THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2008

Today we are leaving Trinité sur Mer after two marvelous days. The Lodge was wonderful, the restaurants were good, and the visiting brought back fond memories over previous stays here. We left the Lodge at 10:00 for the 2 hour drive to Rennes. We got there a little later than expected due to a wrong turn due to the usually good directional signs nor being too great at one spot. We turned the car in and checked into the Ibis hotel right behind the railroad station where we also turned in the car. Ibis is a utilitarian hotel but fine for our purposes: near the car rental return and next to the train station. Not only that but it has a very good shower.

We had a galette in the station at one of many places to eat. The train station is large, airy, and relatively new and modern.

Rennes is a city that brings fond memories to Erwin since it is there that he spent a year in his college program. It has changed a good deal since after his stay here, several of the large automobile companies established factories here and the city grew. We walked up the main street from the station, crossed the Vilaine canal,

and up to the St. Georges Park in front of the old Parliament Building which is now the Court of Appeals building

We came across the following sign at the entrance to the garden shown above. It says "I have to be kept on a leash". We thought it was a wonderful sign. Don't you?



We walked down this quaint street, the rue St. Georges, full of shops and cafes. We arrived at the place de la Mairie, the town hall square. The town hall faces the the Municipal Theater.




We started to walk back to the hotel when we came across this cafe where we decided to have a libation. The whole place seemed very familiar. Erwin was sure that this was a cafe that he had gone to 50 some years ago. We asked the waiter and he told us the owner had told him it was very old. A while later, he came back and told me to come into the bar. A man was seated there and he showed me some photos that had been taken in the early 60's, They were of the square and there was the cafe right where it is now and with the same name, l'Angélus. Another remembrance of a long ago pleasure.



This evening we went to dinner at Le Galopin, a very nice place where we had an excellent meal. We both had some excellent fish dishes. The service was very good and very pleasant. Recommended very highly.



Well, back to the hotel after a rather exhausting day