Well here I am back with a by now usual name ; actually I am condensing 3 posts into one as they were without pictures as in my black and white series,no pictures, And getting these old posts to new life in my blog for you and me. The pictures are in the individual posts on the sights. Therefore, here is my take on curiosities of Vannes, part II , III , IV, VII, XV, and XXII !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I
We walked by the St Patern district ,very old quaint nice and friendly, and had our lunch in already our favorite place Le Gavroche, 17 rue de la Fontaine. (now sadly closed) We decided to do the round of créperies and bar à nuits in town that we have been, these include the night time bar A Tribord, 28 rue st Patern. (now sadly closed). The Créperie Dan Ewen, 3 Place du Général de Gaulle is one we had tried a while back,and after so many crêperies here,this one becomes routine,nothing more. We stop by the Irish pub Le Chat qui Grogne, 12 Place Cabello, right in a quaint area that I just like it a lot. This is for that old Guinness pint and having some real sports watch, Another old favorite was the Saint-Exupéry (now closed) was a brasserie/créperie at 14 rue des Halles, old area, nice buildings and shops all around you,and you can come in with terrace as we did by 8 Rue des Orfévres sitting in a nice square.
My boys to their favorite store ,Japanim, the mangas and figurines stores my boys are craze about, Each time here they load up , long time customers and now in a nice bigger store at 3 Place Joseph le Brix just across from Monoprix, and today was my turn to visit and pay all those Christmas gifts lol !! The store now offers over 12,800 mangas. A literary genre booming since confinement. It’s a low-key bookstore that only manga fans know about. Established rue Burgault since 2001,where they came to know them first and later move into a former 80 m2 clothing store, rue Joseph-Le Brix, in front of Monoprix (see post). The official Japanim Vannes: https://japanim.com/store/vannes
The one business we have used sparingly gladly thank you is the Pharmacie Centrale at 1 Place Joseph le Brix ,just beginning of rue Joseph le Brix , The pharmacy has a wide variety of herbal medicine, parapharmacy, aromatherapy, medicines (homeopathy and veterinary medicines with prescription and without prescription) at the lowest prices. This is next to Japanim, see above, The official pharma Centrale: https://pharmaciecentrale-vannes.fr/
Above the pharmacie centrale and japanim (see above) was house in the former Hôtel de voyageurs dit Hôtel de Bretagne (still label on top front see pic above) later Hôtel Central et de Bretagne, corner with rue Traversière At the Place Joseph Le Brix , just beginning of rue Joseph le Brix , a travelers hotel rebuilt on an older building appearing on the cadastre of 1844 and the plan of Vannes de Bassac of 1869, The former rue Saint-Yves, was named rue Joseph Le Brix in 1931. As a result, the numbering of the houses on the street changed, with numbers 1 and 2 then assigned further down to the east of rue Billault. Further, the building at nos, 8, and 10 rue Le Brix Joseph was built at the end of the 19C in the gardens of the old ditches used by the rampart, destroyed, on a virgin site until 1840, but built from two houses on the Charier plan of 1863
Outside the old town in the area of Atlanville is very nice family spot; there are about 6 restaurants,bars to choose from, some local some national brands, A center of entertainment away from the center of the city, We have been many times for football/soccer games to the Irish pub Le Skellig. For lunch they are light but for nights is packed. Further south and out of the old town you have the wonderful Parc du Golfe at the entrance to the Conleau peninsula you find the Le Master bowling. Very friendly and the prices nice. Here too you find the congress hall for events we come often such as the wine fairs Further, out over the expressway N165 you have the municipal pool where we went once but for others should be ok, This is Vanocéa. The winter is coming and is nice to have a place to swim under a roof and heated pool for many
We started taking the boys to the movies on the matinee at Cinéville to see Transformer 4, something like that…hehehe it was a good movie for them so I was happy. I have mentioned this cinema several times in my posts on Vannes. It is around the area of Atlanville with plenty of shops and restaurants.
Then we tried a new restaurant we have seen by Avranches first and now nearer to us. We went to have lunch at the La Pataterie resto , ZAC Parc Lann, Rue Gay-Lussac,(it has since closed) near the Decathlon store; this is a restaurant where the entire menu is around the Potato !!! Here for the memories of always.
We end up the evening with dinner at Les Oliviers , 60, ave de Verdun, near the train station of Vannes. This time the gang join us for a family affair in one of the better restaurants in the city. My boss took me here once and now the family. The cooking here is market fresh and with gastronomic taste so refine and local reservation is a must, small restaurant, tops produce. It has since closed, here for the memories of always,
We took our usual ride in Vannes with the family; one nice place I recommended friends and have collègues stayed so know well but never stayed myself is the Maison de la Garenne, (see post) a bed and breakfast in a historical old mansion overlooking the ramparts and gardens of the Garenne. The official Maison de la Garenne : https://www.maisondelagarenne.com/en/
We went by it as I have been taking collegues visiting our office here in Vannes. I have used their properties at the Nantes Atlantique airport and they are very good. This is the Escale Oceania Hotel . The official Escale Océania Hotel of Vannes
: https://www.oceaniahotels.com/escale-oceania-vannes
Good idea to see wonderful opera and theater shows evenings at the wonderful Théatre Anne de Bretagne, place de Bretagne. I have been here for meetings and conventions on a business mode. Over the years he has become Scénes du Golfe with a variety of events. It has now two halls for showings, the salle Lesage with 800 seats and the salle Ropartz with 300 seats. As well as the newer hall ,the Salle 112 with 112 seats. The official Scénes du Golfe:https://www.scenesdugolfe.com/
In the perimeter of the old town, my boys were a must stop was the Empire Games (now closed ) a sort of star wars scenes of games and figurines, t-shits etc. ; all chic and different by pl des lices; very nice friendly service. Another store , and bigger now their central area is the Japanim by 14 Bis Rue Emile Burgault that offers lots of mangas, dvd, cups, etc of the japanese genre of games and movies. My son’s favorite !
Back in the old town section you have the La Belle Illoise, fish canning local ,wonderful; 31 place des lices, La Trinitaine, cookies biscuits ,breton sweets, deco, souvenirs,and fish canning too, glorious at 19 place des lices. Alain Chartier chocolatier and glacier ,ice creams gourmands, mâitre chocolatier de France at 25 place des lices, and also a school of cooking desserts. Monoprix, discount dept store at place Joseph le Brix. La Huche à Pains, the best bakery at 23 Place des Lices. Right around here you have the Villa Valencia. 3 Rue Bienheureux Pierre René Rogues ,where I had my filet mignon pork in a wok oriental style ! You go down to Le Port for lunch at one of our favorite places, A l’aise Breizh Café on top of the Capitanerie du port (harbormaster).
The Le Port (see posts) is a lively and urban district of Vannes, covering an area of 1.5 km². It has many corners of greenery such as the Parc de la Garenne, the Butte de Kérino and the Jardin de Limur.(see posts). The place Gambetta, of hemispherical plan, marks the end of the port of Vannes and puts it in contact with the historic old town by the Porte Saint-Vincent. There is the Golfe du Morbihan tourist office at the Quai Eric Tabarly. The official Golfe du Morbihan tourist office of Vannes : https://www.golfedumorbihan.bzh/explorer-vannes/decouvrir-vannes/golfe-morbihan/vannes/
You have at Le Port also, the nice Le Kiosque at the Esplanade Simone Veil – Right bank of the port. This is a municipal cultural institution dedicated exclusively to photography, The carrousel or merry-go-round of wooden horses is enjoying happy days at the port, it is at 1 Avenue de Lattre de Tassigny, You have right there the music kiosk or bandstand , The bandstand appeared in 1889 on Place Théodore Decker. It is now located on a lively promenade after the carrousel , and is widely used by all the musical groups in Vannes which, like the National School of Music, often have their headquarters nearby. The wonderful Conservatory of Music of Vannes (see post) was founded in 1908, The Conservatory offers courses in music, early, traditional, current music, as well as in theater and plastic arts. It also offers early learning workshops in music, theater and plastic arts from the age of 5. The history I like tells us that the land was given at the beginning of the 17C to the Discalced Carmelites.
There are many things going on in the Le Port , one of these next to the Capitainerie or harbormaster building is a cafe style open building for artists, Here you will find on the building with whales painted on its facade the B.R.E.F Rive Gauche – Bar, makes available to artists in the process of professionalization and those established workshop on the 1st floor, the ground floor is a place of life with exchanges, and the 1st floor artists from all horizons experience their creative process, Then, you have the mailbox or La Boîte à Lettres on painter in letters with painting in old letters. Realization of signs by hand, durable or ephemeral, on various supports: frame, truck etc. Less plastic, more characters, avant garde.
The quant nice covered market or marché couvert des lices at pl des lices. We did some tablecloths shopping at La Tapenalgue, 23 Rue des Halles , wonderful gifts of Brittany and foods items locally done. The store is in the old section very nice quant area to walk too, our favorite. We stop by to our old favorite shopping store Michel Loizeau (sadly closed) was at pl Henri IV , the house dates from the 15C! Here we had our Breton winter clothing, bags ,umbrellas,and belts of the finest local quality. The Pizzeria Don Camillo at 20 rue du port, by the Le Port area across from the canal and the tourist office.
The city of Vannes on its heritage: https://www.mairie-vannes.fr/decouvrir-le-patrimoine-vannetais
The local Golfe du Morbihan tourist office on Vannes: https://www.golfedumorbihan.bzh/explorer-vannes/decouvrir-vannes/golfe-morbihan/vannes/
The Brittany region tourist office on Vanne : https://www.brittanytourism.com/destinations/the-10-destinations/southern-brittany-morbihan-gulf/vannes/
There you go I feel better updating these wonderful posts of great souvenirs/memories for us. Hoping it brings you over, this is a wonderful town of Vannes and the above while open are tops. Again, hope you enjoy this post on curiosities of Vannes, part II, III, IV, VII, XV, and XXII !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 