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”

We recently received the email below regarding guests from Australia who stayed in our house. I thought it worth sharing.

Dear Noel,
Had lunch with Pam and Richard this week and discussed their trip to
Europe.

They were very impressed with your house in Dinan. It was the best
place they stayed at on their holiday
not only for the town, the atmosphere but mainly for the features you
installed in the house and of course
the house itself.
They wanted for nothing in your house and they were impressed with the
extent of the detail you had gone
to both small and large that was noticed in all rooms.

Pam will be writing to you in the near future expressing the enjoyment
they had in staying at your place.

It appears you have done a very good job there, congratulations.

Best Wishes,

Stan.

In Dinan, there are scores, if not hundreds, of restaurants to choose from.  While we started our Dinan adventure with the good intentions of trying each and every one, there are a few that we really can’t resist coming back to time and time again.  So here is my top ten list of places to eat in Dinan.  It certainly isn’t exhaustive, and I’m sure that there are many other places out there that are just as good or better.  But we just haven’t gotten to them yet!  I will list them for you here roughly in order of most to least expensive.

Chez La Mère Pourcel - 3, Place des Merciers

Notable not only for its authentic Breton cuisine, Chez La Mère Pourcel is housed in a breathtaking medieval mansion house.  A real treat.

Auberge du Pélican - 3, Rue Haute-voie 

Right on our street (hence an easy walk home), Auberge du Pélican serves beautiful, fresh seafood and top quality continental cuisine.  Where else can you tuck into a twelve oyster appetiser?  And the dessert of “Many Types of Sweets” is not to be missed. 

Restaurant Le Cantorbery - 6, Rue Sainte-Claire

Fine, traditional faire beautifully presented.   We have had many positive comments from our own guests.

La Fleur de Sel - 7, Rue Ste Claire 

La Fleur de Sel serves lively, imaginative dishes which are a marriage of fine, fresh ingredients and classic Breton cooking with a modern twist.

Mr. Robert - 11, Place des Cordeliers

 Mr. Robert very quickly made a name for itself with its spot on, beautifully presented seafood.  Mr. Robert, the cook and creative force hails from Ireland. His charming wife is German, speaking fluent French and English.   Reservations are a must.

 Crêperie Ahna - 7, Rue de la Poissonnerie

A bit of an institution in Dinan.  Hip, modern decor and a cheerful, bustling atmosphere.  Simple, Breton fare.  Reservations are a must virtually any day of the week.  Try the variety of meats cooked at the table on a hot stone with an assortment of salads.

Aux 4 Coins du Monde – Rue Haute-Voie

Virtually across the street, this is a relatively new restaurant run by a young, innovative chef.  The name, which translates as “from the four corners of the world,” aptly describes a menu that takes its influence from many delicious cuisines from around the globe.  

La Lycorne - 6, Rue de la Poissonnerie

Specializes in a bewildering variety of mussel dishes (moules), as well as the previously mentioned hot stone.  Informal, friendly atmosphere.

Cecco Pizzéria - 15, Rue de la Poissonnerie

Popular with visitors and locals alike.  Delicious pastas and wood fired pizzas.  Generous, fresh salads.  Friendly and informal.

La Crêperie du Roy - 15, Rue Lainerie

Does exactly what a crêperie should.  Fast and friendly with an endless selection of savoury gallettes and sweet crêpes.

So when in Dinan, enjoy exploring its culinary delights.  And if you come accoss a gem that we haven’t mentioned, we would love to hear about it!

For a small busy town, Dinan has a larger than average number of parking spaces and parking structures, although it may not seem so when you first arrive. The medieval town is pedestrianised in places and caters to a large number of tourists.  Knowing where to park can make the whole parking experience much easier, and once you are familiar with the town, you will wonder what all the fuss was about.

Reasonably priced underground car parks and metered street parking can be found close by our house – 26 Rue Haute Voie, as well as free on street parking. Typically when you first arrive you will want to unload your car, and there is usually on-street parking close to the house to allow you to do so. As you go down the hill towards the viaduct, the Rue Haute Voie turns into the Rue Michel. At the very bottom of the Rue Michel (approx 120m from the house) there is free on-street parking for a small number of cars. My recommendation would be to try to park there before the “No parking” sign that you will see on the street.

Failing that, as you come back up the Rue Michel towards the house there is metered parking on the left side of the street after Rue Du Rampart (you will see the Pay meter on the corner). This metered parking is referred to as an “Orange” zone. In an Orange zone, you can park for free from 12:00 noon until 2pm and from 7pm until 9:00am. During all other times you must “pay and display”. The last time I checked, the rate was Euro .50 for up to 2 hours, and Euro .80 per half hour for any time after the initial 2 hours. However, the way the meter works for your average Dinan resident is that upon purchasing a ticket, they have to enter the first four numerical digits of their license plate. If they return to the meter within a half hour of purchasing their ticket and re-enter their four digits into the meter, their money is returned – free parking for the first half hour. If they return after 2 hours to extend their parking, the meter knows that they have already had 2 hours of parking at the lower rate and any additional parking is charged at the higher rate – confused? I was!

 Well, given that many of our guests are driving UK cars that do not have the same license plate format as the French it’s difficult to do this. So, I have not bothered with entering my license plate number in the past and so far have not received any tickets. This does, however, allow me to renew my ticket after two hours at the lower parking rate.

There are also “Red” zone parking areas, e.g., around the corner from the house along the street by the Church of Saint Sauvier.  Parking in these areas is the same as the Orange zone except for the fact that it’s more expensive – Euro .80 per half hour up to 2 hours and Euro 1.20 per 30 minutes for parking after 2 hours. The parking lot of San Sauvier is an Orange zone.

 Dinan also has a number of underground parking lots, the closest to the house is located along the Rue Waldeck-Rousseau, the other side of the San Sauvier parking lot and approximately 250m from the house (a short stroll). Parking in the underground structure is much cheaper than on street metered parking and there is always lots of spaces. Again, last time I checked the rates were:

0-30 minutes – Free

30 minutes -1 Hour – Euro 0.30

1 Hour – 1.5 Hour – Euro 0.60

1.5 Hour – 2 Hour – Euro 0.90

2 Hour – 2.5 Hour – Euro 1.20

2.5 Hour – 3 Hour – Euro 1.50

3 Hour – 3.5 Hour – Euro 1.80

3.5 Hour – 4 Hour – Euro 2.00

After 4 Hours every 30 minutes is charged at Euro 0.20 extra. From 7pm – 9am, Euro 0.40 per hour with a maximum of Euro 1.00 (so basically you pay for the first 2.5 hours and then it’s free).

There is also a weekly rate of Euro 18.00. However, to purchase a weekly ticket you must go to the underground parking lot under the town hall where there is a “manned “ kiosk. If you choose to buy the weekly ticket, park your car in the underground structure off the Rue Waldeck-Rousseau, and then take a leisurely stroll (approx. 10mins) to the town hall parking lot to pick up your ticket.

 With regards to parking on the rue du Jerzual or rue du Petit Fort, this can be quite difficult, especially in the summer.  However, there is a large parking lot at the bottom of the rue du Petit Fort underneath the viaduct – but this is quite a “strenuous” walk back up the hill.

The Dinan train station is located at Place du 11 Novembre 1918 and is less than 1k from the heart of the old town, so very walkable. However, if you have luggage, then a taxi is probably more practical. There are usually waiting taxis outside the station, but it might also be advisable to book your taxi ahead of time. We have used taxi Guillaume Le Griguer in the past – 06 86 62 70 65, but a search on Google will uncover quite a selection of taxi services.

Back in the 60’s, there was a commercial on television.  It showed two politicians up on a windy cliff top.  They each removed their coats, loosened their ties, and grimly began to duke it out right there on the cliff.  A voice over said something like, “wouldn’t it be great if our leaders solved their problems man to man so that our young men didn’t have to do it for them?”  It was some sort of anti-war message, obviously, and being in the time of the Vietnam War, must have been alluding to it.   That commercial made a big impact on me.  I think of it from time to time, even today.

It turns out that we have a hero in our town of Dinan who agreed to just such a mano-a-mano in order to avert a bloody conflict.  His name is Bertrand du Guesclin, and he lived in the 14^th century.  There is a statue of him sitting solidly and confidently on a steed in the Place Duclos.

Dinan, like most medieval port towns, was continually under attack during the relentless power struggles that went on among the nation states of the time.  It was attacked by the Duke of Lancaster in 1356.  It was then that du Guesclin made a deal with Sir Thomas Canterbury. They would fight a duel, and the winner would keep Dinan, with no further bloodshed from either side.  Famously, du Guesclin won the duel and Dinan was saved from at least one bloody conflict.

Du Guesclin, an ugly, short, illiterate man, was the best known soldier of his time.  He was captured and held for ransom on two occasions, and on each, his ransom was promptly paid.  Despite travelling far and wide, his heart was always in Dinan.  In fact, after his death, his heart was enshrined in the Basilica of Saint Sauvier, as per his wishes.  The monument still stands in the church, and you can see a heart carved into the stone, indicating that Du Guesclin’s own heart lies within. Don’t fail to pay him a visit the next time you are visiting Dinan.

Dinan Hero

When we visit Dinan, we like to explore as much as possible, finding new restaurants, shops and tourist destinations.  However, there are a few places that we just can’t resist visiting time and time again.  One of those places is Fort-la-Latte.

Fort-la- Latte, located on the Cap Fréhel and an easy 30 minute drive from Dinan, is a fascinating old fort, perched on a cliff with a breathtaking view of Fresnaye Bay.  It is owned and operated by a family who have been in residence since 1931.  Their sumptuous living room is tantalizingly visible through leaded windows as you enter the fort (although one would hate to appear nosey).

Exploring the fort is a very laid back affair.  You can pick up a flier that describes various points of interest.  But you can be inspired by just walking around, taking in the amazing scenery and imagining the centuries of high drama that the fort has witnessed.

Because in the days when a well placed, well manned fort spelled the difference between peace and ruin to a community, one had to be prepared to play rough.  Fort –la-Latte sports its very own cannon ball heating furnace, where cannon balls were heated to 1000 degrees before being fired at enemy ships.  A ship that received a hit from one of these cannon balls would immediately catch fire on top of the more obvious damage of being stricken by a cannon ball.

Thank goodness that today, visiting Fort-la-Latte will leave you with nothing more than a feeling of relaxed tranquillity with its beautiful views and bracing sea air. 

Things to do while visiting DInan