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Published: August 10th 2009
Mont-St Michel
Sheep grazing below causeway to Mont-St. Michel.Day 15: Monday, July 6, 2009
MONT-ST. MICHEL, FRANCE Alarm went off at 6:00 am, but no point in getting up that early. Not only was I tired, but it was very overcast outside. Went back to bed. Decided to get moving around 7 am or so.
Today the plan is to tour
Mont. Saint Michel. This UNESCO listed site was a former abbey built on a rocky island mount. Around the base of the mound were built protective walls within which a town and the abbey were built. Everything spirals up to the abbey, which sits at the apex. Previously it was connected to land via a thin natural bridge that would be covered during high tide. However, now days there is a raised causeway on which cars (and many tourist buses) can pass safely.
After checking out of the hotel and storing my luggage, I went off towards
Mont. Saint Michel. Though there is a bus that will take you across the causway to Mont. Saint Michel, I opted to walk. It's a fairly long walk (maybe a mile), but it gave me opportunity to take it in. It's a beautiful sight. The surrounding landscape is so flat, so
Mont. Saint Michel simply commands the attention. It can be seen for miles. Along the way, I passed some sheep that were grazing below the causeway. It was low tide, so the grass and mud flats below were exposed.
I wasn't as early as I'd originally planned, but actually was there at the right time. I arrived just as things were opening and thus beat the crowds. It looked like a couple tour buses were just pulling in. After entering the city walls, you pass a number of the old buildings and houses which are now shops and museums. I kept hiking upwards towards the abbey.
Upon reaching the top, there was a good sized tour group of elderly people. I thought I'd have to wait a bit, but they were waiting for all their party to make it up the steps to the Abbey. It wasn't that easy for me, so I'm sure it was an effort for some of them. As a result, I was able to purchase my ticket (8 euro; 11.20 USD) and go right in.
Once on top, one can see for miles. Being low tide, much of what can be seen around the
Mont-St Michel
Entering Mont-St. Michel. mount is mud flats. Farther out are miles and miles of farm lands and forests. It was a great view, though I didn't think there was much to see. I found it much more impressive looking up at Mont St. Michel than looking out from it.
I did the self-tour of the Abbey. Though it's interresting, I didn't find it worth more than 2-3 hours. It's one of those places that you tour, then move on. This matches what I was told by Pan's wife (see previous blog). Perhaps I've visited too many castles and cathedrals. I think what is most facinating about the abbey is how it is built. Take a moment to think about what it must of taken to build such a place on a huge rocky mount. The men and materials it took. Because it's built on a mount, portions of it seem to wind and curve back upon itself to fit with the contours of the hill. In that respect, it's very impressive.
I don't have much to say about my tour of the abbey, but will mention one thing. How do you think supplies were brought up to the abbey? Can you
Mont-St Michel
Walking up the steps leading to abbey atop Mont-St. Michel. imagine constantly carrying supplies up that hill?. What they did was construct a wheel and pully mechanism. At the top, there is a large wheel mechanism in which one or more people could stand. Around the axel of the wheel is a rope which extends down the side of the fortress. When the person(s) in the wheel would walk (like a hamster) to make the wheel turn, the rope would slowly pull supplies up the side of the fortress. I highly recommend a visit to Mont-St. Michel.
Tip: If traveling by train (as I did), make sure to check train schedules ahead of time. If you are coming in on a morning train, plan to spend the entire day as trains don't leave again until evening. You might also want to check out Rick Steves France travel guide. After Mont-St. Michel, I walked back towards what I term hotel row. By the time I got to the other end of the causeway, the clouds started to break and the sun finally came out.
I knew I had time before I could leave town, so decided to visit the
German WWII cemetery that I recall reading about in Rick Steves book. I rented
Mont-St Michel
View from atop Mont-St Michel. a bike from the Vert hotel (I don't remember the cost, but it was reasonable). Rick Steves book had a little map and estimated the distance at about 3 miles. That sounds about right. As the land is fairly flat in this area, I found it to be an easy ride.
The ride was pleasant and gave different perspectives of Mont-St. Michel. It also gave me the opportunity to see a bit of the farms in the area. Along the way I would see cars going in the opposite direction (toward Mont-St. Michel) constantly pulling over to take pictures of Mont-St. Michel. Can't blame them. The bicycle I'd rented didn't have a chain guard, so I hiked up my right pant leg to avoid getting it caught in the bicycle chain. This gave an old french farmer a good laugh as I went by. He was saying something to me between chuckles, but I gestured that I didn't understand. Though I know next to no French, I had a good idea what he was saying simply by his reaction. No translation needed. So we both got a chuckle.
As I got closer, I saw the sign "Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof;
Mont-St Michel
Inside the abbey atop Mont-St. Michel. 1939-45 Mont-D'Huisnes; Cimetiere Militaire Allemand" with an arrow pointing the way. Though easy to find, it's surrounded by farmland and one might buzz right on by if not paying attention. I passed corn fields, then suddenly there it was. It was pretty much as Rick Steves described: "this somber but thoughtfully presented cemetery-mortuary houses the remains of 12,000 German soldiers". I think it respectful to the soldiers burried there, yet presented in a way so as not to disrespect the French who's country they attacked. The cemetery is a two story circular building with a cross in the open center. Around the inner circle are sections with the plaques marking the remains. Upon entry, there is an area with some information as well as a gentleman who seemed to be there to answer questions and watch over the place. Interrestingly, in addition to flowers or wreaths, some of the markers have letters affixed that the soldier had sent home. English translations are available. Opposite the entrance, you can climb a set of stairs that take you on top of the structure where you can get a great view of Mont-St. Michel.
It took me an even hour to make
Mont-St Michel
Abbey atop Mont-St. Michel. the trip to the German Cemetery and back. When returning the bike, the woman at Hotel Vert said "You must be a superman". I had to laugh. Granted, I was riding along at a good pace. For anyone thinking of doing this as I did, I would recommend giving yourself 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
Upon returning to my hotel, I used the Wi-Fi connection in the lobby to check the train schedule. Next train out wasn't due until after 3 pm. It was only 12 noon, so I had plenty of time to kill. After some research, I decided I would go to Saint Malo as Pan's wife suggested. Problem was, that train doesn't leave until 6:05 pm. So I spent the entire afternoon in the hotel lobby cruising the Internet, checking train schedules, planning my next day, and so on.
When I went out for lunch, I checked the bus schedule. Decided I would take the 4:35 pm bus to the train station.
6:05 pm train was only one car. 45 min to 1 hour trip to Saint Malo.
ST. MALO, FRANCE While on the Internet, I'd made a reservation at Hotel De
Mont-St Michel
Courtyard within the abbey. L'Europe in St. Malo. Upon arrival, it was easy to find. Only a block away from train station, located a short walk outside the old city walls. The hotel occupies rooms atop shops below. I booked it mainly on location to the train station and it was cheap. The gentleman at the reception desk didn't speak much english, but enough that I could get my room. The place is basic, old and worn. There was no elevator, so up the stairs I went (getting to be a habit with some places I've stayed). The carpet in the hallway was worn, so I wondered how the room would be. It was ok. Basic, very plain, but clean. I wouldn't recommend it unless you are a college kid traveling on the cheap, but for a one night stay it served it's purpose. I didn't intend to spend much time in the room.
After dropping my luggage, I immediately headed off for the old city center. According to the
France-For-Visitors.com website:
"ST-MALO was originally in the Middle Ages a fortified island at the mouth of the Rance, controlling not only the estuary but the open sea beyond. The promontory fort of Alet, Mont-St Michel
Wheel used to haul supplies up to the top. south of the modern centre in what's now the St-Servan district, commanded approaches to the Rance even before the Romans, but modern St-Malo traces its origins to a monastic settlement founded by saints Aaron and Brendan early in the sixth century."
I didn't have to walk far to reach the ramparts of the old city fortress. On the way I passed the ports for the shipping docks. Closer to the fortress are piers for pleasure boats. I walked around the city walls listening to the crashing of the waves, taking in the sea air, and enjoying the wonderful view. Like many old fortresses, there were a few old canon along the walls they once defended, pointing out to sea. A number of people were about, enjoying the weather, playing in the water, or just admiring the views as I was. But many more were enjoying the restaurants within. Very popular in St. Malo are the mussels. So after walking the entire circumferance of the old town, I decided to have some mussles myself. Tucked among the narrow streets and tall stone buildings are a host of restaurants. I decided to eat at Zolibato, which was one of the smaller
restaurants. It was very quaint. The mussels were plentiful and delicious. I had it with a Duchesse Ale (a local beer) which went down rather nicely. Perfect after a long day. I even treated myself to crepes with carmel for desert. Excellent. My total bill was roughly 23 euro (32.21 USD). I don't care, it was good.
After dinner I walked around a bit more. As is natural in a tourist area, there were musical performers. I stuck around for a bit, but it was starting to get chilly and I didn't have my jacket. So I returned to my room around 10:30 pm and called it a night.
Notes & Misc Information: • USD = United States Dollars.
• Currency: The currency in the France is the Euro (EUR). The exchange rate was 1.40042 USD = 1 EUR or 1 USD = 0.71407 EUR as of June 29, 2009.
Sources: • 1. Mont-St. Michel:
http://mont-saint-michel.monuments-nationaux.fr. Also check Wikipedia at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Saint-Michel.
• 2. German WWII Cemetery:
http://huisnessurmer.net/pages/ossuaire.htm.
• 3. St. Malo:
http://france-for-visitors.com/brittany/st-malo/index.html • 4. Eurail Time Tables:
http://www.eurail.com/eurail-timetables
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