On the edge of Normandy

Trip Start Apr 08, 2007
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Trip End Oct 01, 2007


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Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Apart from the Eiffel Tower, the beret, the baguette and the Seine, what image is more quintessentially French in the tourist's mind? Answer: the towering pinnacle of Mont St. Michel set off the rolling, sheep-laden plains of Normandy. Most Japanese put it at the top of their list of "must-sees" for France, and Mayu is no different. Having similarly dog-eared it in the past, I understood her inkling, so I made sure to fit it into the itinerary somehow.

The reality of the place is that it's basically one giant tourist trap that you can basically exhaust in a few hours. The souvenir shops are as tacky as they come, the restaurants are average yet very costly, and the hotels cramped and overpriced. But overall it's still a beautiful place, especially from afar where its silhouette appears to puncture the sky from the edge of the green fields. If you ignore all the tour buses and traffic in and out, it's a remarkably tranquil site. Apparently the French government is trying to return it to its island state by removing all the build up and the road into the bay, so hopefully one day it'll be like it once was and should have stayed. Well, plus the daytripping tourists, of course.

Like most people with any sense (or at least without expense accounts), Mayu and I chose to stay in Pontorson, which sits about 9km inland from the mount. It's a sleepy place that wouldn't merit a moment's stop otherwise, but there are at least a few shops, bars and a pretty sizeable grocery in the neighborhood. The latter came in particularly handy tonight, as we were able to self-cater our dinner. Going native, we decided on a baguette, some brie, a couple fresh apples, pate and a bottle of Normandy cider. The cider proved a bit of a knock-out for Mayu (just about literally!), but it made for a fine, and cheap supper.

Tomorrow we're going to neighboring St. Malo in Bretagne. Since it's practically next door, I thought it'd be a waste not to take it in while we're in the area and have a day to kill. Then Friday we have a long day of travel planned to get from the northwest corner of the country to the far southeast. Ought to be, um, "fun."
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