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Le Mont-Saint-Michel

January 12, 2001
The Truck
We woke up and left for at 8am. While enroute, we stopped for bread, meat, cheese, and wine.
At one point, a slowly moving truck hauling a bridge got in front of us. So Mike, our trusty navigator, scoped the map and found an alternate route.

The small country road was very narrow and barely able to handle one car. At one point, while passing an on-coming car, we almost lost control in the mud on the side of the road. Pete and Gary laughed at us over the 2-way radios. Our sojourn into the French countryside was wonderful. We saw some beautiful farms and homes.
We all joked that we would rejoin the main road only to find the truck again.

After many twists and turns and hills, we found our way back to the main highway. About 5 kilometers up the road, we ran into slow traffic.
Wouldn't you know it, ahead of us was the truck hauling the Bridge!! We all had a good laugh. It could only happen to us. We stayed behind the truck and watched the bridge sway until we thought it would roll the truck over. Finally we saw the sign for our exit.
Sure enough, the truck made for the same exit and we thought we were cursed. Luckily, the exit divided two ways. We went one way and the truck went the other. About ten miles from our destination, we pulled over to the side of the road by and ancient farmhouse. Across the flat floodplain the Mont stuck out like a sore thumb.
We took several photos with the Mont in the background and continued on our way. We arrived around noon and ate a picnic lunch in the parking lot. There was a sign in the lot that said that the sea would cover the lot by the end of the day and to please be gone by the time the tide came in. I walked around in the mud and clay below the Mont's base looking for a cool rock to save. I pulled a small rock from the wall and took it to the car.
Le Mont-Saint-Michel
Throughout the ages, Le Mont-Saint-Michel has been thronged with pilgrims of all kinds. Located off the coast of the Normandy region, is the most visited monument in France after the Eiffel Tower and Versailles.

The abbey of abbeys sits perched atop its rocky pinnacle on a small quasi-island. At one time, Le Mont-Saint-Michel was separated from the French mainland at high tide by approximately one kilometer of water. Once the tide came in you could not reach the Mont except by boat. Now, a land bridge with a permanent road built in the late 1800's, allows motor vehicles to drive directly to the islet.

The abbey has been rebuilt and enlarged frequently over time. It is one of the architectural marvels of the world, featuring a number of different styles. In 708, St. Aubert of Avranches built a small sanctuary there, and in 966 the site became a Benedictine abbey. The Romanesque nave dates from the 11th century while the Gothic choir was constructed during the late 1400's and early 1500's. A copper statue of the Archangel Michael slaying a dragon tops Le Mont-Saint-Michel. Below, it is surround by ancient ramparts and the houses of people who actually live on the island.
The Climb We stopped at the ATM inside the entry gate to get cash and found our way up the narrow main street which was very steep and made of cobblestones. The closeness of the shop-lined street made some of the French roads seem like highways. On either side of the street were souvenir shops, restaurants, and bars. We looked at the shopkeepers' wares, got coffees to go, and then began our ascent of the Mont.
The Mont loomed above us: stoic, unmoving, and timeless. It seemed to care not for the movement around it. It was there long before us and would be there long after. The overwhelming feeling of the ancient church completely dominated the rocks, buildings, and people below it. To not be moved by the sheer beauty and strength of the structure, one would have to be made of the same stone as the church.
I attempted to fly my kite from the parapet of the low tower but the crosswinds prevented me from doing so. We continued to climb and look at the amazing sites.
So Many Stairs We finally made it to the boutique and purchased our tickets to get in. After many more stairs, we finally made it to the entrance to the Naive. We were too late to catch the mass and we began our tour. There were sooooo many stairs and doorways. Many of the doors were locked from one direction so that you followed a chosen path through the buildings (for those who opted for the audio tour) and saw everything in the correct order.
Several times I got ahead of Mike and Phil, hid behind a turn or doorway, jumped out and hollered "Le Boo!" I made them jump almost every time. I jokingly told them it was a game played by French monks for centuries.
I was blown away by the sheer immensity of the place. The cavernous rooms made for magnificent acoustics. I began to sing "Holding You Again" and "Let the Spirit Descend". It sounded remarkable. I could almost see myself becoming a monk just to get to live there. (HaHa)

You name it, we passed through it: dungeons, cloisters, dining halls, bell towers, and the wheel. The wheel was very interesting. Five men would walk inside the wheel to make it turn. In turn, huge pulleys drew a trolley on rollers up a hoist that ran up the side of the Mont. The system was much easier than carrying provisions up the steep cobblestones.

After several hours of exploring we got ready to leave. As we descended the great outer staircase, I once again tried to fly my kite. This time with limited success. Phil took three photos of me and hopefully one will come out okay.
Chapel of Saint Micheal
On our way down the main road Mike and I noticed the Chapel of St. Michael. Inside was beautiful, with a wonderful altar and alcove. I signed the guest book and noted that I was lighting a candle and saying a prayer for Richard Epolito, who passed away on January 6, 2001.
I lit the first candle, said a prayer, and placed it on the altar of Saint Michael himself. His remains were in the bottom of the altar. Above was a gold statue of St. Michael slaying the dragon. It was breathtaking.
I lit a second candle in front of the altar overlooked by the Virgin Mary.
After leaving the Chapel of Saint Micheal, I looked at several of the shops for a souvenir and finally opted to get patches of Mont St. Michael and Normandy for my jacket.

When I finally saw Phil and Mike, they were a little ways a head of me on the payphones. I looked in one last gift shop. As I was coming out I met several young French boys.
They made comments on my "Tom" shirt and spiked wristband. I explained in poor French that I did not speak French and they said "Oh, Englais!" and they spoke to me in English and asked if I was in a band. They thought I was an American Rock Star. I explained that I was not and then said good-bye, explaining that I had to meet my friends, but I don't think they believed me.
I joined Phil and Mike. They informed me that Gary and Pete had already left for Paris. The guys took several photos of me. It made the kids, who had come down the street behind me, even more convinced that I was a rock star.

We stopped for café au crème at a brassiere at the foot of the Mont, discussed our plan, and then headed to the car.
As we loaded our day gear into the car, Phil saw a monk in the window high above us and waved, but to no avail. I waved as well and then made the sign of the cross. The monk saw us that time and made a blessing upon us.
We left Le Mont-Saint-Michel in high spirits.

I mentioned to Phil as we left that I "totally want some cider" so if we saw a place to be sure and stop.
No sooner than I had said it, we came upon a cider museum and cidery. We took it as an omen and stopped.
When we went in to look around, the lovely woman offered us biscuits that tasted like sugary croissants. I was sold. I bought a pack.
I asked the man that was working for a nice bottle of the house cider and got one. We thanked them and left.

Mike chose a course for the Brittany region and then we were off.

Quiberon The town of Quiberon is located on the Quiberon Peninsula, known as the "Wild Coast." At the tip of the peninsula is Brittany's most famous spa (one of 11): the Institute de Thalassotherapie. It specializes in the technique of seawater and seaweed treatment called thalassotherapy. It is a full service spa, with algae baths, marine showers and mud baths, as well as exercise rooms and saunas.
We drove for quite a while before we found a Hotel Ibis on the outskirts of town. The fact that we were traveling in the off-season really paid off. We got a great room in a four star hotel for the cost of a hostile. We checked in and stowed our gear.
Mike called home and found out that his girlfriend Lisa's mom had died. He was upset that he could not get a hold of Lisa on the phone. He suggested that he and I go to the hotel bar and drink. Being someone that is all for drinking away problems, I accepted.

We went to the bar and ordered wine and got our drink on. We drank several bottles of wine and Mike got pretty drunk. We also had at least three café au crème each. We started talking to the lovely young woman that was working.

Her name was Sandrine Blouin. She is French, but had lived in London and Birmingham for four years, and she spoke English!! (Finally someone that spoke English!!)
She was as friendly as she was beautiful. She makes wonderful coffee as well. She kept us talking, laughing and in high spirits. She informed us that the French word for kiwi is "kiwi". We talked about France, America, and many other things.
|I asked her if she would like to join us in the morning on our trip to the Belle-Ile-En-Mer. She said that she would love to, but she was leaving the next day to visit her parents. It was a long drive and she had to get some sleep.
Bummer, it would have been fun to have her along.
We spoke to her most of the night and I hope we didn't get her into trouble. I after thanked her for her company and went to the room to catch an hour of sleep. Phil let us sleep an extra hour and we got on our way.