jdp867

We'll be staying for a few days near the border of Normandy and Brittany (Chateau de Bouceel) for three, and maybe four, nights. We plan to visit Mont-Saint Michel, Dinan, St. Malo, and perhaps Honfleur for half-day trips. We are not history or war buffs, so we had not planned on D-Day tours or tapestry museums. I'd be interested to learn about other towns in that general area that folks rave about. Also, we'd be interested if anyone has stayed in any particularly memorable chateaus or inns in any of these towns.

cigalechanta

In Brittany, we liked Pont Aven and stayed in town at the Moulin De Rosmedec, and though in the centr of town, it is set back off the street by th water. Wonderful grilled Lobster in the restaurant(a rarety here in N.E.)
http://www.moulinderosmadec.com/
Nearby is Belon, famous for their Belon Oysters. My favorite place there is Chez Jacky, a seafood restaurant by water and Chez Angele for the best crpes I've ever had. In Normandy, my favorite dining spot is in Trouville, Les Vapeurs.

beaupeep

Dinard, I go every year to the thalassotherapy spa. It is where Alfred Hitchcock filmed "The Birds." It has the most stunning beaches and a wonderful walk along the sea cut into the rocks. Probably you can walk all the way to St Malo - I plan on trying next year.

job816

jdp . . . it certainly would not be my intention to tell you what you should do, and I am not a war type buff myself. Yet I did do the full day Battlebus tour while I was staying in Bayeaux last September. It was one of the most memorable experiences ever. Very moving.

Pausanias

If I were you I'd steel myself and visit the Tapestry. It's not "only" history, it's art. It will also enrich your visit to the Mont, after learning the details of Harald and William's expedition there. To save time, you could skip the introductory copy and the film, and just see the original with the complimentary audio guide.

Padraig

Not far south of the Chateau de Bouceel is Fougeres, a town I like very much. It has a fine lump of a fortified chateau, some (but not many) medieval buildings, and a very attractive town park. The restaurant attached to Hotel des Voyageurs is very good.

To the west you have Dol-de-Bretagne, which has a lot of medieval buildings and an interesting cathedral, and close to it you have Mont Dol, a compelling hill commanding a flat plain -- that does not sound like much, but it has a great aura that recalls a significance in times past.

Not far from Fougeres you have Vitre, another town with a fine fortified chateau (not as impressive as that in Fougeres) and a very good medieval quarter.

StCirq

Well, Padraig beat me to it. I'd highly recommend Fougères and Vitré.

Inland a bit there is the interesting lace-making town of Alençon and a really beautiful little area called the Valée de la Misère.

jjkbrook

The Bayeux tapestry isnt really about tapestry or tapestry like as we think of it - its a long strip of fabric with a series of scenest - pretty primitive in its depiction, but its a pretty fascinating document of its time. We just went through slowly a couple of times with the audioguide to understand it. Bayeux itself is a very nice town and the cathedral is lovely.

It was interesting, but going along that coast the invasion beaches is what there is - we werent war or history buffs either, but we went to one beach, and then to the American cemetery for a couple of hours total - just to see where they did it - in the end, it was moving. Its an huge area, and must have just been an enormous undertaking - coming on shore in that geography - we also saw that its really a pilgimage site of sorts now (people of a certain age, remembering and the buffs of course.

HOnfleur is a really cheerful, charming place - a place for the french to weekend and eat a lot of seafood - the whole port area is lined with places serving oysters, white wine, etc. It is true they go well with muscadet. There is a carousel and we saw some young people riding and singing a song about Honfleur - how it is better than Trouville and Deauville (and it is, by the way). Charming.

Inland a little bit from there, if you are returning to Paris is the very interesting landscape of the Seine estuary - Jumieges is worth a visit.

hopingtotravel

I haven't been there yet, so it isn't fair for me to say, but I've certainly cried my way through "The Longest Day" and "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers" -- all of which you should watch before you rule out seeing at least Pont du Hoc, Omaha Beach and the American and/or German cemeteries.

You don't give your age, but the upcoming younger generation needs to know they might be speaking German if it hadn't been for the events of June 1944.

Jean

Along the lines of jjkbrook's and hopingtotravel's posts, and not meaning to be preachy or disrespectful, any American's visit to the Normandy area should include a stop at the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach.

FYI, when we were there, at about 2/2:30 p.m. a French Mirage jet flew over the beaches at the level of the overlooking cliff in a salute to the men of the invasion. We were told this occurs every day of good weather. The French have not forgotten the debt owed.

StCirq

Just curious: what is it that drives you to go all the way to France to visit le Mont St-Michel, Dinan, St.-Malo, and perhaps Honfleur if you're not into history and aren't war buffs or interested in tapestries?

cigalechanta

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...64595888&hl=en
I hope this works:
Th American cemetary photo I took.

cigalechanta

SORRY!!! you can see how I know so much about the web



http://tinyurl.com/2oneys

Underhill

Sorry to disagree, but Hitchcock's film "The Birds" was actually shot in and around San Francisco and the coast to the north--primarily at Bodega Bay.

swagman

Could someone recommend hotels/B&Bs in the following towns,

Dinan
Vannes
Honfleur
Bayeaux

Price range and quality similar to Moulin De Rosmedec mentioned above.

Much appreciated.

s

crepes_a_go_go

On Memorial Day 2006, we went to the American Cemetery, and "moving" just doesn't begin to describe my feelings. I'm in my mid 40s and had no family members who served in WWII, but I cried the entire time I was there. I am now a WWII devotee, and as a teacher, I am on a one-woman crusade to drive home the meaning of this war to my students.

On a lighter note, I absolutely loved St Malo, but as much as I had always wanted to go there, I wasn't that taken with Mont St Michel. The seafood I had at St Malo was divine, and the beach was wonderful.

2010

Check out: www.avaugourhotel.com in Dinan. We had a lovely, quiet room that overlooked the beautiful garden. It served an amazing breakfast buffet!

hopingtotravel

bravo crepes a go go!
Currently I substitute teach children who have no idea what Pearl Harbour was, who JFK was, etc, ad infinitum!
Thanks.