Brittany, from Privateers to Elegant Strolls

A wonderful garden, a privateer's house, a seaside stroll, Brittany harbors secret spots known to locals, I'll share three with you…

So in the hands of Artaud publishers, the Château de la Ballue is the place where the little fiancée of the Atlantic celebrates her departure for the Route du Rhum, which she wins in 1990. Located in Bazouges la Pérouse in Brittany, the estate possesses a gem: a Tuscan baroque garden. Certainly, the buildings are of interest since they originally were a fortified castle built during the marches of Brittany and modernized in the 17th century.

The Château de la Ballue is the place where the little fiancée of the Atlantic celebrates her departure for the Route du Rhum

Nevertheless, the place has a Tuscan garden in which you enter as if stepping into a painting. In the tradition of Italian Baroque, it is designed to disorient you: labyrinths, water and light plays, illusions, no overview... Here, the gardeners excel in the art of topiary, the creative technique of pruning plants: boxwoods, yews... For this purpose, they use a mason's level, a plumb line, or manual shears to achieve the desired shapes. Similarly, the mower used is the model chosen by Stade Rennais to maintain its lawn!

I take you to a place out of time inhabited by box hedges and ferns from Madagascar. Among the 13 green rooms with evocative names: intimate garden, trap grove, bustling garden, etc… I cannot tell you which one I prefer. As much as the grove with scents enchanted me with its jasmines, the basins guarded by the raku statue fascinated me.

To add to the magic of the place, classical concerts and operas are held in the gardens at dusk. Finally, it would be a pity not to venture to the back of the park because there lies a hidden gem: a wavy boxwood hedge that opens onto the grove. If you are one of those who recharge by contemplating the beauty of the world, this is your spot. It then becomes clear that the owner carefully watches over her little paradise, and the gardens are indeed protected as they are listed as Historical Monuments.

When General de Gaulle visited Saint-Malo during its reconstruction in 1960, he climbed the steps of the porch of the Magon private mansion. The building, though it bore some bullet marks, was still standing. The bombing of the pirate city resulted from a misunderstanding! The Americans attacked within the walls instead of the City of Aleth, which concentrated the fortifications of the Atlantic Wall! Let's return to our residence...

A Turbulent History!

François-Auguste Magon de la Lalande, shipowner and privateer from Saint-Malo under Louis XIV, leads the East India Company. Are you passionate about history? Get yourself These Gentlemen of Saint-Malo, a book dedicated to this period. When asked about the reasons that led him to acquire this house in 2005, Olivier de la Rivière, the owner of the premises, pleads mild insanity!

It must be acknowledged that the undertaking is enormous; the private mansion with its 59 rooms spread over 8 levels is now restored! He welcomes you in costume for a guided tour that will transport you. On this occasion, we learn that a Welsh bishop, Mac Low, founded Saint-Malo and that the motto of the Malouins in the face of the British enemy is named Die rather than fail. This is because the English coveted the city and attempted several times to take it.

The privateers, special envoys of the king, had a letter of marque, what was it used for? Why aim at the rigging and not the hull of the ships during an attack? What remains mysterious are perhaps the rear areas. Apparently, a tunnel had been dug in the basement, below sea level, to connect the house to its neighbors. Thus, the shipowner could transport his undeclared goods secretly from the tax authorities! During the French Revolution, this corridor was of course filled in, and the Rivière family is working to regain access to it!

NB : To experience the liberation of Saint-Malo, immerse yourself in the novel by Anthony Doerr : All the Light We Cannot See. It is thrilling!

Lawrence of Arabia stayed here during his early childhood and returned several times between 1906 and 1910; he roamed the roads of the region on his racing bike. Here is Dinard, a seaside resort on the Emerald Coast. It faces Saint-Malo and you can get there by sea bus. A bathhouse opened its doors in 1859. Before 1914, Dinard held a record, that of the number of hotels, which says a lot! Indeed, the elegant gentlemen and ladies flocked to Dinard, which also houses a casino!

The Moonlight Walk

In the 1930s, personalities from the scientific world will settle there, but who? Like the people of Dinard, let's take the palm-lined boardwalk from Prieure Beach to the Bec-de-la-Vallée pier in the North. Starting July 1st, the Clair de Lune Promenade, as the people of Dinard call it, will be adorned with lights and musical notes! The Mediterranean vegetation is surprisingly diverse, and you should know that a palm grove was created here! Moreover, if you pay attention, the trees you see from the boardwalk are Atlas cedars, eucalyptus, and weeping pines from the Himalayas, it's up to you to identify them!

Odds and Ends

Soon before us spreads the district of Bric-à-Brac with its hills flanked by villas defying the laws of gravity. Bow-windows ensure a panoramic view of the bay. Once past the port, you catch sight of the famous Grand Hotel with its Second Empire architecture, featuring its period elevator and, true to its tradition, a spa. To think that you could have treated yourself to a relaxing massage with exotic scents or a hammam...

Castelbrac and the Pointe du Moulinet

But what is this building topped with a terrace on which monumental sculptures stand? Castelbrac, a hotel-restaurant recently renovated with an improbable history! This 19th-century villa was built by the English Faber family, who originally founded Dinard. For 130 years, the house hosted an English colonel and Crimea War hero: Robert William Hamilton. In 1934, Commander Charcot and the team from the Natural History Museum took over the place, transforming it into a marine station. There was a swimming pool, and I recommend the 1930s bar with its portholes and mosaics for you to imagine it. The gourmet restaurant Pourquoi Pas—still holding 2 toques in Gault and Millau—opens onto the Vicomté, the Tour Solidor, and the ramparts of Saint Malo!

Castelbrac, a recently renovated hotel-restaurant with an unlikely history!

Our walk ends at the Pointe du Moulinet, exposed to the swell and flanked by 2 villas that guard the entrance to Dinard: Villa La Garde and Villa Saint Germain. Personally, I recommend the seawater pool for a moment of relaxation.

 PS: from Saint Malo you can take the sea bus, a crossing of about 15 minutes, and arrive in Dinard by the sea !

And the food lovers? Aim for Bordier butters exported all the way to Hong Kong and Roellinger spices from the famous starred chef, you will find all this in Intramuros!