A Dreamy Day in Brittany

Facebook and Instagram love to remind me that for the last several years I’ve spent my summers in France. My “memories” pop up of the places I’ve visited, people I’ve been with, things I’ve eaten. It’s usually a treat to look back on those photos, but this summer it has been both bitter and sweet to do so. I’m sure many others can relate. Today, just before slipping into full-on longing mode, I realized that I can go anywhere, anytime as a mental traveler. I can take snippets from my years of travel and piece together a beautiful day. In fact, since this is a daydream, I can go for as long as I want. Even better, no jet lag! This is sounding better by the second. If you feel like coming along with me, read on.

It is early morning here at the Port de Dinan in Dinan, Brittany. I climb out of my cozy bed, stroll out to the salon, and open the volets en bois. I woke up so early that the viaduc is still lit. The lights shine down from the viaduct and the ramparts onto the river below. The reflection creates what appear to be gnomes dancing gleefully on the water. It seems as though I’m the only one awake in the whole of the port, and so I take advantage of the darkness and tranquility of the morning to set my intentions for the day.

A few moments later, the smell of coffee fills my home. I pour myself a cup of this magical morning goodness and head out to the terrasse. I love sitting on the terrace first thing in the morning and feeling the warmth of the coffee mug in my hands and the soft breeze on my face. All I hear are the birds singing their sweet morning song and the sound of the gentle wind in the trees.

Once that first cup of coffee is drunk, I walk down to the boulangerie at the port. I stand in line with my fellow neighbors and shop owners, to order my morning croissant. As always, I’m delighted that the woman working in the boulangerie takes her time with each customer, making sure they get just the right type of bread for their morning and lunchtime meal, catching up on what has transpired since their last visit (which was, most likely, yesterday). The smell of freshly baked bread and buttery goodness is nothing short of intoxicating, but I have to resist the urge to buy one of everything. I walk out with just a croissant, baked fresh that morning, still warm from the oven. Once home, I pour my coffee in my bowl (made just for morning coffee) and dip the buttery croissant right in.

It’s market day, so I get ready and trek up Le Jerzual with my panier. No matter how many times I walk up this street, I’m always taken aback by its beauty and charm.

And without fail, I have to stop every few feet, glance back, and marvel at the wooden beams, the intricate patterns carved into the window panes, the cobbled stones shining in the light, and the flowers cascading down the window boxes. We’ve all read countless stories of people falling in love in an instant, and it’s the same feeling for me here, in this town, on this street. If it is possible to fall in love with a place (and I think it is) then I fall deeper in love with this town every day.

There is something uniquely special about market days. My basket quickly becomes filled with the necessities like fresh produce, but I splurge on some olives stuffed with herbes de provence, some freshly milled soaps that smell like fresh roses and lavender, and a cozy scarf for these cool, late summer mornings.

I set my basket down to make a purchase, and a furry little friend decides to inspect my lot. Disappointed that the basket contains nothing of interest to felines, he makes his way to another stall.

I’m waiting for my purchase of dried lavender to be wrapped up and I smell crepes filled with salted butter and sugar, and galettes filled with melted cheese and sausage. Several people are lined up in the next stall for a galette saucisse, something one can only find in this area of Brittany.

I hear the locals catching up on the latest town news (the recently remodeled train station is a big topic these days) and tourists trying their best at counting all of their pieces to make the proper change without causing too much of a delay for those behind them in line. It’s the flurry of activity here that I love so much, and look forward to market days immensely.

After my basket is full, I make the 25-minute trek back down to the port. Once my items are put away, I realize that it is almost time for lunch. Though I have plenty of fresh food from my haul, I’m meeting a friend for lunch at the port before heading out of town. Today, we’re eating at La Lumachelle and taking advantage of their noon deal, consisting of an entree, un plat, and a dessert all for under 15 euros.

As my friend and I are enjoying the last delicious spoonfuls of dessert, we discuss where to spend the remainder of the afternoon. Shall we go to the enchanting town of Josselin, perhaps?

Or maybe a long afternoon stroll in Vitré followed by a walk along the ramparts in Fougères…

Both sound equally delightful, but as it is a gorgeous day we contemplate a trip to Binic and a drive along the coastline …

The last time I spent the afternoon at the seashore it was low tide, and my pockets were soon filled with seashells. Shells of all shapes, sizes, and colors that greet me every day from their new home in a glass bowl on my coffee table.

Speaking of colors, there is something about the sky here in Brittany. It’s a color that can’t quite be described except to say it is “Brittany blue”. The hue is close to robin egg blue, but deeper and richer. All I know is that it makes my heart sing.

Or perhaps an afternoon at Fort la Latte? We could be there in just under an hour. We reminisce about the last time we visited the fort. The sky was clear and we could see far along the coastline and into the pristine water below …

And we could easily spend the afternoon walking about the gardens …

In the end, we decide to drive to Dinard and spend the afternoon reading on the beach, shaded from the bright sun by the iconic blue and white tents. Ah yes, this is exactly what we are both looking for on such a day as this.

And so we spend the next several hours basking in the sun, immersed in our books, taking a dip in the cool water between chapters.

Once we’ve had our fill of sun, sand, and sea, we walk along the shore taking in the beauty of Dinard and the stunning town of St Malo that lies just across the channel. And what a sight she is!

And as the late afternoon turns to evening, we are tired from the fresh air and swimming in the sea. We take advantage of the live music that is played every Thursday at the port during the summer months before making dinner.

I opt for making trout as I purchased some fresh the day before. I am copying my friend Isabelle’s recipe, though I know it won’t taste exactly like hers. Her cooking always has that extra special ingredient in it that I can’t quite identify and isn’t found in her recipe card. It’s the same as when we follow our grandmother’s recipes and, while they’re good, they’re not quite the same. I have long believed that the extra ingredient is love, and so I try my hand at adding that into the pan.

We skip dessert that night as our bellies are still somewhat full from the lunchtime meal. After the digestif, we call it a night. At the end of the evening, I crawl into bed and thank the universe for making such an enchanting region as Brittany and for friends that make the world a better place to live in.

I hope you enjoyed this dreamy day in Brittany. Of course, there are so many places we could have “visited” today, from the enchanting forest in Huelgoat the port side town of Paimpol. If you could take a trip anywhere today, where would it be? Please tell us in the comments, so we can come along with you!

Vocabulary:

viaduc – viaduct

salon – living room

volets en bois – wooden shutters

pieces – coins/change

panier – basket

digestif – after dinner drink to help with digestion

Want to learn more about the places listed above? Please visit my previous posts:

Market Day in Dinan https://talesfrombrittany.com/market-day-in-brittany/

Fougères https://talesfrombrittany.com/a-visit-to-the-chateau-de-fougeres/

Vitré https://talesfrombrittany.com/an-afternoon-in-vitre/

Fort la Latte https://talesfrombrittany.com/visitor-guide-to-fort-la-latte-and-cap-frehel/

A Day in Dinard https://talesfrombrittany.com/a-day-in-dinard-bretagne/

Roasted Trout with Cream Sauce and Almonds Recipe: https://talesfrombrittany.com/les-recettes-truites-a-la-creme-et-aux-amandes-recipes-trout-with-cream-sauce-and-almonds/

The Magical Forest of Huelgoat https://talesfrombrittany.com/the-magical-forest-of-huelgoat/

A Day in Paimpol https://talesfrombrittany.com/a-day-in-paimpol-bretagne/

Many thanks to you for reading my blog. And thank you for your patience as I took a little break in August from publishing a new post (or two) weekly.

Stay safe and well,

Amy, from Tales from Brittany