The Hotel de Ville (city hall) at the monumental core of Rennes
A funny thing happened when we arrived in Rennes. It became summer! Rennes is the capital of Brittany, and unlike everyplace else we’ve been in the region, it’s inland. That means goodbye to rocky coastlines, moody weather, and screeching seagulls. And hello to warm sunny weather for the first time. We really enjoyed the cool weather the last three weeks, but it’s nice to feel some sunshine again.
Rennes has a nice blend of the things we love about cities all over France — grand monumental architecture in the civic center, a medieval quarter of crooked wooden buildings, a grand cathedral, lively stretches of outdoor restaurants and cafes. The place had a very nice feel for a couple of days.
The best part of our arrival was ditching the car. And now we’ll be traveling by public transportation again, probably for about a month. From here we’ll take trains south, roughly along the Western coast of France. Next stop: Nantes.
The opera sits across the main square from the Hotel de Ville
Shopping in the colorful and interestingly named Rue le Bastard
Our room came with an amazing terrace to enjoy the summery weather
Soaking up the atmosphere
People around here make some beautiful food
The medieval quarter
On Saturdays, Rennes boasts the second largest public market in France
More market splendor
The stunning Neo-classical interior of the 17th century Cathédrale St-Pierre
Jim insisted on getting his picture with this cobbler. Or wait, is it possible I insisted on this, expressly against his will?