Dinan

Yesterday, David and I spent the day in Dinan, a city that is rich in medieval buildings, cobblestones, and steep hills. Its Old Town is full of 14th and 15th century restored half-timbered houses. 

Here is a view of its Clock Tower, built in the 15th century; we climbed most of the way up to see the panoramic views.

I particularly like this detail on the side of a building.

This street runs from the center of the Old Town to the port of the River Rance. The combination of steepness and cobblestones makes for an interesting walk!

These women had a strategy for walking up the street - link arms and walk up together!

The Saint Sauveur Basilica is interesting in that it mixes the Romanesque and Flamboyant Gothic styles. You can see this from a corner of the church's exterior. I found the windows, in the Flamboyant Gothic style, quite beautiful.

After enjoying lunch at a lovely creperie, we left Dinan and headed south to the Chateau de la Bourbansais, which has been owned by the same family since the 16th century. They open the chateau for public tours in the afternoon and maintain a zoo on the property.

 

After seeing parts of the interior of the chateau, we saw two demonstrations of chateau life - the training of the hounds and falconry.