Saint-Malo
I first learn about the ancient, walled-city of Saint-Malo through the pages of Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See*. The description of the forts, château, and old stone walls immediately capture my imagination, and I am thrilled to have a chance to spend an afternoon walking around the old city. I visit on a cloudy day in early March, and even so, the water is a brilliant shade of turquoise. I can only imagine what it must look like on a bright summer’s day!
If I only have a short time in a place I usually don’t try to go inside any attractions (unless the attraction is why I’m there). There’s something extremely romantic about a walled city to me, so walking along the ramparts is a must. You can look out across the beach to Fort National and walk to it at low tide. All the Light We Cannot See opens with the warning from the Allies that the city is going to be bombed, and most of the city was destroyed. Walking the cobblestoned streets in search of “an ordinary loaf” and a cup of coffee (sans the danger of occupied France) gives you an opportunity of appreciating the amazing reconstruction job the city did after World War II.
People have lived in Saint Malo since the 1st century B.C., giving it an extremely storied history of monasteries, pirates, and explorers. Whatever story brings you to this port city, there’s much to discover.
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