After our lovely weekend in the countryside we went to Rennes so I could go back to work and Maren, Peter and Ro could get to know my city. The weather was still terrible so during the odd break from work I played hostess and showed them around the streets of Rennes, but mostly we took refuge in crêperies and bars. Maybe the weather is why Bretons are notorious for having a drinking problem?

Maren and Peter quickly began to understand the offbeat and hippy-dippy nature of Rennes. We saw a man riding a unicycle while carrying a second unicycle on his back. There was a troupe of gypsy circus performers camped out in front of Parlement for the week. We also played that fun game called “Count the white dudes with dreads”…We quickly lost count.

We ate galettes of course, and now Maren and Peter have joined the ranks of souls spoiled by the insane quality of Breton crêpes. Speaking of delicious food,  we visited the famous Rennes market on Saturday.

We met my friends at varying times throughout the week for coffee, drinks and dinner so they could get to know Maren and Peter and see firsthand that I wasn’t exagertating about how cute my nephew Rowan is. He has some new fans…

At the end of the week, my parents arrived in Rennes. Finally, after their cancelled trip of last year, they had made it to Brittany. Better late than never! So, at long last, I found myself surrounded by family in Brittany. We were just missing my brother…

During their stay, we had only one sunny day, and we took advantage by hitting all the main sites of Rennes.

The Palais Saint-George.

The Parc Thabor.

We took some time to sit down and soak up the sun and enjoy the beautiful Breton sky.

Towards the end of our jaunt through the Thabor, we realized we were all quite hungry. Being an Italian, and therefore very food-forward family, this can be a dangerous thing. I quickly led my family down Rue Saint Melaine to L’Epicerie, one of the few restaurants open in Rennes on Sundays.

After lunch, we continued our tour of Rennes. We saw the ancient Porte Mordelaise.

And wandered down the crooked streets of the oldest part of Rennes.

We stepped into the Cathedral.

And Augustin, one of my favorite bakeries.

We also spent a lot of time hanging out at the cool apartment my parent’s had rented, playing with Rowan, sipping wine and just enjoying each other’s company.

But before we knew it, it was time for Maren and Pater to pack up their bags (and Rowan, sniff) and catch the train to Charles de Gaulle. What is it about getting older that make goodbyes increasingly unbearable?

After Maren and Peter left my parents and I had a couple more days in Rennes. We had my friends over for dinner so they could all get to know each other a bit.

Pretty soon, it was time to leave for the weekend to visit the boyfriend in the countryside. Finally, my parents and Toby would find the faces to match the voices on the phone…