Dinard ("Dinarrr-eh!")

Dinard is a resort town on the North coast of France in Bretagne (Brittany), and it far exceeded expectations. I was told Brittany was wet and cold, and that it wasn't anywhere near as good as the South of France, and that it was similar to holiday towns in Cornwall in England. Having never been to Cornwall (I know, major failing really, given my heritage) this wasn't very helpful. But it turned out to be really lovely, as the pictures should show. Unfortunately my limited comprehension of French was quite a hinderance here, I could see enough tourist trash to realise it seemed to have some Piratical history, but of course I couldn't understand anything written about it. It did have a piratical feel though, with cliffs and rocks with little coves and possible caves and tunnels up to the houses at the top of the cliffs- I was put in Famous Five mode!!! It was pretty cool. And not only did it have awesome rocky bits, but also a sandy beach, where I first dipped my toes into the Atlantic! It was really strange sand though, it sparkled like gold flakes when the sun was at the right angle!!! And it stuck like glue, really impossible to get off without showering, not like normal sand that you can rub off with a towel.

A very charming town, picturesque, and with ice-cream stalls in all the right places :-D

The only bad part of my trip was that I screwed my back part way through, and spent several days rather incapacitated before being tortured by a French doctor, and half killing myself with anti-inflammatories before being able to even do up my shoelaces. But at least the painful experience with the French doctor seems to have been worthwhile, I appear to be fixed.

In other news, contrary to an earlier post, I will be staying in France for a while yet, hopefully the rest of the summer, all going to plan. But as we all know, my plans are subject to change at short notice and on the whims of others, so really, I have no idea. In theory I'm here for another 5-6 weeks roughly. Earn some money, avoid snakes, and maybe go back to Dinard.