With a travel time of two hours from Bayeux to Saint Mont-Michel, our wake-up call was set at 5.30am. Not only did we want to skip the masses of tourists and have the tiny island to ourselves, but we also wanted to see the sunrise. We definitely accomplished one of these goals, namely the former. After having driven on small winding countryside roads in the pitch-black night we arrived at the parking lot by 7am. It was eerily quiet and we were literally the only ones walking towards the rocky tidal island known as Mont Saint-Michel. At this time of day, we didn’t even have the option of taking the free shuttle from the parking area which is a 3.4 km away from the island as it wasn’t operating yet. So there we were, two eager beavers paving the way for the all the other tourists of that day. Coming back to the second goal we intended to accomplish, seeing the sunrise. We unfortunately didn’t check the weather app a day prior to our departure. This would have been a smart idea, given that it was one of the cloudiest days we could have chosen to visit the island. Nevertheless, we had some great photo-ops with the beautiful Gothic-style Benedictine abbey in the background and no other tourist in sight.
Arriving at Mont Saint-Michel at an ungodly hour when all stores and restaurants were still closed wasn’t the cleverest idea, as thirst and hunger accompanied us during our 3.5 km walk from the parking lot to the entrance of the island. The walk towards on the other hand was actually the easiest part, once you arrive in Mont Saint-Michel, you’ll be welcomed with a steep pathway and narrow, cobblestoned stairs you’ll need to climb to reach the Abbey–the main attraction of the island. Be sure to bring plenty of water and comfortable shoes if you want to avoid the tourist masses like we did. With our early arrival time, we had to kill an hour before entering the Abbey, for which we had bought e-tickets shortly after our arrival at the parking lot. By 9.30am the entrance was packed with tourists, some with and without tickets. We wriggled ourselves through the crowd to get to the front gates, showed our e-tickets, and started our self-guided tour of the historical monument known as the Medieval city on a rock.
Though the Benedictine Abbey once was one of the most important pilgrimage destinations prior to the Reformation, it then became a prison during the French Revolution holding up to 300 prisoners. It is now home to under 50 inhabitants, including monks and nuns who reside in the Abbey.
By 10.30am we finished the tour and our energy was waning. A negative point about such a small island is that the restaurants only opened at 11.30am. And although we had made a reservation to the notoriously fluffy omelets at La Mére Poulard, we didn’t have the patience to wait for another hour as we had seen everything there was to see. So there we were, hopping onto an empty shuttle that took us back to the parking lot where we encountered long queues of visitors waiting for the free shuttle to take them to the magical island. To avoid long waits like these, make the sacrifice and wake up super early to have the island for yourself before everyone and their mother comes to ruin your once-in-a-lifetime pictures and experience on the mystical island of Mont Saint-Michel.
Up next: Château de Villandry
A three-hour drive later, we arrived at Château de Villandry, a grand country house known for its extensive gardens–its main attraction. We decided to only explore the gardens, which was worth every €uro we spent as it was in an immaculate state. The gardens include a vegetable garden with beetroot, leeks, cabbages that are planted in square hedges and are color coordinated. Next, you’ll find a flower garden of various colors and kinds. From above the bridge, you’ll have a raised position to see the patterns and designs of its entirety, however from the castle itself I’m sure it’s another story. The Villandry Garden also has a water garden with a pond and a swan peacefully swimming around a fountain, where many visitors found a bench to read under a sheltering tree and enjoy the summer breeze. We continued to the maze, which unfortunately didn’t impress. Mazes need to be planted with thick and tall bushes, which this maze sadly didn’t have. My favorite part was the herb garden, especially because they grew Indonesian basil. What an international garden!
Archipelago Journal 