If you want to see the album of our pictures from June 2018, you can click on this link, June 2018.

If you want to see the album of our pictures from July 2018, you can click on this link, July 2018.

le lundi 13 août 2018 – Monday August 13, 2018

Two French military jeeps, each with 5 soldiers and machine guns, were driving through the streets when Sandy walked to the boulangerie. We’ve seen them several times walking, but not driving around.

We took care of some household chores in the morning.

After lunch, we wanted to walk to the north end of the Digue and return by bus. When we arrived at the Esplanade St. Vincent, a #8 bus was waiting. So we stepped on the bus, and got off at the Digue stop heading north. We walked on the Digue to the northern end. We did hear a whistle blow several times, couldn’t figure out where it was coming from, or what it was about. As we neared a second story overlook, a lifeguard called out, “no dogs on the beach please”. There are signs indicating dogs are forbidden on the beach, but few people pay attention to the sign. There was a large dog playing with his owner in front of the building and as we watched, he put the leash back on the dog. It looked like they were getting ready to leave, heeding the lifeguard apparently. We also saw two policeman on bikes patrolling the Digue.

We exited the Digue, then walked uphill to Paramé and boarded a #3 bus at the Rousses stop. The bus just happened to be passing by so we signaled to the driver that we wanted the bus. That took us back to our starting point. An excellent hour-long walk. The sun was shining, no jacket needed, and lots of board surfers, and kite surfers to watch.

 

le mardi 14 août 2018 – Tuesday August 14, 2018

Today was haircut day for the 3rd time in France. The coiffeuse (woman hairdresser) was very busy but we only waited a few minutes. Sandy told the coiffeuse her last cut was too short on the sides of her head. This time the coiffeuse didn’t use a razor at the end but “thinning” type scissors. Sandy was very pleased with the result. We made an appointment for our last cut on September 11.

After lunch we wanted to buy some sandpaper. A store called Titi-Gil is close to the Intermarché grocery store in Rocabey and carries many items. It is called a “destockage” store meaning it carries items other stores are getting rid of or selling when the store closes. They carry clothing, household goods, cans, bottled food, wine, hardware, beach items, and linens. Sandy found jars of jam with Kroger labels on them. We stopped in the store and bought a package of sandpaper for 1€50.

Next we walked to the Digue heading north, reached the end, and decided to walk back. We saw a lady carrying what Sandy thought was a weasel in her arms. She walked down the stairs to the beach and put down the animal she was carrying. We decided it was a ferret, wearing a harness and leash. The ferret proceeded to start digging a large hole in the sand. Whether it wanted to hide or was searching for it’s dinner we don’t know. A bizarre site on the beaches of Saint-Malo.

le mercredi 15 août 2018 – Wednesday August 15, 2018

We planned to shop at the Intermarché grocery store after breakfast. We walked to the bus stop, then realized when looking at the arrival time posted that today was a holiday. It is the day of Assumption a religious holiday. The bus company considers it a holiday too and was running buses on a Sunday schedule. We didn’t wait too long, either coming or going and were soon back home. We’ll need to remember today being a “bus holiday” for next year .

The high temperature today was 21C, 69F. It was cloudy most of the day. Late in the afternoon we walked to the harbor to see what was going on. The tide was on it’s way out and we watched the water disappear from underneath the moored boats. Earlier in the week at high tide, we had counted only 3 visible cement blocks from the top of the water to the street. Today there must have been 20 visible cement blocks and the water was still receding. Quite interesting to watch!

We enjoyed a kebab at Chez Marcel for dinner eating outside and watching all of the comings and goings of all the people.

le jeudi 16 août 2018 – Thursday August 16, 2018

Today Sandy spent two hours with her tutor Christine. On the walk to the bus at 9h30 there were more than 500 empty parking spaces around the Esplanade Saint-Vincent. On Sandy’s return walk at 12h40, there were only 8 spaces remaining and people were waiting in line in their cars at the entrances to the lots. Another big day for tourists!

While walking to and from Christine’s house you get to pass a large number of wonderful gardens with all kinds of flowers.  Here is a sample.

While Sandy was at the tutor, Phil went shopping at the E.Leclerc Hypermarche.  On returning to the Esplanade Saint-Vincent after shopping Phil saw two young boys looking rather lost.  They approached him and spoke in both French and English.  They were looking for the Corsaire Ferries terminal.  So Phil was able to explain to them how to get there.  But rather than letting them walk alone he accompanied them to the terminal.  They had traveled from Paris on the train this morning.  They were going to their Grandmother’s house in Dinard, across the harbor.  The oldest boy was maybe 15 and his brother must have been around 10 or 11.  We had some nice small talk on the walk.

In the afternoon the temperature dropped to 17C, 63F, and rained off and on. All of the flowers need refreshing and reviving.

Sandy was able to FaceTime with Michael at noon his time. So nice to hear his voice and see his face.

le vendredi 17 août 2018 – Friday August 17, 2018

Today is National Thrift Store Day in the United States. We hope everyone finds a good buy at their favorite store.

Sandy shopped at the Intra-Muros marché for fruit today. She likes to arrive by 9h15 to avoid the “rush”. Monsieur Alex and his assistants take plenty of time with her at that time of the morning.

Next we walked to Saint-Servan to shop at the butcher. It was a lovely morning, cool and partly sunny with no chance of rain. We purchased our meat, walked around the exterior stalls and headed for home.

We sat on a bench at the harbor and watched boats come and go about an hour before high tide. Since there hadn’t been any chance of rain and the sun was shining, we were very surprised to feel rain falling. We moved under a tree and it stopped in about 10 minutes. We weren’t the only ones caught by a surprise shower. There were quite a few people standing under neighboring trees before it stopped.

We did see a cat in a back pack today, which is rare.  Always many more dogs than cats.

Across the harbor the Brittany Ferries ship BRETAGNE was loading caravans.

le samedi 18 août 2018 – Saturday August 18, 2018

The temperature was 13C, 55F, a little cool when Sandy walked to the boulangerie. She was woken up around midnight last night and could see the results this morning. At the top of the steps behind our apartment the restaurant had their outdoor planter damaged. It was a very large planter with a palm tree inside. It looked heavy enough that it needed two or three people to move it. It had been lifted off it’s bottom container and all of the gravel on top of the dirt dumped on the ground. Then it had been left in the center of the top step. Not nice!

On our way to the Esplanade Saint-Vincent we saw American, Canadian, and British flags flying next to the French flag on top of the wall by the Castle.

We walked on the Digue from the north end to the south end, after taking the #3 bus to the Rousses bus stop in Paramé. It was a very pleasant mid day with a lot of wind. High tide was only 20 minutes away but with a co-efficient of 62 the Digue did not have any water washing over it. There were many surfers in the water.

A curious thing on the digue today, the cat we saw at the harbor was taking its owners for a walk on the digue.

Later in the afternoon we spent some time on the harbor watching boats come and go.

le dimanche 19 août 2018 – Sunday August 19, 2018

On Sandy’s walk to the boulangerie, she was almost hit by a low flying seagull. It was one of the new birds, born this year, almost completely covered in brown feathers. Possibly it wasn’t skilled to fly high and was just testing it’s wings. Anyway, it’s a good thing Sandy can move quickly and to the side or they would have collided.

Another interesting note, Sandy saw a large car, double parked with it’s motor running on the street outside of the boulangerie . This is not normal. She noticed the bumper sticker which said, “I love nothing! I am Parisian!”, which would seem to fit in with their superiority complex. Inside the boulangerie a man was trying to put the lid on two “to-go” cups of coffee he had purchased. He didn’t get them on correctly and he dripped coffee on the floor all of the way out of the door . The madam said she would clean it up and to be careful. The boulangerie was busy with 3 of the 4 tables on the terrace occupied, a few tables in back occupied and Sandy was 5th in line.

Between 11:30 and 13:30 we watched the sailboats gather together to “parade” to Cancale for the remaining day of the “Branlebas de Régates : La mer en Fête” which is a 4 day race.

Over the eight years we have traveled to Saint-Malo we have seen many people fishing from the môle (breakwater), especially at high tide.  Today for the first time we saw someone catch a fish and it was a pretty good size fish.