Saint-Malo

In the afternoon, we headed to Saint-Malo. Unfortunately, our schedule only allowed for a couple of hours in Saint-Malo - looking back on it, I am fairly certain that we easily could have spent an entire afternoon there, walking the rampart walls and visiting the shops and restaurants. The ancient city was founded by the Gauls in the 1st century BC. The modern Saint-Malo traces its origins to a monastic settlement founded by St Aaron and St. Brendan early in the 6th century. The walled city, located on the English Channel coast, has a long history of piracy. During WWII, it was 85% destroyed by heavy bombing by the Allies due to its important location. After the war, it was completely rebuilt to the way it was before the war and today, 10,000 people live inside the walls. The rampart walls of Saint-Malo are a nearly two kilometer stone fortification that completely encircle the city's historic old town. The walls were originally built in the 12th century and heavily reinforced in the 17th century; they provide sweeping views of the sea, nearby island and the streets below. Interestingly, they were not touched by the Allied bombings.

Saint-Malo is also one of the main locations in All the Light We Cannot See, the 2014 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Anthony Doerr. When the Nazis invade France in 1940, the main character (Marie-Laure) and her father flee to Saint-Malo to take refuge with her great-uncle. All the Light We Cannot See is one of my favorite WWII historical fiction books and I was disappointed that we did not have enough time to find 4 Rue Vauborel, the address of Marie-Laure's great uncle. If we could do this trip again, I would plan to spend the majority of the day at Saint Malo.

View of the rampart walls from outside the city.

Like Cancale, Saint-Malo is known for incredible tides The tide was low when we were there, so several of the nearby islands were accessible on foot.

The high tides go right up the walls, regularly as high as the black you can see at the top of this photo.

Low tide

Saint-Vincent Cathedral, located in the heart of the city, is one Saint Malo's most iconic landmarks. It dates back to the 6th century; was burned by Charlemagne's army in 811; and was rebuilt in 816. The 10th century Norman invasions left the church in ruins and it was completely rebuilt in around 1152, a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles. The cathedral suffered heavy damage during WWII, but was rebuilt. Despite its history, several historical elements remain today.

Believe it or not, an actual wedding was taking place when we were in the cathedral.