A lovely breakfast, once again, and then we walk around the corner to view the Tapisserie de Bayeux, which was embroidered in 1066, recounting the story of William the Conqueror. Most people were illiterate, so telling the story in pictures was a brilliant way to share the history of how William came to be King of England, per Edward’s request and despite his emissary, Harold’s, attempt to take the throne for himself.
Then back on the road, as we head to visit a Chateau built in the mid-15th centure and recently renovated. However, we discover that it’s only open in tourist season, so after a few photos
we are on our way to Granville, which, it turns out, is home to the Christian Dior family home and a museum dedicated to him and the house of Dior (so recently captured in the documentary “Dior and I”. I highly recommend it).
I enjoy the lovely flower garden, which has small stands, each with an impressionist photo and a little metal flap that can be opened. The picture describes the inspiration for a particular Dior perfume and after opening the flap, one can smell the perfume!)
Le Mont St.-Michel. Unexpectedly (although it shouldn’t have been), we have to park in one of the Disney-like lots (although much better landscaped and screened by trees), and decide to take a shuttle out to the causeway (finished last year) and close to the isle itself. It stands above the water, although has been submerged once, in March of 2015, during a so-called “supertide.” As we are dropped off, it’s easy to see that people have walked in the sand up to the island upon which the abbey (true to medieval planning) is on top, then the tradesmen and fisherman live near the bottom. There is wet land everywhere and we are curious to watch the tide come in….and rush in is what we witness. We would stand transfixed by the speed of the incoming waters and have tried to provide some idea of what that was like (film to be posted upon return).
See the background on this before and after:
and foreground of these:
We walked through the walled city, and found ourselves moving through the throngs of tourists and experiencing tourist shops of all kinds. Not really interested in having my romantic vision of the island disturbed, we quickly make our way to the ramparts and “balconies” from which to watch the waters rise. Again, pretty hard to get photos without strangers filling them, but here are a few pictures of the walled town:
I am getting anxious to get out before high tide at 6, and Lance and I make our way out. We are standing at and walking through the door we originally used, and have to step a couple of feet way out to the right so as not to get our feet wet (can see up ahead, slightly to the left)
and love our timing, because not even 10 minutes later, some women are standing there trying to figure out how to get out without getting wet. Not possible and getting worse by the minute! We do finally see an entrance further back that is still dry, but not everyone does.
We continue to snap photos and to move further and further back to get a better perspective on the whole scene, and up rises the beautiful (almost full) moon.
It’s amazing to have witnessed the transition, and I’m so happy to have captured it all with proper timing (thanks, Anthony, for telling us the high tide timing this morning!).More photos, then we’re in the car, driving in the darkness to our hotel in St. Malo.