Humbug
Registered user
It was Paula's birthday last Monday week (no I'm not saying which one but she got her full pack of cards 
) so we 'popped' over to St Malo for a long weekend. We were due to take the GS but 1 hour before we were due to leave I switched it on to ride out of the garage and got a brake failure warning light! This was quickly diagnosed as a failed brake light switch which was preventing the servos from working. With no time to sort it out we transferred the luggage to our little Kawasaki 800 Drifter and set off for Portsmouth on that. After a bumpy crossing from Portsmouth we arrived at St Malo at about 7.30 am. To herald out arrival it started to rain! We rode down to visit my friend George who moved out here about 18 months ago. He loves it! After lunch and a chance to dry out a bit we headed on back to the town and our hotel. The Hotel Central was in a great position inside the Intra Muros and somehow we were allocated a suite on arrival (don't ask me how)!
After a quick change it was out for a walk around the ramparts of the old town and to look for somewhere to eat! There was plenty of choice!
It was originally in the Middle Ages a fortified island but is now attached to the mainland, St-Malo is the most visited place in Brittany, thanks to its superb old citadelle. From outside the walls, the old city might seem stern and forbidding, but passing through into the streets within the walls brings you into a busy, lively and very characterful town, packed with hotels, restaurants, bars and shops. We soon found a small seafood restaurant and tucked into a plate of Moules Frites, washe d down with a chilled Muscadet sur Lie, what else!
Next morning we headed off to the Mont St Michel, taking the coast road.
The sun was out now and soon there wasn't a cloud to be seen and we enjoyed a leisurely wander round the town admiring the lovely architecture and the stunning views over the bay..
Then it was off back to St Malo. On the way we passed dozens of windmills which had all been turned into very attractive homes.
We descended into the pretty seaside village of Cancale, renowned for it's oysters.
So we decided to tuck into a plate! Yumm!
Monday morning we rode down to the marina and then on to Dinan, a lovely medieval citadel with 13th-century ramparts and 15th-century half-timbered houses.
Hardly a vertical wall in sight!
We love the architecture of churches and visited the Basilique St-Sauveur with it's mixture of architecture from different periods, including nine Gothic chapels, a Romanesque porch and 18th-century steeple. It also contains some stunning stained glass windows.
The town overlooks the small port from the ramparts.
The old and the new, I know which I prefer!
And down in the port we came across this little beauty!
Then it was off back to Cancale .............
and more .................. guess what!
This time we took a small bottle of wine and ate them in style! :drinkinpa
Guess where the empty shells go!
Stopped at at small beach on the way back and just sat for a while and watched the waves crashing onto shore. Very relaxing.
Then a bunch of nuns came running past and spoilt the peace!
And then it was back to St Malo for our last night.
Early next morning we boarded the boat back to Blighty. The Drifter was the only bike on the boat - does that mean we're mad?
It's not often you get the chance to stand in front of one of these.
And so it was farewell to St Malo
- I'm sure we'll return one day. 
We sailed into Portsmouth passing the new Spinnaker Tower and docked at 5.20 pm and were on our way by 5.40, only to get stuck in horrendous traffic on the M27. We didn't get home until 9.45 - a journey that usually takes less than two hours! Welcome back to the UK!!!!
536 miles covered with an average fuel consumption of 60 mpg. Nothing went wrong, fell off or broke. Drifters make great tourers! 
Happy Birthday Paula. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I!
Footnote: new front brake switch fitted and all okay.
) so we 'popped' over to St Malo for a long weekend. We were due to take the GS but 1 hour before we were due to leave I switched it on to ride out of the garage and got a brake failure warning light! This was quickly diagnosed as a failed brake light switch which was preventing the servos from working. With no time to sort it out we transferred the luggage to our little Kawasaki 800 Drifter and set off for Portsmouth on that. After a bumpy crossing from Portsmouth we arrived at St Malo at about 7.30 am. To herald out arrival it started to rain! We rode down to visit my friend George who moved out here about 18 months ago. He loves it! After lunch and a chance to dry out a bit we headed on back to the town and our hotel. The Hotel Central was in a great position inside the Intra Muros and somehow we were allocated a suite on arrival (don't ask me how)!
After a quick change it was out for a walk around the ramparts of the old town and to look for somewhere to eat! There was plenty of choice!
It was originally in the Middle Ages a fortified island but is now attached to the mainland, St-Malo is the most visited place in Brittany, thanks to its superb old citadelle. From outside the walls, the old city might seem stern and forbidding, but passing through into the streets within the walls brings you into a busy, lively and very characterful town, packed with hotels, restaurants, bars and shops. We soon found a small seafood restaurant and tucked into a plate of Moules Frites, washe d down with a chilled Muscadet sur Lie, what else!
Next morning we headed off to the Mont St Michel, taking the coast road.
The sun was out now and soon there wasn't a cloud to be seen and we enjoyed a leisurely wander round the town admiring the lovely architecture and the stunning views over the bay..
Then it was off back to St Malo. On the way we passed dozens of windmills which had all been turned into very attractive homes.
We descended into the pretty seaside village of Cancale, renowned for it's oysters.
So we decided to tuck into a plate! Yumm!
Monday morning we rode down to the marina and then on to Dinan, a lovely medieval citadel with 13th-century ramparts and 15th-century half-timbered houses.
Hardly a vertical wall in sight!
We love the architecture of churches and visited the Basilique St-Sauveur with it's mixture of architecture from different periods, including nine Gothic chapels, a Romanesque porch and 18th-century steeple. It also contains some stunning stained glass windows.
The town overlooks the small port from the ramparts.
The old and the new, I know which I prefer!
And down in the port we came across this little beauty!
Then it was off back to Cancale .............
and more .................. guess what!
This time we took a small bottle of wine and ate them in style! :drinkinpa
Guess where the empty shells go!
Stopped at at small beach on the way back and just sat for a while and watched the waves crashing onto shore. Very relaxing.
Then a bunch of nuns came running past and spoilt the peace!
And then it was back to St Malo for our last night.
Early next morning we boarded the boat back to Blighty. The Drifter was the only bike on the boat - does that mean we're mad?
It's not often you get the chance to stand in front of one of these.
And so it was farewell to St Malo
- I'm sure we'll return one day.
We sailed into Portsmouth passing the new Spinnaker Tower and docked at 5.20 pm and were on our way by 5.40, only to get stuck in horrendous traffic on the M27. We didn't get home until 9.45 - a journey that usually takes less than two hours! Welcome back to the UK!!!!
536 miles covered with an average fuel consumption of 60 mpg. Nothing went wrong, fell off or broke. Drifters make great tourers!
Happy Birthday Paula. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I!
Footnote: new front brake switch fitted and all okay.
)!!!!
