Channel Adventure Day 8

Day 08 - Sunday, April 15, 2018 – Hike to Mont St. Michel; Explore the Island; Afternoon Drive on Rue de Baie

We had a great night’s sleep in our comfy Bread & Breakfast on the Bay of Mont St. Michel. There was more rain during the night. Our hostess Danielle told us of the terrible cold and rainy winter they have had this year.

Our breakfast was very charming with fresh breads, yogurt, and homemade pastries. We met a couple from Sao Paulo and we talked with them for a while before getting our rain gear ready for our 2.8 mile walk to Mont St. Michel.

The temperature was 44 degrees and it was raining with the wind blowing off of the bay making it feel much colder than it was. But we both prepared for the weather and we hiked at a brisk pace so we were never cold or very wet.

From the B&B driveway, we crossed a field and climbed up to the hiking path that took us directly to this incredible setting. Le Mont St. Michel is one of Europe’s most unforgettable sights. Although we could see the Abbey from several miles away, it was tucked into the heavy fog this morning.

Mont St. Michel is located at the mouth of the Couesnon River, where the regions of Normandy and Brittany merge. This is also home of one of the most dramatic tidal ranges in Europe, making the abbey and fortress impenetrable during high tides in the medieval times.

In the past pilgrims and then tourists had to walk during low tide on the salt flats to get to the island. A causeway has recently been built for walkers, like us, and the shuttle buses that bring thousands of modern day pilgrims to Mont St. Michel.

The history of the abbey says that there was a chapel on the rock from the 600’s and then in 966, the Benedictine Monks settled and expanded the monastery and the church. It also served as a defensive fort against the English and as a prison during the French Revolution.

We entered the main gates and walked along the narrow cobblestone Grande Rue, or Main Street on our way to the Abbey. The street was lined with gift shops, cafés, and even a few hotels.

There were many tourists with the majority being French people who had come for a Sunday outing. One can only imagine the crowds during the summer and on a sunny day.

When we finally reached the Abbey, the crowds had thinned out and we followed the signs on the self guided tour. There were audio guides available, but we chose to learn on our own enjoying our independence.

The thick stonewalls and high ceilings kept us dry, but inside the fortress it was chilly. We went into the main chapel of the abbey where a priest was offering Holy Mass and the choir consisted of members of the 44 nuns and monks from the Monastic Fraternities of Jerusalem that now live in the abbey.

Our self-guided tour took us to the cloister and gardens, the kitchens and great dining halls, as well as the towers. By the time we left the abbey, the sun had come out and we climbed the fortress ramparts for fantastic views of the little town within the walls and the sea surrounding the island.

During our trek, we probably walked 4.5 miles. We decided to take the shuttle back to the mainland for 1.5 miles and then we walked the rest of the way back to our room. Arriving at 2:30, we cleaned our shoes and hung up our rain gear to dry.

We got into our Passat and drove into Portorson to go to the grocery store but it was closed on Sunday afternoon. We continued our drive and found a little sandwich shop open where we had our light lunch.

As it was not raining and we had the rest of the day, we took a leisurely drive along the panoramic Rue de Baie, Route of the Bay. We made several stops for photos and marveled at the tide changes near the oyster farms at Le Vivier-Cherrueix. We traveled almost to Cancale and then took the more direct route back to Beauvoir.

It was after 5:00, time to organize our photos and to relax for the evening. How lucky we were to see the sun for at least part of the day and to have the comfort of our own car to start exploring the region of Normandy and Brittany.

The world's big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.

John Muir

Accommodations: Les Vieilles Digues B&B - - - Meal: B