Bonjour from Dinard, France! We’re using a French keyboard, which is making Peter nauseous even though he’s not the one typing! We’re estimating that this post will take at least twice as long as the others to write, due to the strange arrangement of keys.

Anyway, we arrived at the world’s smallest airport last night, where there aren’t any gates or even a terminal, really. Just a sort of holding area before you walk onto the tarmac and board the plane (or vice versa). The arport also did not have any sort of currency exchange (bureau de change) or ATM. That meant that we were stuck in semi-rural France with several British pence coins and a 5 Euro note given to us by Michaela and Darren. We had to plead with the taxi driver - who assured us he spoke “beaucoup” English but then proceeded to speak only in French - to take us to an ATM. Thankfully, he was very agreeable, and everything worked out fine. We woke up this morning and had the typical French breakfast of coffee and croissants - quite a far cry from the English breakfast of egg, bacon, baked beans, sausage, fried bread, tomatoes, and mushrooms. (Fear not - we did not eat that breakfast every day in the UK!)

After breakfast, we set out to walk to Le Barrage de la Rance, a dam that makes electricity. When the tide comes in, the water flowing underneath it spins turbines to create electricity. The dam then holds back the water during low tide so that, as it flows back out to sea, electricity is again created. This form of energy production is very predictable (unlike wind) and absolutely renewable, since you’re guaranteed high and low tides every day. It’s very expensive to build a dam like this, but once it’s in place, it can create electricity for a long time. This barrage has been in use since 1967, and judging by the number of wires coming from it, it is a vital part of the electricity grid in the area.

Getting to the barrage proved to be more difficult than we anticipated. After walking about 3 miles, we got as close to it as possible but backed off when our only option was to walk along the very narrow shoulder of a 50mph road. This meant that Peter wanted to venture onto private property to get photos, which Erin was vehemently against. We settled for some great video shots from a close-by beach but couldn’t get any dam close-up photos.

We walked back into Dinard along a gorgeous coastal path and found lunch at a sidewalk cafe. Contrary to lunch in the States, a proper midday meal here is a multi-course operation. And, it being France, the food was amazing.

It’s been an eye-opening journey. In terms of official research, the contrast between new and old technology has been striking. I’m not sure there are many other places in the world where you could see a centuries-old hydro-powered mill alongside something as cutting-edge as the Wave Dragon. When talking to people, it’s apparent that the majority favor the use of renewable energy, as long as it does not seriously compromise their current standard of living (for example, many people are rightfully concerned that wind turbines will interfere with their radio and TV reception). It’s also become apparent that, when implementing renewable energy, governments need to allow for public input, examine possible environmental consequences, and have a plan for reducing carbon-emitting coal and natural gas facilities.

On a personal note, we have been struck by the size of the average car in Europe. Most people drive a vehicle smaller than Erin’s 2000 Toyota Corolla, and yes, these drivers often have 4 people in their cars! SUVs are a rarity, meaning that cars are obviously not a status symbol. Indeed, efficiency seems to be the most important component when purchasing a car. This has left us asking why. Why do we in America need big cars? Why are we okay with spending a huge amount of money on gas for cars that get low gas mileage? Why don’t we as a nation care about this?

And on an unrelated side note: we drove 1300 miles in the U.K. (many of which were on winding, and sometimes scary, narrow roads) and didn’t see one accident. This a far cry from the typical New England (or New Jersey) driving experience. The Brits, on a whole, are much more reserved, cautious, and polite drivers.

And this brings us to the end, at least for now. This is our last post during the trip; tomorrow we take a train from the neighboring city of St. Malo to Paris.

Thanks for reading. See you back in the States!