Glass blowing and exhibition at St. Meloir des Ondes

Ian and I took his children to the gallery and glass blowing studio in St. Meloir des Ondes (between St. Malo and Cancale) today. It was cold so the warmth of the furnaces was welcome.

We had to wait about an hour before they started working the glass but once the process began we all enjoyed watching the manipulation and blowing of the hot molten Cristal glass. One piece took about 30 minutes and was achieved by layering hot coloured glass on an already molten bulb of glass constantly blowing and turning.

Ian's children are always interested in learning new things and the artisan, Martin Durand, did include them and ask them if they had any questions at the end.

I have to confess to being a bit rigid with fear as enthusiastic spellbound kids looked around the glittering gallery, sleeves and dangling gloves just missing 300 euro objects of art but we did, thankfully, escape without any damage.

The gallery also offers workshops for adults and children for those of you who fancy having a go.

Another good idea on a cold, wet day.

The web address is http://www.idverre.net/durand-gasselin/creations.html

Tidal power station (hydroelectrical dam) between St. Malo and Dinard

The tidal power station on the Rance Estuary between St. Malo and Dinard was the first of it's kind ever to be built. It was started in 1961. The turbines were renovated in 2002.

It was pretty cold today so outdoor activities were not on the agenda. In the end we thought a quick jaunt to the tidal power station at the Barrage de la Rance might be interesting.

The entrance was FREE ! and although the tour was very short the kids enjoyed it. There was a short film (headphones for English and German speakers) which explained the basic workings, development and the running of the tidal power station. After the film there was a small exhibition hall with interactive models showing the workings of the turbines which have been there for over 30 years now. The tidal power station can supply enough electricity for a town of up to 300,000 inhabitants.

If you are crossing the Barrage at any time, try to take 30 minutes to stop and look around.

Go-Karting in Brittany

A few weeks back Ian and I headed out to have a look at the Karting tracks north of Dinan.

We went to the track which is advertised as being in St. Malo http://www.karting-saint-malo.com/ but is in fact quite a way outside on the way to Cancale. The track looked good and well kept the atmosphere seemed friendly. It was outdoor and had two different types of go-kart that you could hire; a 9 HP(50mph) and a 22HP (70mph). These types of kart are limited to kids over 12 years of age. For under 12's there are mini quads and mini karts and a training circuit but it is very slow. If you have kids over 7 it's better to go to the outdoor karting at Le Meziere near Rennes http://www.royalkart.com/ (cheaper than the indoor one at Cap Malo on the opposite side of the motorway).

The St. Malo karting also does Quad hikes which look like fun and not too costly at 2 hours across all types of terrain for 2 hours 65 euros.

Later that afternoon we went to find the karting in Dinard which was not a scratch on the one at St. Malo but a lot closer to get to for a quick whizz round we thought. However, on closer inspection it transpired that the karts were electric and the kids karts were fixed to go at nearly walking pace which took the fun out of it for them. I don't think it was the best choice.

Both had more or less the same tariffs (approx) 15 euros for 10 minutes.

So, to summarise. If you are looking for some adult fun go to St. Malo http://www.karting-saint-malo.com/ but for kids go to Rennes: http://www.royalkart.com/

Happy karting !

Zoo at Tregomeur

I enjoyed this zoo because all the animals seemed to have lots of space and were presented in their natural environement.

There was a good variation of animals the best of all being the lovely freindly bear which we all became attached to.

The zoo is in a beautiful valley and is brand new. A great effort has been made with the layout and access to all areas is easy. We were even able to walk amongst the pelicans. Times were given so we could be at the right place at the right time to see the animals being fed and the zoo keepers were very freindly and available to answer all the children's questions which made it much more interesting for them.


There is a nice cafe and it wasn't too expensive but, unusually for France, no picnic tables so if you don't fancy the usual snack bar food, eat before you go.


Morning opening times are limited to certain days so better to hit it in the afternoon between 14 and 19h. The web address is http://www.zoo-tregomeur.com/