Staying close to Dinan

We'd done what I'd wanted to do in Bretagne, so today we just drove up the hill to Dinan to walk around the old part of the city and eat. The town is known for a mighty battle between an English knight, Cantorbery and a Bretin one, de Guesclin. The French victor is still a local hero and his heart is buried in the local church. His body parts lie in four places around the region, which is unusual as the kings of France are usually buried In only three.

In any case, the town celebrates its medieval roots, and why not since it still has the flavor of an old tow, with half-timbered houses and steep cobbled streets. We toured these, and I clmbed up in the clock tower which was unexpectedly frightening. Something about the thin wood railing did not inspire confidence as I edged nervously around the walkway taking pictures.

We ended up in a fancy restaurant for lunch, Le Cantorbery, and snagged the last unreserved table. It must be popular with the local burghers, because it was packed with locals. Everyone seemed to know each other. The food was superbe. Ira started with some Cancale oysters, which he dubbed the best of the trip. He followed that up with foie gras. I started with raw salmon and slices of cooked eggplant, a combination that was heightened by the whipped sauce that accompanied it. I then had medallions of monkfish, probably the last of the trip. These were by far the best. We rolled out of there and back into the car, where we took the long way back to the hotel.

After a nap, we strolled over to l'Ami Louis for our third meal. It wasn't quite as good as the others because we tried the beef and it was good, but not as revelatory as sir fish dishes. Still and all, we managed to consume a large quantity of cote de boeuf and wine and felt mellow as we strolled back to the hotel. We kept getting distracted. There were two wedding in town, so we kept running into revelers in kilts and fancy dresses. There was a singer at one of the receptions with a fine voice. And at the end of the night as we crossed a bridge, we stopped to hear a guitarist and singer at a local outdoor cafe play some incredible songs. The sound carried well over the water, and we sat there for quite a while. I even went to get my camera to take some more night shot,

Although we technically stayed in the Lanvallay side, the Port of Dinan served us very well. It's off to Bourges tomorrow and the heart of France profonde.