Northbound to Normandy
- Location: Bayeux & Mont Saint-Michel, France
- Aug 14, 2016
- 3 min read
I have always dreamed of visiting the beautiful old city of Mont Saint-Michel, and was ecstatic for an opportunity to finally visit the old monastery. However, on our way from Giverny (where our innkeeper insisted I must've been related to Claude Monet because I looked like one of the girls in his paintings - an odd but lovely compliment!), my mother suggested an overnight visit to the charming town of Bayeux to the North. She's always dreamed of living in Normandy, and thought this trip to be a good opportunity to explore the area and scope out possible places to live. After visiting Bayeux, I was right there with her on the idea! It was so lovely and calm, and the food and people were superb!
After spending an afternoon at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum and eating at a local restaurant where we enjoyed the most delicious and cheesy galettes (a savory, buckwheat crepe that the region is known for), we enjoyed a quiet evening in our hotel (pictured above). It is owned by a man whose family owns the historic building and who maintains its 'old' ambiance.
The next morning we left for Mont Saint-Michel on the Northern coast -- an old and extremely famous city that began as a monastery, and is built on a small island that, when the tide comes in, floats just off the the coast line. Unfortunately, while we were there the tide was out, but the silhouette of the island still reminded me of an old, mythical city right out of Lord of the Rings...or Rapunzel's castle in Disney's Tangled. Que my starry-eyed gaze and heart fluttering.
After traversing the long bridge from the mainland out to the island-city, we pushed past the crowds of people who were making their way down and out onto the wet, sand surrounding the raised walls -- something you can only do when the tide is this far out, of course. Once we got inside of the city gates, we realized that those crowds down below were only about 1/6 of the people there. The rest were packed into the extremely narrow, main street that was jam-packed with overly-touristy shops and tiny, chain eateries. To avoid this obnoxious calamity, we took a left up along the city walls so we could walk up to the top via small and quiet alleys where we barely saw anyone. The views looking both up AND down were just incredible!
We paid the extra bit of money to go into the abbey at the top of the island, which was well worth the money. We got to see the imposing church (with the gold spire and statue of Saint Michel atop its roof), the many rooms and corridors of the monks, and the beautiful little cloister with its columns and roses.
And yes, I had this red maxi skirt on repeat from a couple days prior because its super fun in the wind, extremely comfortable, and pretty flattering when you're feeling a little frumpy thanks to your denim jacket getting all crinkled from traveling non-stop. *Frowny face.*
After touring all of the abbey, we made our way back down through the city - stopping for a quick café & crêpe break, of course - and took our time walking back to the small town at the end of the bridge to have dinner (and hang with some of the horses until the restaurants opened). On the way I think I drove my mother crazy with my constant request to stop for pictures as we walked away from the island. But I couldn't help it! The island's silhouette is just incredibly impressive and beautiful from every distance! And despite the ultra-touristy main street on the island, I highly recommend a visit and walk through the old monastery city.
♥M.
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