Brittany & Mont St. Michel

So, I'm very behind on updating trips and only have 2 days until we leave for our next one (first world problems, I know)!  So, back track a few weeks to mid-July when Nick's parents came to visit; we decided to get out of Paris for a few days and head to Brittany.  No, this is not some French friend we made, it's a region in north-western France known for their crepes, cider, and beautiful countryside!

About 3-4 hours outside of Paris, we arrived in Dinan.  This is a very quaint medieval town that is much less touristy than the other cities in the area, including St. Malo.  We spent the afternoon wandering the beautiful streets, grabbing some crepes/galettes (buckwheat, savory crepes and cider, and just enjoying the beautiful weather.

Dinan is located along a little river, so we headed down for a little afternoon bike ride along the riverbanks.  The scenery was gorgeous and the path was lined with the BIGGEST rhubarb plants I have ever seen in my life!  I was so tempted to pick some to bring back to Paris to avoid paying 5 euros for 3 stems at the market here.  We biked to the little town of Lehon, before attempting to bike back on the other side of the river.  Let's just say our French comprehension of the bike rental's instructions was not entirely clear.  We somehow ended up on a walking path which included nearly 45 degree paths.  Turned into bit more of a workout that we first planned, but we discovered a beautiful barley field which promptly resulted in a photo shoot.

Riverside in Dinan

Mussels & fries...mmm!!

After a delicious meal at a local restaurant, and my first time eating moules et frites, we had the great idea to call it an early night in preparation for an early start to St. Malo and Mont St. Michel the next morning.
However, thanks to no air conditioning (what's up with that, Europe?) resulting in open windows and 10 seagulls that were apparently mating and living outside our windows, no one got much sleep that night.  Reports ranged from 0 hours to 6 hours (6 being me, as I can sleep through most anything).  Needless to say, after feeling like we're in "Jurassic Park", as reported by one member of the family, some good old Franglish negotiating was required to receive some fans in the room for the following night to drown out the screeches of these creatures.

Despite the lack of sleep, everyone was in good spirits as we hit the road for St. Malo.  This town is much more touristy than Dinan, but the beaches were AMAZING!! I could've stayed here for days just sitting on the beach...the water was so clear and peaceful.
After a very scenic drive along the appropriately named "Emerald Coast", we finally arrived at Mont St. Michel.  Wow, what a sight!  Even though I was expecting water around the entire island, it was still quite remarkable.  Apparently, even when the tides are high, water does not circle the entire island, and construction is underway to divert the tide and restore it as a true island.
We toured the Abbey at the top and got some beautiful views of Normandy and Brittany...the river that runs alongside actually splits the two regions in France, and learned a lot about the history of the church and abbey.
We ate at a traditional French restaurant that night, and again, I was impressed at the quality of food for such a low price compared to Paris.  My favorite of the night was sea salt caramel profiteroles, mmmmmm!  The next morning we attended the local market and did a little shopping for the essentials--cider, sea salt caramel, and sea salt--to take back home.

Artichoke flowers @ the market

On our drive back to Paris we made a quick pit-stop in Chartres to see the Notre-Dame style church...in case you haven't been counting this now makes 4 we've seen in France...only about 100 to go!  Oh yeah, and supposedly, Mother Mary's birthing cloth/veil is housed inside this church.

My favorite flowers were everywhere on this trip!

All in all, an awesome little get-away from Paris.  I loved the region, the people, and how relaxing it was.  Also, who knew such awesome beaches existed in France....I definitely want to go back to the beaches! :)  Be sure to check out the rest of the pictures from Brittany here.  Sorry for all the photo shoot pictures (well, kinda!)