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Allure: Confessions of a Beauty Editor

After 15 years as Allure's editor-in-chief, Linda Wells has learned a thing or two about beauty--things that other people might not tell you. From how to keep lip gloss on longer than six minutes, to the best fix for frizzy hair, to how to use the latest anti-aging products, ALLURE: CONFESSIONS OF A BEAUTY EDITOR has all the answers. The book includes essential makeup techniques, sidebars, expert tips, emergency fixes, and information on how to get the best products for your money. Writing with the humor and honesty for which Allure is known, Linda and her editors share every dirty secret, explode many common beauty myths, and give readers the honest truth about how to look their best.

The Chateau de Suscinio or de Susinio is a French castle, built in the late Middle Ages, to be the residence of the Dukes of Brittany. It is located near the town of Sarzeau in the departement of Morbihan, near the coast of the Atlantic ocean. The spectacular site is comprised of the moated castle, a ruined chapel, a dovecote, and a few ruined outbuildings.

Designed to be a place of leisure, between the seaside and a forest full of game for hunting, the castle's first logis seigneurial (seigniorial house) dates from the beginning of the 13th century.

The castle was fortified and enlarged, at the end of 14th century, when the heirs of the duchy had to fight to keep their assets (Brittany was not yet part of France), after the castle was taken by Bertrand du Guesclin, the infamous Constable of France. John V and John VI constructed a new seigniorial residence block with a large, new corner tower known as the Tour Neuve. A casemate was added at the end of 15th century to protect artillery pieces.

The castle was then slowly abandoned by the aristocracy. In the early sixteenth century, the former great hall of the 14th century along the northern curtain-wall, was destroyed. The castle was then confiscated by the French crown under Francis I who offered it to one of his mistresses. In 1795, Sucinio was temporarily occupied by the royalists coming from Quiberon and heading to the north of the department. Written off in the 17th and 18th centuries, the castle was used off-and-on as a stone quarry until the Revolution.
The courtyard and restored inner facade of the large 15th century gatehouse

During the Revolution, it was sold to a merchant who continued to sell the stones, and it fell into even greater ruin.

The departement of Morbihan bought it in 1965, from the family of Jules de Francheville who attempted to preserve and restore the castle, and began the restoration in earnest. The remains of a ducal chapel was found in the vicinity outside of the moats; its remarkable tiled floor has been carefully removed and restored and is now exhibited in a hall of the castle.

Nowadays, Suscinio Castle has again regained its allure of an intact medieval fortress, but major restoration work continues. Exhibitions and summer events attract many people. Since 1840, the castle has been listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

Source wikipedia

Whereas I found the less than stellar service and the cold tuna melt unimpressive, the joint's history might be strong enough allure for some. Its vintage decor was what you'd expect from your average dilapidated cafe turned hipster hideout, from the gritty tile floors to the Bob Dylan wall painting astride the juiced-up back room piano.

Special amid tons of cookie-cutter establishments, I'm not sure it would even rank in a battle of the best or most interesting restaurants, except to those locals who appreciate its proximate charms.