Paris1972-Versailles2003

So up we go to the corsair city of Saint Malo. Yes a very popular spot in our beautiful Brittany, however, there are places off the beaten path most visitors by passed by going to the city center. Of course, this is in Saint Malo, dept 35 of Ille et Vilaine in the region of Bretagne. I like update a wonderful family trip my boys enjoyed very much, the Grand Aquarium of Saint Malo.

The Grand Aquarium of Saint Malo is located at the entrance of the Corsair city of Saint-Malo, in the heart of the malouin basin. It opened its doors in 1996. Owned since 2011 by the Looping Group, a European operator of amusement parks, this property is one of the main public aquariums in France, and the most visited private park in Brittany!. With a total of 4 000 m2 and 2 500 000 liters of water (including 600 000 liters for the largest of the 46 basins ,excluding Nautibus attraction), there are 11 000 animals from the marine world and 600 different species.

The Grand Aquarium offers to discover the underwater world in different rooms that address; the cold and temperate seas with the ballet of the jellyfish, the giant crabs of Japan (up to 3.80 meters large), the anemones, the wolf fishes, the barracudas, etc. The tropical collection with its clown fish, its surgeon fish, the coral, the garden eels and the nautilus. The mangrove with the four-eyed fish, the turtle, the piranha, etc. A wreck of a galleon inhabited by white-tipped sharks, blacktip sharks and harangues.

In addition, there are three attractions such as the tactile basin of 120 m2 tracing the contours of Brittany allows to touch the marine species that populate the Breton coasts such as bats, rays, starfish or sea spiders. Also a large shark ring. The basin, in which seven sharks (of four different species), one giant grouper and three sea turtles, one at more than 30 years of age, contains 600 000 liters of water and fully encircles the room. The Grand Aquarium offered the originality of being able to spend a night in the heart of this ring, surrounded by sharks. The “Nautibus”, submarine following a course among 5 000 fish swimming in a basin of 1 500 000 liters.

Some webpages to help you plan your visit are:

The official Aquarium of St Malo: https://www.aquarium-st-malo.com/

The St Malo tourist office on the aquarium: https://www.saint-malo-tourisme.co.uk/to-see-and-do/out-and-about-fresh-air/leisure/grand-aquarium-de-saint-malo-1567756

There you go folks, fun for the whole family and something even in this fortified city an off the beaten path idea, just at the entrance to the city.  The Grand Aquarium of Saint Malo, nice, recommended for all. Hope you enjoy it as we!!!

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

This was our first trip to this neck of the woods as we heard wonderful things about the cruise ship building here as well as the site of the landing of the American expeditionary force in WWI with Gen Pershing and the famous words “Lafayette we are here” . I am glad to update this post for you and me. We were starting to spread out a bit into outlying areas of our base in the Morbihan. Today we did a quick visit to Saint Nazaire, in dept 44 Loire-Atlantique of the Pays de la Loire region. It is another seldom visited off the beaten path of my belle France, but worth the detour me think.

As we had little time and no plans to visit, we only touch bases by going into the city center/centre ville/downtown area. The usual shopping we do near us ,we did it there this time. That is shopping for the wife, lots lots of it lol!!! then shopping for the kids lots of it, and little for me as I do the driving slave slave slave lol!!! We did purchase some clothings  at C&A and pillows ,and household items at GIFI, then  went over to see the big centre commercial of Savine, Grand Champs, both full of stores, restaurants amazing place so much in one place all in the neighboring town of Trignac. Of course, it was a rainy day all day long oh well; c’est la vie et la vie est belle!!!

While there we ate at a picturesque restaurant call Poivre & Rouge, in the nearby town of Trignac ,and it was a pleasant surprise with great family welcome, funny folks, great service, and the food was great, had 400 grams steaks, Iberico spanish pork ham, cold cuts and melted camembert cheese, duck maigret steak of 200 grams, and all with grimbergen blonde/blanche beers, cafe gourmand, banana splits, and cheesecake ice cream, strawberries, and another of caramel and apple flavors, all for about 27.80€ per person within our budget! Like I said, we will be back soon. Good. This is a chain but each time less restaurants, the one here and the latter one in Vannes are closed. For the memories, the restos webpage: http://restaurants-grill.poivre-rouge.com/home.asp

We walk the center of Saint Nazaire around the shopping Republique, many nice shops and restos there too, all the way to the Hôtel de Ville or city hall, and pass by the train bus station upon entering the center of town. The buses were working well, even on a rainy windy there, that is still going on by me. Ruban Bleu shopping center for our shopping today; official webpage: https://www.rubanbleu-saintnazaire.com/

On our way back , we just did our groceries at Auchan, heck its only 110 kms from us so on a cool day it was no problems, this is our former hypermarket from the Yvelines(78)! The Shopping Trignac and Auchan  hypermarket here for reference: https://trignac.aushopping.com/fr/magasins/shops/auchan-trignac

In all, its a place to combine it with the beaches of La Baule, Pornic, Pornichet etc and do the shopping back here on way back, nice planning, check, noted,written,and schedule. See you around here in summer. Well the real one because today we are already in summer time here lol!!! Those meteologists folks still missing the point rain all day lol!! Need to be back, I will,promise!

The city of Saint Nazaire :https://www.saintnazaire.fr/notre-territoire/our-territory

The Saint Nazaire tourist office: https://www.saint-nazaire-tourisme.uk/

There you go folks, a quick tour of the off the beaten path Saint Nazaire. Hope you enjoy the post and remember, the biggest cruise ships in the world are done here like the Wonder of the Seas!!

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!