We are currently unable to access our reservations systems due to a fire in an IBM datacentre, IBM are working to resolve this, and we expect to regain access shortly. This means customers cannot make or amend bookings online or through our Contact Centre. Customers travelling today will be unaffected, but we remind you to arrive at the port at least 90 minutes before departure and have your booking reference/confirmation ready to provide at check-in. We will keep this page updated with information. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
We are currently unable to access our reservations systems due to a fire in an IBM datacentre, IBM are working to resolve this, and we expect to regain access shortly. This means customers cannot make or amend bookings online or through our Contact Centre. Customers travelling today will be unaffected, but we remind you to arrive at the port at least 90 minutes before departure and have your booking reference/confirmation ready to provide at check-in. We will keep this page updated with information. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
The rarely visited areas of St Malo hold a few hidden gems as Jersey Evening Post Reporter, Holly Robertson, recently discovered on a weekend trip to this charming area of Brittany.
After travelling on an early sailing with Condor Ferries, we walked to the walled city and checked into the Hotel les Ajoncs d’Or, which was a great base for exploring the undiscovered treasures of St Malo.
We met up with Corinne Le Lerre, an English woman who offers tours of her adopted home. We strolled around the ramparts and she explained her passion for all things French and that explorers, buccaneers and pirates have all used the area as a base over the centuries.
The next stop on our itinerary was the Yacht Club Le Saint Malo, situated on the marina just outside the city walls.
David Thomas and Leray Martin who own the club’s restaurant, offered us a beer and an insight into their style of cooking.
We were invited to watch Leray prepare sashimi, as David explained the process his fellow chef was following. In between bites of the most delicious homemade pâté, I listened as David explained his food philosophy.
He is incredibly passionate about using local produce and everything the kitchen uses is certified organically – with some even grown in his own garden to ensure quality.
We washed it all down with a glass of organic wine then moved on to les Comptoirs de Saint Malo for even more decadent consumption.
The store sells homemade jams and delectable caramels infused with fruit flavours, but it also houses a secret wine cellar below the shop floor.
Benoit Auffray, one of the store’s founders, led us into the cellar to taste an array of French wines.
The white and red wines were all easy to drink and after loading up on caramels and biscuits from the shop, we hopped into a taxi back to our hotel and a lovely little restaurant for dinner.
The next day, we were booked on the boat, Chateaubriand, for a cruise along the Rance River, towards Dinan.
The idea was to sit back, relax and take in the beautiful landscape while enjoying a lavish four-course meal. Three hours passed by in a blur of scenery, gourmet food and wine.
Later, we grabbed a taxi back to St Malo, where everyone had the same idea for a sunny Sunday afternoon – wandering around and soaking up the atmosphere.
I decided to take advantage of the different retail options and put in a few solid hours of shopping, picking up a coat, scarf and handbag before catching the ferry back to Jersey.
The trip turned out to be busy but relaxing and a great little weekend getaway.
