insolite” goings on in Dinan!

Cindy and I just returned from visiting the house in Dinan. It always gives me  great pleasure to read the comments in our guest book after the guests have come and gone.  I have copied some of the memorable comments below,  btw – all were good!

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“What an incredible house, we passed many an idle moment wondering how the furniture got upstairs. We had a lovely time – thanks for all your help Sean”

“Great house, cool town,  with many creperies and a great ice cream place up the road. Had a great time and the boat hire down the hill was great – hope to be back soon”

“Had a wonderful few days staying in La Vieille Auberge, Dinan is a very special place and the house is quite amazing! The beach at San Lumaire is well worth a 20 minute drive – Thank you so much”

“Had a lovely week here in this very pretty town and enjoyed the house and its quirkiness.  We were lucky with the weather and enjoyed short trips, beaches as well as the wonderful town Dinan”

“Thank you Cindy and Noel, we felt at home the entire week from day one.”

“Thanks, had a great time especially the top floor room,  had excellent meals at the Bistro next door and at the moulerie”

“A great stay in a fantastic house, loved the layout and the facilities, would recommend Dinan and the music festival in June”

“Wonderful house in a great town, we so appreciated the small touches,  the pretty décor the excellent tea and the umbrellas! Sean was welcoming and the Tour de France whizzed right past the front door – lots of great memories – thanks”

“House full of character with all necessary facilities, enjoyed our holiday immensely in Dinan and touring the surrounding area. Thanks for the use of your lovely Inn”

“The atmosphere of the house transported us back to the middle ages,  combined with the beautiful touches this was certainly an experience we will never forget. Thanks for opening the house to us and our children, a magical climax to our trip”.

“Excellent house – felt very comfortable , lovely surroundings, good food, good fun and a holiday we will remember for all the right reasons – Thank you”

“We have enjoyed staying  in this interesting and historic house, it is perfectly located for exploring Dinan and the surrounding area. Thank you for a lovely holiday”

“What an extraordinary experience to spend time in such a beautiful medieval house in a charming old town. Everything  was perfect!  Thanks”

“Loved the house,  being tall had some hazards, would recommend the house to all my friends, will look forward to returning”

“What a charming house,  I felt like I had totally stepped into another place in time. It was magical. Thank you!”  

“Dinan had so many amazing sites to visit, we loved it! You have done a great job restoring and decorating the house, it took us back to centuries long past – thanks!”

“We loved this house and town – by far the best house we have ever rented. If these walls could talk we would be very interested in listening.  Great 70^th birthday dinner at Creperie Ahna,  we hope to return – can’t wait”

“We loved Dinan – I hope we can come back to this house – it was so fun”