Last Week I spent some time in beautiful North West France, I’ve got so much to report back on I’ve decided to split the post in two.  Today it’s my travel guide on Brittany and the Normandy post will be up soon.

So here goes…..

When I was 15 or 16 I read a novel about a young girl on holiday in France in the early 1920’s.   Her parents were so absorbed in society life that she took to exploring Brittany on her own, Dinard, St Malo, and Cancale were her playgrounds, she grew up to be a very independent free spirited character.  It made me long for a holiday in these beautiful French resorts.  It’s taken me almost 30 years to visit this much-documented landscape, but it was not less beautiful and all the more timely in its coming.

St Malo

I vaguely knew St Malo had an old fortress and possibly a nice beach, it actually has a UNESCO old town and an incredible beach.

First, walk the ramparts it gives you an idea of where you are.  Follow the wall around to the Hotel de Ville and the old square from here you can access the beach and even older fortress out to sea.

Once you have walked the walls and dipped in the sea.  Eat by the town square. Moules Frites, though  delicious are £20, be warned.

Cancale

Cancale is the biggest Oyster producer in France, so it’s pretty big.  If you like Oysters and Molluscs of varying sizes this place is for you.   I love seafood, for me, it was a french Whitby complete with Whelks and Cockles and chips.  The Prawns (Crevettes),  Lobster (Langoustine) and Oysters (Huitres) are utterly delicious.

If you can’t decide, try the lot with the Plate du Fruits der Mer, hugely enjoable but not for the fein hearted complete with pretty impressive cutlery!

Dinard

Dinard is another lovely French resort. With its Belle Epoche upmarket style. it reminds me a little of Brighton in that it’s very cosmopolitan with its Grand Hotels and amazing sea front restaurants.  Of course, the sea is more sparkly and it’s sands of a light white sand, it shares Brighton’s boast of many independent boutiques and home stores.  If you want to sun and shop, this is the place for you.

Dinard also reminded me of Nice, but with a smaller bay, fewer people and more upmarket shops, Paris by the Sea perhaps?

You must check out the stripy beach tents and all day restaurant lunches.

Love DSB X

PS If you’re wondering the novel is Mary Wesley’s, ‘Not That Sort of Girl’.