Saint-Malo is home to a lot of history: it was once a favorite port of corsairs, privateers, and pirates; in 1944 about 80% of the city was destroyed by bombing, but the old stone buildings were reconstructed so that the city looks much as it did centuries ago. Somehow the medieval stone ramparts survived World War II, and Genavee and I walked on these ramparts all the way around the town with beautiful sights on every side:
This town is also the setting for the recent bestselling WWII novel All the Light we Cannot See. I was reading this book during my trip and it was so exciting to pass the Rue Vauborel where the fictional Marie-Laure resides (if you have not read this book, I highly recommend it!)
The coast of Brittany is naturally famous for its seafood, so for lunch I had my first taste of mussels (delicious!!). I almost finished my whole pot of "moules marinieres"--Genavee managed to eat every last one!
In the afternoon, the tide receded and the sun came out. We walked across the newly-exposed beach to one of the outlying fortresses (where the Frenchmen of the town were imprisoned during the siege of Saint-Malo in World War II). We climbed on the rocks and explored the tide pools.
There is something about Saint-Malo that is peaceful and almost magical: the changing of the light and the tides, the cry of seagulls, the waves breaking on the beach...This was a perfect place for my last day in France. I hope I can return one day! As my dad likes to say: "Au revoir pour maintenant."
Final note: This trip would not have been possible without the help of many people, especially Jonathan, Mom, and Dad, who "held down the fort" at home and took care of Benji, and Genavee, who was such a generous hostess and put tons of work into planning these fabulous experiences. "Merci mille fois!" to you all!
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