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14th on my way to Mont St Michel

Got out of Rennes early and made my wat across Brittzny to Combourg, home of Chateaubriant the author. Here I found the market on and a lovely lake called the Lake of Tranquillity. Then this Menir or standing stone. HUGE and all alone outside Dol. Taking the coast road Cerruiex found me a place for lunch, a bench by the sea although it is miles away, and some nice views for painting. St Annes Chapel. A garlic field. Mistleoe. Don't think much of the hotel, more like a hostel but with the millions of visitors I can understand. Relais seem to have the monopoly and have a series of hotels probably at different prices. 
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13th in Rennes

What a lucky break to get into a decent hotel. View of the rooftops  Proper shower, breakfast and a lift to top floors and lift down to basement which takes the cars! St Antoine Hotel. Dreyfus exhibit. The canalised river.  I had forgotten how dead France is on  Sunday. Nothing open, even finding a cafe in the city is not easy. However I did find the Musee de Beaux Arts. Some lovely Egyptian artefacts. There was an exhibition of Roger Edgar Gillet on. So that brings in tiny tots with parents for a half hour with stories about the artist. His distorted series from the 60s. Then exciting seascapes at the end of his life. He died 2004. Then amongst the many modern pictures was this of Joan Mitchell who Robin talks about. Not sure why. I liked this. A walk back and a spell in Saint Georges Garden. Been good to just stop with no drivin...

12th Robert and Lisa are 56

Leaving today in brilliant sunshine and no breeze. Some pics right by this little house. The house and terrace. Attached to the very bright tree above. The passageway that leads to the centre. Got up to Chateaubriant eventually only to find the hotel was like a rundown motel on the edge of town, even the edge of the industtial area. No restaurant and altogether so awful I cancelled. Booking.com very accommodating as they should be when a place reckoned 8.5 by them is barely a 4 and although advertised with a restaurant has none.  So had to quickly find somewhere else and have ended up in Rennes at a proper hotel, a Best Western, near to the centre. Parking and now having a little Michelin supper in the station complex at Paris Brest. I watched people coming and going to this amazing station. Then a man came along and unpacked 4 pairs of shoes and left them on a ledge. Within a few minute...

11th or 9/11

25 years since. I read how many other people have died since from the toxic particles in the air. Mainly asbestos and how people were told it was safe despite reports saying it was not. Same old story, cover ups. And now Trump is offering $5000 to every US adult if Republicans win in Nov. Though Vance qualified that by saying not the wealthiest!. So glad I dont live there. Check out this lighthouse. It is low down and between it and the sea is a huge dyke, not much good for a passing ship. Need to read up a bit. Went painting by an old fort which overlooks oyster farms. Thousands of cages. No doubt a centuries old industry.

10th

Down at the port though not much water. Very high tidal range perhaps A lone battered tree. Some wildlife.

9th

Quite debilitated now with excruciating right side pain whenever I move, ? Pulled muscle. Rest and ice pack and parked illegally outside house. Patrick, our teacher, got me an appointment with an osteapath who spent 40 minutes trying to release the muscles. We shall see by the morning. On the way back took these. The very tall plants in the first picture are massed bamboo which must be used as windbreaks for ths vines. These are wonderful trees . Ill try to get near them to photo and sketch them.

8th

Not too hot and a bit of rain has lowered the humidity making it easier to sleep. Actually this place is quite boring. All the white houses and tiny streets but then what? Today's painting spots. This little green thing on a tree I thought was a neat little feeding station for insects only to be told it was for the boules players' cigarette butts. Life drawing. She is tall with long arms.