Today was a very exciting day as everyone anticipated seeing Mont Saint Michel for the first time. We packed lightly so we could just carry our daybag up the Mont, and leave our larger bag on the bus.
We stopped in Fougères on the way, but it was pouring rain (our only big down pour of the trip) so we just had lunch, then we quickly left. Many ordered a gallette, which are popular in Brittany. They are buckwheat crepes, eaten as a main course and often filled.
We arrived at Mont Saint Michel in the late afternoon. Is was an amazing sight to see -- an island with a small village and towering abbey on top.
We took a shuttle bus across the bridge, a horse drawn wagon was another, slower, option. We were shown to our rooms and left to explore the island on our own until it was time for our group dinner.
Miles Walked: 3.98 Steps Walked: 9,176
Mont Staint Michel
Mont St. Michel was a beautiful sight to see! An island just a half mile from the mainland, it is made up of fortifications on the bottom, a small village with shops and hotels in the middle, and a large abbey on top. As of just recently, access is over a bridge, instead of a causeway (constructed in 1878), which has allowed Mont St. Michel to become an island surrounded by water at high tide once again. We arrived as most others were leaving. It was a great adventure to explore the deserted ramparts and watch the tide come in at high speed!
For a fun adventure, explore the ramparts once the crowds leave.
Rooms With a View
Our hotel was Hotel la Vieille Auberge. Some of the rooms, such as those above, have patios or balconies with beautiful views.
Group Dinner
After having some time to explore and get settled into our rooms, we had a group dinner at La Croix-Blanche. There was an outstanding view of the sea from the large windows and dinner was, once again, amazing. Starters were mussels or oysters. Ludwig, our bus driver, gave the young people a good lesson on how to extract the mussels. We also tried some calvados, an apple brandy that's a specialty in this region. Beef or lamb were some of the choices for the main course, and crêpe suzette was a favorite choice for dessert.
After dinner, walk around a bit outside to see the abbey beautifully lit up.