Paris and the Heart of France
Day 8 Morning on Mont St-Michel
We got up before sunrise so we could head to the abbey for morning prayers. We walked quietly up the stairs as a group and waited with just a couple tourists below the door. A monk opened the door, and motioned for us to come in, and then closed the door behind us. We then made our way into the abbey in silence, and took our place in the front row.
The brothers and sisters came in from the side, and stood with their backs to us. We stood as they prayed, and sang songs directly from the Psalms in a mix of unison and harmony. They had Psalms books for us so we could follow along with in French. I chose to follow along in English using my Bible app, which was easier once I realized that the chapter numbers differed by one.
It was a peaceful and beautiful time of early morning worship in the abbey. And it was a unique and truly memorable experience that I don't think I will ever forget. I can see why so many people journeyed to this place in their quest for the Divine.
Back below, it wasn't as peaceful. We found it intriguing to watch crews maneuver a forklift up the narrow streets, to deliver goods to the stores and restaurants before the daily crowds arrived. No worries, we headed to our hotel for our included breakfast buffet.
After breakfast we went with our expert local guide on a tour of the town, as well as the abbey, which meant having to climb all the way back up to the top. This is where our pre-trip stair training really paid off.
The story of Mont St-Michel
In 708, St. Aubert, the Bishop of Avranches, had two dreams where the Archangel Michael told him to build an abbey on top of the island, to commemorate a hard-fought victory over the devil. St. Aubert thought those two dreams were just dreams. Then St. Michael returned a third time, and this time he stuck his thumb in St. Aubert's forehead, which left a lasting mark. With that sign, St. Aubert began construction, and completed the first chapel in 709 AD.
The abbey was a point of pilgrimage. Pilgrims came, stayed, ate and even bought souvenirs, just like tourists today.
Mont St-Michel served as an impressive fortress during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) as France and England fought over Brittany. At one point, the English held the island under siege for 30 years.
The abbey declined in importance and after the French Revolution served as a jail and factory. We got to see a giant human-powered "hamster" wheel that was used with a rope to pull a sled (with rollers) of materials up and down from the abbey.
While Mont St-Michel doesn't have the stained glass, artwork, statues, wood carvings and furnishings like most other cathedrals, it does have an unrivaled location. A trip to Mont St-Michel will be one that you will never forget.
We stopped in the picturesque Villedieu-les-Poeles for lunch. Our guide recommended a couple of cafés and a bakery. We chose the quicker option so we could explore the town. The bakery had both excellent sandwiches and amazing chocolate eclairs.
One of the interesting stories of the town is when the American forces arrived, there was a sniper up in the bell tower of the church. After several American soldiers were shot, the U.S. commander started to call in an airstrike to eliminate the sniper. The mayor realized that an airstrike would not only destroy their beloved and historic church, but could also destroy much of their town. So the mayor and several men from the town volunteered to charge up the tower, eliminate the sniper, and thus save church and their town.
Schedule
We made our way to Bayeux which would serve as base for our time in Normandy.
After checking into our three star Hotel d'Argouges (21 Rue Saint-Patrice, 14400 Bayeux, France), we went on a walking tour with our local expert guide, passing by half-timbered houses and the cathedral.
The main attraction is the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. The tapestry is actually an embroidery, and an impressive one at that, as it measures some 224 feet in length by 20 inches high. No pictures allowed. The tapestry uses some 10 different colors of thread to tell the story of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings.
It seems the King of England, Edward the Confessor, sent his brother-in-law Harold to France to tell his cousin William, Duke of Normandy, that he had chosen him (William) to succeed him on throne. However when King Edward died, Harold had himself crowned King of England. So William decided to take back what was rightfully his. In September 1066, William crossed the channel in several hundred ships, with 7,000 men and 2,000 horses. On October 14, the Battle of Hastings began. Harold was eventually struck in the eye by an arrow and died, thus the Anglo-Saxons were routed, and William the Conqueror became King of England.
The audio guide does a good job of telling the story, but you have to pay attention and keep pace with the track.
Afterwards we had free time to explore the rest of the museum, as well as look at a digital interactive version of the tapestry.
We then headed off to wander the picturesque streets of Bayeux, with its half-timbered houses, flower boxes and water wheels. As in much of this part of France, American and French flags abound, as do British, Canadian, European Union and even German flags, which takes some getting used to at first. All throughout the city, stores windows were painted with scenes of soldiers and heroes from WWII as part of the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
For dinner, we ate at La Fringale. The guests at our neighboring table were rather upset with the service and their food. I think they were short-staffed. Either way, I would not recommend the pizza as it was our least favorite meal of the trip. That said, their crème brûlée was good.
Our meal the following night at Le Drakkar (27 Rue St. Jean) was far better. My wife had an omelet and I had onion soup that tasted fine, but only had a tablespoon or so cheese, which you added yourself. C'est la vie. I did enjoy the steak-frites.