Brittany holiday diary August 27th - Wednesday 8.30pm - Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Saint Malo on the Bretagne. Set off in good time but journey from East London to Portsmouth uneventful. As usual some travellers being stopped by C&E for "security reasons". I'm told the Government requires them to do this. Why? Clearly part of their "reminders" they are watching us no doubt. Surely intelligence led operations will do more to catch those they want to stop? Not everyone understands my anger at the role of HM Revenue & Customs in Britain under New Labour, but after helping (again) two people with tales of woe about Customs that very morning I am no mood to be conciliatory. One poor mans car seized despite them knowing it was his Dads who was not travelling with them. They get it back two weeks later (it is illegal to seize cars if the owner is not travelling), but have been severely inconvenienced in the meantime. It is clear they do this sort of thing deliberately. I call it an abuse of process. Soon distracted from "rant" when we board the ferry. Brittany Ferries is more like a 4 star hotel on water, than a public utility service. One is even given a ticket showing where your car is - no making notes of levels etc. The leaflet detailing layout of the boat proves useful as we find our way around. Arrive in cabin to be told report at information. Receive the good news that we have been moved upstairs and now have a cabin with a window. Nice to know they upgrade passengers with cheaper bookings. Tootle off to the classy restaurant "Les Abers", for a meal "en famille". Very busy. Nice looking buffet. Son and wife opt for "starter and dessert from the buffet" option at £17.90. I choose the pricier menu at £19.80. Damn it - I am on holiday. DINNER Son (Menu Buffet) - Hors-d’oeuvre buffet, Roast beef fillet, sauce bordelaise with potatoes dauphinois, dessert buffet. Wife (Menu Buffet) - Hors-d’oeuvre buffet, Mango and Champion Curry (vegetarian), dessert buffet. Webbie (Menu Saveur en Tradition) - Stuffed Courgette Flowers, Fillet of spiced Lamb, Cheese, Grand Marnier Soufflé. Costs; 2 x Menu 1 £17.90, 1 x Menu 2 £19.80, 1lt Evian £1. 90, Coke £1. 60, Wine - Château Thibault £9.90. Expresso £0.95. Total; £69.95. Score; 8.0/10 Comment; As always, a most enjoyable meal in lovely surroundings. The buffet is superb both for the starters and the desserts. My stuffed Courgette flowers are delicious, the lamb delightful and soufflé delectable. Sons steak generous and wife's vegetarian dish tasty. Plenty of staff on hand. Wine decent. A glorious start to any holiday. Breakfast; Hot chocolate £1. 10, Pain au chocolate £0.80. August 28th - Thursday Arrive Saint Malo 8.00am after a good nights sleep. Anyone coming to France via Saint Malo should spend some time on the deck as the ferry enters the port. This must be the best way to start a holiday ever. Lovely views of coast and the walled city. Stock up at CORA Supermarket outside Saint on way to Rennes. Wine range lousy (also mediocre when drunk). Resolve to shop at L’Eclerc or Carrefour next time.Perhaps we should be less lazy and go a wine shop where a good owner should be able to recommend something to suit your taste. CORA unable to tell me if they would be open at Xmas - "ask again in November". Arrive at gite which we have been generously loaned by old friends, but which has been empty for 4 months. We spend the rest of the afternoon, de-cob webbing and vacuuming. Nice to be back in a village we first visited 20 years ago. Some people have died, but most faces the same as always. Spend some time looking out of the window at the River Rance - so peaceful. The locals must think holidaymakers are nuts. Dinner at L’Abris des Flots - a restaurant overlooking a beautiful sweep of the River Rance. There is an old fort on the opposite bank (now a home). First came here 20 years ago when it was a family run restaurant with great value meals, cheap enough to come to most nights. Clearly not managed the way it was, as the flowers are mostly dried up and dead. Nice to sit in the conservatory though and watch the sun set. Food looks fine. DINNER Son - Grey Shrimps (tasty), Bavette (Steak), Glace. Wife - Seafood salad, Wild Salmon (perfectly cooked) Webbie - Oysters - fresh, Bavette (Steak), Glace, Cheese. Costs; 2 menus at 15.80 euro, 1 at 23. 50 euro. Coke 2. 50 euro, Côte du Rhones 11. 70 euro. Total spend; 69.30 euro. Score; 6.5/10 Comment; Nice enough, but at a price which didn’t say "come again".Perhaps revisiting old haunts is not such a good idea. Let old memories lie perhaps? L’Abri Des Flots, 22690. Pleudihen. Tel: 0033 296 83 20 43. August 29th - Friday Beach? Eat in? August 30th - Saturday Another day at the beach but the week after a heat wave is clearly nota good time to come on holiday. It is persistently windy. Manage a good long walk along the beach, a jolly clamber over the rocks and a period of meditation watching the gulls and waves. Always deeply satisfying. Look lovingly at the Château overlooking the bay. What on earth keeps me in dirty, over populated and polluted London? Pop into a local internet cafe - dismayed that I cannot connect my computer to check my e-mail. Try read it via the web site for my provider, but just 5 days since checking last, I am two times over my 25MB allowance and have 1,212 messages - most of them viruses. All this despite clearing my e-mails completely before leaving to allow enough space for a backlog. Start to delete the rubbish but it takes ages - why are the web sites for ISP’s so painfully slow? Son enjoys his 30 minutes though. Cost? 3. 60 euro an hour. However they close at 6.00pm. Cyber'com Web Cafe, 26 bis, Bd. des Talards. Saint Malo. Tel: 0033 299 56 05 83. www.cybermalo.com August 31st - Sunday French families traditionally go out for Sunday lunch. We haven't booked anywhere, but have always found Sunday lunches good value. Most places seem to try and do something special. The first few we try in Cancale are packed but wandering down to the oyster farms we try our luck. Its our lucky day as we get a table in the conservatory overlooking the port at "Restaurant Des Parcs", which is nicely decorated. Gorgeous views across the bay from the conservatory. Attentive service. Decide not to make notes during meal as I feel this sometimes ensures a standard of service one would not otherwise get. This means standing around making notes from the menu outside, but accuracy matters, and I am just not up to announcing I am a journalist (and therefore expect nothing but the best). LUNCH Son - Steak poivre. Wife - Fish Soup, Salmon Tartare, Chocolate crepe (which son ate). Webbie - 6 oysters, Moules Mariniere, Chocolate crepe. Costs; Filet Steak 17.80 euro, 1 menu at 14. 50 euro, 1 at 19.50 euro. A bottle of Rosé Provencal came in at 12. 50 euro, Coke 3. 50 euro. Total; 67.80 euro. Score; 7.5/10 Comment; Nicely decorated, reasonably priced, flavours, standard and portions more than adequate, in short pleasant and worth coming to. Restaurant des Parcs, La Houle, 2, Quai Thomas. 35260. Cancale. Tel: 0033 299 899 094. Fax: 0033 299 89 87 75. September 1st - Monday Tootle off to Saint Malo for a nose around. The Walled city always worth a visit.Plenty of interesting shops and nice little brasseries. We stop at La Dent Creuse, a small bar/ brasserie in the centre. My wife insists on sitting on a terrace to top up her tan and its terrace fulfils this requirement admirably. I order a seafood pizza, son has meaty option. LUNCH Son - Meaty pizza. Wife - 3 oysters, glass wine. Webbie - Seafood Pizza. Costs; Meaty pizza 8.80 euro, Seafood pizza 7.80 euro, 3 oysters / wine 3.00 euro, Coke 2. 50 euro. Total; 24. 50 euro. Score; 7.5/10 Comment; The mussels on the seafood pizza were the nicest I have ever tasted. Son’s pizza generously filled. Wife "special" - 3 oysters and a small glass of wine refreshing. Waitress genuinely pleased when I say how nice the pizza and mussels were. Resolve to return. Le Dent Creuse (Moulerie-Bar-Huîtres), 7 Place de la Poisssonnerie. Saint Malo. Tel: 0033 299 40 19 92. We are running short of euro so I draw 100 from a Bank de Bretagne machine ("distributeur"). Cost on statement 71. 43 euro This works out at 1. 40 euro per pound - not bad, but when you add in the "cash advance handling fee of £1. 50, it works out at 1. 38 euro to the pound. Still cheaper than a bureau de change though. Finally we set off for one of the many small beaches between Saint Malo and Cancale - a pleasant drive at the best of times, and also full of lovely sandy beaches. However it is windy and attempts at getting brown fail miserably. The cleanliness of the the north Brittany beaches always impresses - even when it is windy. Back to work - this time we visit the Centre Commercial Madelaine just outside the centre of Saint Malo and a popular port of call for holidaymakers just off the ferry wishing to stock up. There is a large Carrefour there. 500ml of organic milk (BIO in France) at 0.60 euro, a jar of eucalyptus honey costing 3. 46 euro and 10 BIO eggs at 4. 28 euro and we are on our way. Happily English newspapers are up to date and available. Useful for those of us for whom a daily read is like having food - essential. Carrefour Saint Malo, Centre Commercial Le Madelaine. Tel: 0033 299 21 10 10. September 2nd - Tuesday Go into town to do some work - alone.Visit local Tourist Office who prove helpful. Chambre de Commerce more so. Wish we had a similar set up in the U.K. Constant stream of people popping in for advice and information on local businesses. Get everything I ask for from friendly staff - now to update the site and make the increasingly popular Saint Malo pages better. It always takes ages. Usually start the evening with good intentions (and a glass of wine), but end up chatting to wife and then fall into bed. Fail to find France Telecom - a copy of the local Yellow pages is a godsend for people like me. Will have to come back especially. Wish I was here alone when it is raining - always do so much work then. As it is will end up as usual working till 3 or 4 in the morning to meet self imposed deadlines. Oh, the joys of being self employed. Dinner - Off to a local Logis de France. Happy memories soon disappear of previous Logis de France travels - pre children - the days when we just got in a car armed with a copy of the Logis de France, stopping off where ever we felt. Menu looks fine, but prices seem excessive. Wallpaper very 1970’s. DINNER Son - Salad de Bretagne (charcuterie), Steak, Glace. Wife - Seafood salad, Salmon Roulade. Webbie - Oysters, Tourteaux (crab), Glace. Costs; 1 x 17.00, 1 x 20.00 and 1 x 23.00 euro menu. Wine - Beaujolais 14. 50 euro, Coffee 1. 30 euro, Coke 2. 50 euro. Total 78.30 euro. Score; 6.0/10 Comment; Disappointing. The starters were fine, my oysters fresh, the seafood salad generous and interesting, and the Salade de Berating a generous selection of meats. But, the crab was clearly not freshly cooked (although tasty), and the steak was mediocre. The Salmon roulade was overcooked. Adequate but not anything to write home about basically. If quantity matters though, this is the place for you. Auberge du Val de Rance, Lemoine, La Hisse et St-Samson-sur Rance. 22100. Tel: 0033 296 39 16 07. September 3rd - Wednesday Off to Roscoff with wife, son slumming it at home. Why do the joys of France pass youth by? Stop off in Morlaix where all the shoppers who arrive via Roscoff go. Le Clerc Supermarkets clearly upgrading their supermarkets - all seen so far nice and modern, easy to get around. Then visit Géant, a chain I have never set foot in (there aren’t many up North). Extremely impressed - state of the art and clean, everything very neatly laid out on shelves. Excellent range.Perhaps they were having a dignitary visiting. We choose a few wines (much better range than CORA) before setting off for Roscoff. Le Clerc Hypermarket, ZAC De la Boissiere. Kerfraval. 29600. Morlaix. Tel: 0033 298 88 03 14. Fax: 0033 298 88 02. Géant Hypermarket - Tel: 0033 298 63 94 00. Open Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to 8.30pm. Roscoff is a lovely little town and for lunch we settle on a Hotel Restaurant I already list on the site (following a recommendation) - Hotel du Centre. Lovely patio overlooking port. Windy but sunny. Decide to have the Artichoke salad - looks superb. The menu is limited but I feel this is usually a good sign as it indicated food that is freshly cooked. Wife settles for 10 euro lunch menu - moules and a glass of cider (or wine or beer). There is a choice - a salad or toasted sandwich is on offer as well. The Plat du Jour is Colin, sauce aux epices is 12 euro. Looks great and the lady opposite eats it enthusiastically. LUNCH Wife - Moules Mariniere, Chips. Webbie - Artichoke Salad.-- Costs; Expresso 1. 40 euro, Coke 2. 40 euro, Artichoke salad 9.00 euro, Moules, glass of cider 10.00 euro, wine 2. 30 euro (15cl). Total; 22. 38 euro. Score; 8.5/10 Comment; Artichoke salad amazing (see photo), with potatoes, salad, lardons, a poached egg and a delicious vinaigrette. I am very satisfied. Wife's moules delicious. The other dishes all look wonderful.Visit toilet and discover a modern but well decorated bar and reception. For some reason we didn’t get any bread, but there are chips with the mussels which we enjoy. Definitely worth a stop over if passing through. RECOMMENDED. Hotel du Centre / Restaurant Chez Janie, Le Port. Roscoff. Tel: 0033 298 61 24 25. Visit Bureau de Tourisme and then do trawl of local supermarkets (small). There is a walk (free) that afternoon. Wish more people made the local Tourist Office their first port of call - there always seems to be something worthwhile on offer. Delighted to find a leaflet detailing a local music festival (Bagad) with bagpipes (I occasionally play them), and make plans to attend on Friday. But this is a work day, so we set off after a walk around the town to investigate the local wine and beer shops. Soon discover things very different here. Calais is competitive and loud. Here things are quieter. So much so that they close when there is no ferry due in. First port of call is Roscoff’s Wine Seller adjacent to the port. Shops get details of how many passengers on boats and prepare accordingly. Have had an e-mail correspondence with the Manager, Peter Newbury so am glad to meet him. Despite not having an appointment he proves very helpful, filling me in with the Roscoff "scene". They have a small but neat and attractive warehouse. Wines all well chosen and neatly laid out. Labelling clear and attractive. I am offered and enjoy a glass of Dom de Bisconte 2000, a Côtes de Rousillion red at 4. 42 euro (about £3. 20) a bottle. Very agreeable - buy it if you are passing or see it elsewhere. We then adjourn to his office to check his listing on day-tripper.net. I am mortified to find the page doesn’t load. Generously Peter allows me to ring the U.K. to find out why. Discover my ISP has suspended my account. Very angry. My credit card provider has issued me with a new card AND a new number after my old card fell apart, despite me pointing out I needed a replacement card not a new one. I was only made aware I had a new number when I got a letter saying a standing order has not gone through - from my internet provider. Unable to get through I had left a message as requested, stressing I want to pay but am going away and to please ring back by Wednesday. They don’t. Not too worried, as after 4 years on standing orders assume they like me. When I finally get through apologies all round. Thankfully the service only suspended a few hours earlier. Why don’t people think? Not only am I a long time customer, paying by standing order, but I had also rung and left a message, and it also the holiday season. Asked to write a letter in complaining. Oh boy will it be strong. Roscoff’s Wine Seller, ZAD du Bloscon, 29680. Roscoff. Tel: 0033 298 61 24 10. We then tootle off to the other wine shops catering to the English shopper. Many go overboard selling a wide range fo New World wines. Fine if you like the same quality over and over again, but I enjoy the variety of a nice French wine. Everyone keen to chat. All moan about the ferry companies and their high fares.Seems things die a death here in the winter when Irish Ferries stop their sailing's. Amused at one shop when an Irish woman rings through to ask if they stock "strong wines". There must be money to be had in selling wine to the English shopper - one small shop recently sold for £450,000. Very little there compared with the Calais stores. Jean at RED CASH Wine and Beer proves chatty. Impressed when he offers me a free bottle of Gigondas after he sees with a bottle of Vacquayras (a good value wine I like). Costing 7.45 euro (£5.40) this is the sort of wine to buy if you are British and want to get good value. It is fair to say that most wine shops just sell to the British shopper what they pick up, I like a bit of interaction and a recommendation. Jean had even been up to Calais to find out what makes things tick there. Discover a list of all the shops he printed out is from my web site. I ask him about the Times wine writer, Jane Mc Quirty, who often comments that the Champagne sold in Calais is of poorer quality than that sold in the U.K. He suggests more good quality brands are sold in the U.K., but doesn’t believe the same champagnes are bottled separately for the British and Calais markets. Resolve to look into this. I like her columns and honesty but am not sure about her views on champagne in Calais. Wife fed up as I am here for 40 minutes, but I always pick up so much useful information when visiting personally. Resolve to come back alone out of season. Once again though a good selection of restaurant leaflets etc.picked up. A good days work. Trouble is a few hours work can also mean a few days processing and checking. RED CASH, ZI de Kerrandu. St Pol de Leon. Tel: 0033 298 29 18 55. We end up looking for the local Leclerc supermarket - the nearest one to the port - and finally find it. Confusingly there are plenty of billboards advertising Leclerc but none say where it is.Pop into NETTO, a small chain that has a huge sign saying "WINE SOLD HERE". Buy two bottles to see what their choice is like. NETTO Supermarket, Saint Pol de Leon. Tel: 0033 298 69 23 01. Amble our way back to Le Chatelier sur Rance, north of Dinan, where we are staying. Delighted and cheered up no end when the Archers get switched on, only to be drowned out by interference as we drive alongside an electricity pylon. Even wife sees funny side of it all. How I hate that signature tune. What do people see in that soap? Last time I listened it was about a man coming out as gay to the sound of bleating sheep. I decide I have a filthy mind. Son seems relaxed and happy on our return. We amble off down to La Hisse (the local town) only to find that at 9.15pm we are too late to eat. Dinan is just 5miles away. We see a pizzeria sign.Passing by I see what I assume to be a waitress and indicate can we eat. Turns out she isa customer - why does everyone wear black these days? Takes it in good spirit though. None of the staff are wearing black - I must be getting old. Happily we can eat although we are the last to be able to do so. All very relaxed. The couple at the next table have a dog. There is grey parrot in a huge cage in the corner. A nice end to a productive day. France IS different (and more fun). Enjoy the sign above the toilet saying "espace fumers". France is changing. DINNER Son - Four Cheese Pizza. Wife - Seafood Tagliatelli. Webbie - Calzone. Costs; Pizza 10.00 euro, Tagliatelli 13.00 euro, Calzone 12.00 euro, Coffee 2.00 euro, Coca Cola 2. 50 euro. Total; 44. 50 euro. Score; 7.5/10 Comment;I had a superb calzone, my wifes tagliatelli came with a lovely mushroom, wine and shrimp sauce, and my son had a very generous four cheeses pizza. PIZZERIA PAPPAGALLO, 15, rue Thiers. 22100. Dinan. Tel: 0033 296 39 92 57. September 4th - Thursday At last - a WARM and sunny day. Wife decides she wants an hour in Dinan shopping. A nice town, but shoe shopping is not what my son and I wish to do. We agree to meet in an hour and son and I set off to find an internet café. He to check his e-mail, I to clear mine of junk and respond to the usual requests for information. With over 400 requests for information a month and 77,000 visitors I clearly feature on many peoples address books. Junk mail floods in. Manageable at home where it just goes into the delete folder or gets deleted automatically, but impossible when using an internet cafe and accessing it through a web site. Just as we find the cafe it closes for lunch. We treat ourselves to a lunch in the sun and a newspaper. Surprisingly wife turns up at appointed time with NO bags. Off to our favourite beach which is delightfully empty. Just past Cap Fréhel down a sandy hill, the tide is going out and we can see for miles. Lovely. I wander off to look in rock pools and paddle. Finally manage a swim in the initially very cold sea, but then spend ages swimming around the bay. Do a bit of work writing up diary then wander off again, clambering higher than I realised up the cliffs. Not good with heights so I go down bottom first. Swim again. Finally just laze about getting red. Why are some us destined to go pink and painful whereas other bronze so beautifully? Looking around I am glad I managed to get to the gym some of the time - there are some painfully fat and ugly people about. An ice cream later we are on our way home. Vague plans to check my e-mail at the Saint Malo internet cafe which is open until 10.00pm go out of the window once we get home and open the bottle of Vacquayras bought yesterday. It is lovely. Once again I start out writing my diary or ploughing through information collected, and once again I end up deciding to go to bed without finishing what I planned to do. I decide to stop being ambitious.Perhaps I just expect too much of myself. Dinner chez nous - salad, cold meats, cheese. September 5th - Friday Had planned to go to a musical festival in central Brittany but it is now 11. 30am and we are just getting up.return to updating diary whilst enjoying a crepe with nutella spread all over it. Cloudy, so decide we will chance a visit to the music festival after all and pop in and see a cousin who has moved to France on the way. Unable to buy somewhere in England they moved 13 months ago to France, effectively giving up on England I wonder what effects university debts and an inability to get on in life will have on British society in general - am I the only one worried that ours is the generation that had it all, and this is the one who is paying for it? They have bought a few farm buildings which the farmer, who lives in a modern house at one end, no longer wants. 13 months on and the place is looking habitable. It is very quiet, I cannot even hear a car in the distance. Clearly there is a lot of work involved. French builders are qualified and it shows, but they cost. The roof to their barn would cost 17,000 euro, but they are doing it themselves for 4,500. Stifle a small laugh when I see "The idiots guide to plumbing" on the bookshelf, cannot contain myself when I see a book in the toilet about roofs. They have integrated well already. They are brave - I know I would never do as much or stick it out as they have. After tea and a few photos we leave, me offering them a free plug on my site when they get their B&B up and running next year. We arrive at the venue of the music festival but they are clearly not due to start until the next day. We wander off to the local Tourist Office which has closed early for some reason. Check the regional newspaper and leaflet from the Saint Malo tourist office. Both say it starts today. Settle for a walk in the Château grounds and stop off for a drink on the way back in a small village. Two cokes and a Ricard only costs us 6.00 euro out here in the sticks. Locals all prove friendly as they amble in (slowly) for their evening drinks. Not only is it quiet here, but the pace of life is much slower. We are aiming for Saint Brieuc which has a lovely bay best seen from the cliff tops. However it is getting dark so we settle for dinner at a logis in Saint André close to Erquay. XXX. It has a good recommendation for its restaurant. Happily they have space and we enjoy a thoroughly good meal. Feel a bit guilty as I have dirty jeans (a friendly dog) and am unshaven. No one seems bothered though. Afterwards we wander along the promenade, which seems to stretch right around the bay. A very nice town, which is worth visiting, especially if you are not up to scrambling down sandy cliffs to get to a beach. DINNER Son - Salade de Magret (smoked beef filet salad), Beef with a tomato / pepper sauce, Warm Brie with honey and green salad, Cheese, Ils Flotant. Wife - Oysters, Salmon with sorrel sauce, Creme Brule. Webbie - Oysters, Confit de Canard a l’orange (Duck a l’orange), Ils Flotant. Costs; Menu (4 choices) 22.00 euro, Wine - Beaujolais Villages is gorgeous too (Louis Tete 2000) 15.00 euro, Coffee 2.00 euro, Coke 3.70 euro. Total; 95.60 euro. Score; 8.5/10 Comment; We opt for the 22 euro menu which allows you 4 choices. Have two starters and it goes up to 30 euro. Son’s smoked beef filet is delicious - perhaps its worth pointing out here that many of the menu’s still have "Origin France (VBF) or Italy" next to beef dishes. The oysters are nice and fresh too. Son’s beef steak in a good to look at and taste sauce. Clearly prepared with care in house. My duck sensational - feel like thumping son when he says it tastes bland. Wife pronounce salmon perfectly cooked. Smiles all round. The Beaujolais Villages is gorgeous too. Quite why they serve Beaujolais chilled in France still defeats me. It may be the end of the evening but the desserts are nice and fresh tasting. Hotel Restaurant de la Mer **, 63, rue Amiral Charner. Pléneuf-Val-André. Tel: 0033 296 72 20 44. September 6th - Saturday Its near the end of our break and as usual we finish with a blow out at a decent restaurant. But practical matters first so after dumping wife in town to shop, son and I visit the internet cafe. Horrified to discover I cannot access my e-mail - contact Nildram says the message. Great if you are nearby, not so much fun if you don’t have a phone handy. Can’t send an e-mail as my account can’t be opened. I try sending polite but angry messagesvia their internal link which promises a "reply soon". End up doing it in three parts as the French keyboard gets the better of me. Feel embarrassed asking them to reply to my hotmail account, but hope they feel even more so. Pick up wife who has bought a pair of sandals for next summer. When ask why buy them now get told because the fashion may change. Ah well at least its her money. Our drive to Cancale proves frustrating. First of all we are behind a learner driver who keeps stalling and then driving very slowly. I don’t want to scare her so try and keep my distance. Eventually we overtake, only to get stuck behind an old French driver doing 30 kph. Quite prayers of "please don’t turn right here" go unanswered. Finally he pulls off but only after waiting for the road to clear for five kilometres all around. Eventually, but on time, we arrive at Le Coquillage. We like and have visited Restaurant De Bricourt in Cancale. Famous for its fish dishes and in delightful surroundings (ask for a place in the conservatory) its also a lot more expensive than five years ago. However, Le Coquillage is their cheaper "sister" restaurantjust outside Cancale, which overlooks the bay. The bay wins although a meal at de Bricourt is unbeatable for those of us who like a bit of style and competence to go with thoughtfully prepared food. Its a windy day, but the white and grey clouds, blue skies and emerald seas are a heady mix. The Normandy coast is clear across the bay, Mont St Michel is clearly outlined and Cancale looks very inviting. Its not warm enough to sit amongst the pine trees which we managed last time, but the restaurant is spacious and light with large windows overlooking the bay. I am reminded why I like "posh" restaurants - the staff are attentive. A defining mark for me is whether the waiter pours the wine or just opens the bottle. The wine is poured and constantly topped up. The menus are nicely varied. Only the 44 euro menu has a meat option (lamb) so son opts for that. Wife and I stick with the 26 euro menu. LUNCH Son - Warm potato and Haddock salad, steak, selection of cheese from trolley, selection of desserts from trolley - ils Flotant, Chocolate tart, Wife - Oysters, Mackerel, selection from trolley - Creme broulée, Chocolate tart, Rum Baba Webbie - Oysters, Mackerel, selection from trolley - ils Flotant, Chocolate tart, Vanilla ice cream. Costs; Menu Marin 26.00 euro, Menu grand Choix de la Baie 44.00 euro, expresso 2. 30 euro, Vittel 3.90 euro, Orange juice 3. 10 euro, Wine - Fleurie 25.00 euro. Total; 132. 60 euro. Score; 9.0/10 Comment; Clean, nicely decorated if a bit severe. One felt one couldn’t laugh too loud. Staff attentive and helpful. Oysters best we had had. Limited choice on cheapie menu, but stunning choice on the expensive ones. I would keep this one for an expensive treat as the cheapie menu is not really worth it in terms of choice or the chef’s competence. Le Coquillage, ChâteauRicheux. Route de Mont St-Michel. Tel: 0033 299 89 25 25. Les Maisons de Bricourt, 1, rue Duguesclin. 35260. Cancale. Tel: 0033 299 89 64 76. www.maisons-de-bricourt.com We burn off some fat with a breezy but lovely walk around the Point de Grouin. Waves whipped up and crashing into the rocks, clouds white and painting like in their clarity. We book Sunday lunch at the Logis de France restaurant overlooking the island just off shore. Menu looks great. Its too cold to walk along the beach so we settle on another visit to Saint Malo. Wife goes off to find presents for Mother, son and I adjourn to internet cafe (again). No responses. This time my ISP gets a very angry e-mail from me. I know its Saturday, but what is the point of a business account if you cannot respond. Delight in seeing sales bumph on why you should use their services - copy and paste it to them. Ask for meeting with Customer Services manager on Tuesday of return. Fed up - I hate letting people down. My site has become a bit of an Agony Aunt for for the France visitor - I think people find an English site less intimidating than dealing with a French Tourist Office. I certainly don’t get much response when I contact them, or it arrives weeks later. Pick up wife. We then head back home stopping off at La Hisse, the local port on the Rance for a drink at a local Bar. Lovely terrace and clean - a coke here costs 2. 70 euro, a ricard only 2. 40 euro. Spend the evening trying a BIO wine that caught my wifes eye - not bad, but there is something about it I don’t like. Perhaps they take some getting use to (Saint Chinian, Domain de Saint Martin 2000). I notice the label says "this wine is made from grapes grown organically". But what about the process? Another fact to investigate - work seems to create more work, but there is a difference between a wine made from organic grapes, and one produced organically (the process). Son wants my computer to play games, wife suggests we watch a DVD together. I just want to work. I will be coming back alone soon. The difficulty for travel journalists is that to be productive you need to be alone, but who enjoys eating in a restaurant without company? September 7th - Sunday Another cool Brittany day and cloudy too. We need to leave early tomorrow so begin the tidy up. Feel despondent that the many piles of papers and cuttings sorted out at the start of the holiday on the top floor of our gite (it is open plan) remain mostly untouched. As least they have had a good sort through and put in order. We arrive in good time at La Pointe du Grouin and get a nice table with a panoramic view. Delighted to find the cheapest menu is only 19.00 euro. We all choose it - Despite its cheapness there is a choice of dishes. Most impressive. The wine is poured - a plus in my book. LUNCH Son - Fish soup, nicely balanced flavour (they are often overpowering), Steak (échalote), Ils Flotant. Wife - 12 Oysters, Salmon with lemon butter, Cheese (good selection - 5 selected). Webbie - 12 Oysters, Skate with cream sauce, Nougart glace with fruit coulis. Costs; Menu Pecheur @ 19.00 euro, Wine -Brouilly (Château des Tours) 22. 50 euro, Coke 3. 50 euro, Coffee 2. 80 euro, 1 Kir Vin Blanc 4. 80 euro, I Digestief (Cointreau) 6.50 euro. Total; 100.60 euro. Comment; No wonder this place is popular. The locals all seemed to be tucking into the lobster. The decoration is a soothing blue and tasteful. Nice linen table clothes, Villeroi en Boche porcelain etc. Staff attentive and smiling. The waitress even asks us if we want our Brouilly à chambre (room temperature - the way we like it in England) or froid (the way they like it in France). Score; 9.5/10. HOLIDAY WINNER. Hotel Restaurant La Pointe du Grouin **, 35260. Cancale. Tel: 0033 299 89 60 55. Fax: 0033 299 89 92 22. www.hotelpointedugrouin.com We amble around the Point enjoying the waves and currents as they swirl around the headland into the Bay of Cancale. A final drive along the coast on the scenic (slow) road and after a final trawl of all the wine and beer shops in Saint Malo, we head home. Always worth checking - I find another shop not listed by the Tourist Office. September 8th - Monday It is pouring with rain as we drive to Cherbourg, fortunately we have allowed time - it is always advisable to allow an extra hour when making a ferry journey, as accidents do happen. We return with Condor Ferries. A nice fast journey and a return to English newspapers! | 
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- Port of Portsmouth. 
- Brochure Bank. 
- Teletext, find a bargain. 
- Maporama, useful route planner.