Dinan~ The prettiest Medieval town of Brittany

Just a hop, skip and about a 4-hour train ride west of Paris

is one of the most beautiful, and well-preserved, medieval cities in Brittany. 

Dinan, filled with 15th century half-timbered houses

and cobbled streets,

one of our first stops in Bretagne,

is also a tourist mecca of creperies, bars and restaurants

(under the watchful eye of ancient figurines). 

I am seriously just a fool for those waddle-and-daub houses

and their mingled energy of centuries past.

Only a very few left in Paris 

(thanks to Haussmann),

this town is so well-preserved as it luckily missed the bombing of WWII. 

A quick stop here on our way to St. Brieuc where we spent the night

before exploring the coast the next day. 

The weather graced us with summer-like temperatures over Easter weekend,

allowing us to sip our drinks in late afternoon sunshine

surrounded by towers and spires, 

named after the Duchesse Anne,

ruler of Breton until forced to marry French kings. 

The doors and windows of these fairytale cities

always make me want to climb through

to another time; 

a simpler (albeit 'slightly' more barbaric) time 

without cell phones and computers,

neon signs and Wall Street. 

A window in time~
I've always had a 'thing' for doors and windows,
incorporating them into my artwork
and basing an entire collection and art show
on their themes of passage, opportunity,
visual and spiritual bridges.

But as I stare at this time portal, wishing for it to speak to me, tell me its secrets,
where we'd travel to and when, who looked out and stared at this very space I'm sitting in,
what might have been cooking centuries ago behind those walls,
it's the smell of a savory crepe that brings me back.
Voila!
C'est la vie... dans cette siecle.