17. St. Malo, France - June 5

At the bottom of the page click on the YouTube link to see the photos.

We cruised the dramatic jagged coastline of Brittany, and docked in Saint Malo, a medieval city that is brimming with culture and history. But the most famous landmark here is Mont Saint Michel, a 60 minute drive from town. This eccentric walled parish is on a tiny island at the heart of an immense bay which is known to have the highest tides in Europe.

The bay is extremely dangerous, our guide explains. The tides are very fast and the mixture of silt and sand can turn into quicksand traps. Many people can’t evaluate properly their distance to the shore or the time they need to go back and get caught in fast cold water with nasty currents and undertows.

Our bus crossed a thin natural land bridge that was fortified into a true causeway in 1879. We got off and walked in the footsteps of the thousands of ancient pilgrims who have visited here. I was in a different world when we hiked up the steep path to the Abbey, the highest point of the island, which is without a shadow of a doubt the number one attraction.

There was time to climb the 933 steps to the roof of the abbey. I will gloss over the next 20 minutes – it was all climbing, climbing, climbing. Still sore from the damn lighthouse climb in La Corona, halfway up I thought I was going to need an ambulance. Breathing hard like a crazy stalker, I slowly turned around and crawled the miserable stairs back down. What happened next is a blur. Somehow I ended up in a cloister alongside the Abbey and among the maze of rooms, staircases and vaulted halls I got lost. After climbing down another million stairs – I have never been happier to see the Geezer-bus! Bus to the rescue!

En route back we travelled though lush farmland and stopped in Cancale, the famous oyster city. In St. Malo, we seemed to have gotten a second wind so Dickie and I walked along the pier for a close up look of the city. Soon we strolled among quaint narrow streets in this well preserved medieval walled city rich in maritime history.

We stopped at the Calebasse Café for a glass of wine and some delicious crepes, then went happily onboard. The dazzling lights across the English Channel brought an excellent close to a wonderful day in St. Malo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lyu6QEYU8E
Click on the above YouTube link to see the pictures.