Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See, writes:
I first saw the majestic seaside city of Saint-Malo after a full day of travel while on a French book tour. We arrived after dark and went straight to a crowded dinner on small chairs in a small room. Much eating and talking and smoking ensued, followed by more eating and talking and smoking. By the end of the meal I was desperate to get up and move. So while everyone else trudged back to the hotel, I went in the opposite direction, and climbed a long staircase, and found myself—utterly by chance—atop the massive stone ramparts that encircle the whole city. Read more…