Saint Malo, France 🇫🇷 2023

Date: 18th June 2023

Travelled: 12 kms from St Malo to Saint Suliac   

Visited:  Saint Malo  

Stayed: Saint Suliac Aire. Free, N48.57020, W01.96520  

Budget: 27 days @ €100 per day

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A very early start and farewell to Jersey. We keep getting SMS from Condor Ferries telling us to check in two hours before departure and there are warning signs about road closures as the Jersey Triathlon is on today. So we pack up early, service the Hymer and set off to the port.

Which of course takes less than 10 minutes as there’s hardly a car on the road. So where there two hours early and about an hour before everyone else. No matter we have sardines on toast and sit back and relax.

Soon enough the cars are all loading and the three motorhomes are directed to reverse onto the ferry, always a good sign as that means we will be first off.

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Our passage to Malo is smooth but very foggy, the visibility is squat so goodness knows who we ran over. We arrive on time, to a grey and drizzly Saint Malo. Who cares where back in France where we started our first motorhome adventure 10 years ago.

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We bolt for a small motorhome parking area (free on Sundays) within a short walk of the old city, finding the last vacant spot and setting off to the Old Citadel. First stop the tourist office for a map €0.50 thank you.

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So we make for the Old Gate as there’s access to the ramparts (thanks to the young lady at the tourist office). The ramparts provide a wonderful two kms walk around the citadel.

Saint Malo was founded as a port by the Gauls in the first century BC. Every man and his dog has held it at one time or another. It was the home of the French Corsair Pirates in the 19th century which explains the pirate statues and skull and crossbones flying everywhere in the tourist area.

The Allies bombed and shelled it extensively during WWII, but you wouldn’t know from walking it today.

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Obviously we eventually return to our starting point at the Old Gates and walk off exploring the shops and restaurants. The Cathedral of Saint Vincent catches our eye and we walk up the hill to have a closer look.

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The drizzle is getting heavier and we toss a coin about what to do for a late lunch. We decide to share a filled baguette from a little patisserie for lunch at €5.50 the cheapest lunch since we left Aus.

There seems little choice but get wet or retreat, so we return to the Hymer and drive on to Saint Suliac and a free aire. Pam keeps me to the right and we get there without a problem.

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Michael + Pam