Camels in Brittany

Yesterday dawned early. We were up at 6am (noon our time) and took an hour and a half exploratory walk about St. Briac before anyone, including most of the town, were up. We wandered through narrow streets and then to the golf course (where one gentleman, who looked to be playing a stealth round, looked at us with some consternation) and the beach before returning home. No one was up yet and we were cold, so got back under the duvet until breakfast.

Afterwards, Jacques, Alan, and I headed west along the Emerald Coast to St Jacut de la Mer, a promontory on the coast. It was windy! The sailboats and wind surfers were out in force, along with the sailing training school -- a string of four sailboats hooked up to a boat with a motor. Never seen that before, but Jean Briac says that's how he learned. Driving out, we were surprised to see camels and llamas grazing in the grass -- apparently, the circus was in town!

Driving along the coastal towns, it's clear it's not the season yet as many of the houses are still shuttered. We're told that in August the roads are just bumper to bumper. I can't imagine that as they're pretty bad now.

After lunch, Marianne, Alan and I headed down to Dinon so Marianne could make a return and we could visit the pretty medieval city. The navigator rudely fell asleep on the way down, leaving Alan and Marianne to fend for themselves. One wrong turn sent us south of the centre historique and we had to make our way back through traffic. Once we parked, we headed into the old city, Marianne to her shopping and Alan and I walked the steep hill down to the river. Good thing those cobblestones weren't wet.... We remarked that Dinon looked to be the kind of place we would enjoy staying a night, where we could wander the streets at night and enjoy a dinner overlooking the river.

Meeting up with Marianne, we enjoyed a Coke on a pleasant plaza, listening to a musician playing The Police (Roxanne) on a Celtic harp. That was a first, for sure. Apparently, there is a gathering of Celtic musicians happening in Dinon this week. On our way out, we stopped into the Basilique St Savuer, a very interesting church featuring Romanesque, Gothic, and Byzantine elements.

Dinner found us with friends Jean Briac and Amy at a local creperiere. Yum. I could get used to that. Our favorite was a ham, cheese, and tomato gallette. For dessert, Alan had the house "secret special" which he diagnosed as a creamsicle. So, here, revealed on the internet, is Hermine's secret desert crepe. :-)

More pix up on flickr.