Vannes IS Morbihan at its best.

Well I was left alone as my boys left to be with the mother older brother and paving the way for me to arrive at Christmas on the 22nd; I was then alone to do something on a Sunday cool, sunny, and calm. What better way to do it then visit my department capital of Vannes, the city I work. The city was decorated and calm when I arrive by noonish time, but by 3pm or 15h it was packed folks all over and shops open doing briskly business, and into the nights no doubts. The restos were getting ready for the 19h dinner time. Streets pedlers were walking all over singing, dancing,and playing songs of other lands and Christmas carols, very very nice.

Vannes is the Morbihan, not only the seat of local government,but the sights, the stores,bars,restaurants, and city sights are endless,not to mention the entertainement. Today was the papa Noel or santa claus arrival at 15h and I was just there to catch glimse of it.. Lots of folks were there too lol!

I like to park by the Le Port area, and taken the car a few meters before arrival you can park fo free!!! To avoid the city traffic coming by car, do not get off at Vannes Centre, instead head a bit west or east depending from where you are coming from on the road N165 and enter on exit 779E always following the signs for Le Port. You will be on a beltway around the city center that takes you on the backdoor of it all. You can park underneath at the Le Port parking or on the side streets along the canal mark with white lanes so they are free!!! The city has a nice gare or train station to Paris Montparnasse TGV service but the trip to the center better to take a taxi or bus as it can long and in winter not fun lol! The bus system is just enough but not as frequent and easy to go as the major cities like Paris. www.tpv.com or www.breizhgo.com ; the local train the TER Bretagne is at http://www.ter-sncf.com/regions/bretagne/fr/default.aspx

PArking underground is handle by vinci at http://www.vincipark.com/vincipark.nsf/fr/ville/pages/vannes.htm at Centre, Loi, and Republique. however I prefered if parking underground the one at Le Port, right by the canal and the tourist office at http://www.q-park.fr/tabid/566/qparkParkingLocatorvw4813/parkingdetail/ParkingID/1443/language/nl-NL/Default.aspx handle by Q-Park outfit.

The city has a beautiful Cathedral of St Pierre, where the tomb of Father Vicente Ferrier from Valencia Spain who evangilise the area in the 1300’s and the main city port to the Le Port area is name after him plus several other places at the most impressive the Port de Saint Vincent. The cathedral is richly decorated, and many pretty chapels including my favorite that of the Virgin Mary. It is right in the old section with beautiful wooden houses including my favorite shopping store Michel Loizeau at pl Henri IV ,the house dates from the 15C! Here you get today, winter clothing,bag,umbrellas,and belts of the finest local quality. The parish of the Cathedral official page is at http://cathedrale-vannes.cef.fr/index.php/accueil

The local NIcolas wine store at the Pl de Poids Public, where all is surrounded by wooden houses dating from the 14C onward is awesome ambiance. You have the Huche du pain, the laticonol chocolatiers,and so many shops to drop and empty your wallet ,all of the highest brand names and local Breton brands at prices better than Paris for sure.

The famous Chateau Gaillard, it was the old parlement of Bretagne, built in 1410, and parlement until 1535, and today houses the museum of history and archeology of the city of Vannes. More on tourisme of Vannes in English here http://en.mairie-vannes.fr/discovering_vannes/tourism/1315/index.html The other beauty is the Cohue, an old medieval hall now use as the museum of fine arts or , Musée des Beaux-arts . Both are a must when in town.

It has a beautiful Hotel de Ville or city hall done in 1847 and now under renovation, with very nice architecture and beautiful decorations. Then you must , must lost yourselves into the quaint medieval like narrow streets and gorgeous plazas of Vannes, from the porte of St Vincent walking on its street to the pl Henri IV, pl de Poids Publics, Pl Villa Valencia (and its famous faces of the woman of Vannes see photo), Pl des Lices, rue de la Monnaie, rue de bienheureux Pierre Rene Rogues, rue Emile Burgault, and rue St Guenhael, its ajother magical world. Daytime is wonderful nightime is sublime.

Then you have the canal, that goes right into the pl Gambetta, full of restos, before the porte Saint Vincent, but this canal goes all the way out into the Gulf of Morbihan (UNESCO World Heritage site) with a marine passenger boat terminal, seaquarium, butterflies museum, bowling alley, expo congress palace,and just wonderful promenades in addition to passenger boat trip to the islands in the Gulf; but this is for another post.

Come and enjoy Vannes, a wonderful city, still in an old way relax laidback atmosphere of France was always heard of outside of it. Discovered it. Enjoy the photos.