Finally, Mount Saint Michel

Oh yes, this will certainly be a multiple part-er blog.  My husband and I traveled to 6 cities in France over a 2 week time period.  6 cities!  So, I shall start from the beginning--sharing my best of times and my worst, my thoughts and my fears, and also a few photos along the way.  The trip was a celebration of our 40 years of marriage--we laughed, I cried, we ate, I shopped, we had tons of fun and we are now a little (OK a lot) depressed that it all went by much too quickly.

We landed in Paris, and although all I saw was the airport, it was still exciting.  We then proceeded to drive to our first destination--Rennes.  We decided to stay in that particular city due to its proximity to Mount Saint Michel.  I was determined that I would see it this trip.  Very determined.  I have been to France many times before and every single time something has come up to change the plans (mainly due to business meetings) so that I missed seeing it all these many years.  To say that I was excited would be an understatement.  I was practically like a big ole' dog hanging out the window.  But wait--back to Rennes.

I didn't really mind our hotel room--had it been in a different location in the city, and had a softer bed, and maybe better water pressure in the shower, but nonetheless, it was fine--it was going to just be a quick (2 night) resting place for my beloved Mount Saint Michel.  It took us about 6 hours (remember we stop for coffee multiple times during any trip no matter how near or far) to finally reach Rennes.  It rained on and off that first day, and I prayed hard that the next day, my big day--that the rain would subside.  And it did, God heard my prayers!

I, of course, slept some of the way.  I'm not one to sleep well on planes.  I think I slept maybe 30 minutes total during our 9-hour flight, my husband on the other hand, well, let's just say he was well rested when we arrived.  So, he did the driving and I did the sleeping, and the drinking of the coffee--on to Rennes.

We used our little hotel room in Rennes as just a place to sleep.  I tried hard not to dwell on the negative aspect of that particular hotel.  Really I did.  I tried hard not to notice that there was a movie theater across the square that let out at 3:00 am.  I tried hard not to notice the many stray dogs roaming the streets all night long barking, and barking and did I mention barking?  All night long!
I tried hard not to notice the homeless teenagers, crusty old men and lack of good restaurants nearby.  Yes, I tried hard not to notice all those things as I patiently waited for my day trip to Mount Saint Michel.  She outweighed them all.  She in all her beauty eclipsed the contrary woes of that dismal place.  It was my fault really, I should have done a little more research as to the location of our hotel.  Nonetheless, we suffered through the unpleasantries of that hotel experience and secretly prayed that our next several hotels were in better locations for the next 5 cities.  I was probably praying a little harder.

The next morning I was wide awake and bouncing off the walls ready to take the 1-hour drive up to Mount Saint Michel.  Oh sure--I had been warned.  I knew it was going to be very touristy, but hey, I'm a tourist too!  And things like that don't really bother me.  As long as there are clean restrooms and lots of places for food and coffee--I'm good to go.  Our GPS (in our cute little Renault rental car) took us a little off the beaten path.  Instead of highways, she decided to take us the byways--we drove through little villages and our first glimpse of the monastery was across a field of bright yellow flowers.  It literally took my breath away.  We pulled over along the side of that little country road and began snapping pictures of crazy people and just sat gazing at its beauty.  Was it everything I thought it would be?  Yes, it was.  It was beautiful.  So historical, with fantastic views, and great architecture--everything was perfect.  I didn't let the tourists and t-shirt shops bother me.  I had a blast taking pictures and discovering little-hidden alleyways.  We had a tourist priced lunch and enjoyed our day.  I loved the curved pathways that lead us to the top, I loved the views of the tide being out and the expansiveness of the sandy beaches.  I loved the rooftops of the buildings, the cobbled streets, the French pastries and the coffee--for me, it just doesn't get much better than that.  What a glorious day.  We drove back to Rennes that evening with some really great memories.  Finally, Mount Saint Michel.

               

Yes, I finally made it, and yes, it was everything I thought it would be.  I loved it.  Would I go again?  Probably not.  Been there, done that.  However, I am so glad that I went.  I'm happy that I didn't listen to anyone else's opinion, I'm glad that I followed that yearning in my heart to visit such a wonderful majestic place.  I now have my memories, and my pictures and my heart feels very content.

Now on to Bordeaux.