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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2013 11:11:03 GMT
Mont Saint Michel is very much a daytime sight and even though there are about 10 hotels on the Mont itself, it is almost completely deserted after dark. Since I had never been there after dark myself in about a half dozen visits over the years, I decided to see for myself how different it is. I stayed in one of the hotels in the hotel zone on the mainland, but right next to the starting point of the bus shuttles that now take you out there. You may have read that the old causeway is being demolished and replaced by a bridge to allow the tides to wash away the built up sand. The project is not yet complete, but in any case the old parking lots along the causeway have been closed for about two years now, so the only way to get there is by using the (free) shuttles. The last shuttle out to the Mont leaves the mainland at midnight, and I heard (but didn't check) that the last bus leaving the Mont goes at 1 a.m. In any case, it's only a grand total of about 3 kilometres. Naturally, it is low season at the moment, so there was plenty of room in all of the hotels, even though there were quite a few groups in tour buses. It did not take very long to determine that 95% of the tourists right now are Japanese, and I also admired the fact that the receptionists at my hotel (the Mercure) were apparently fluent in Japanese. As far as I'm concerned, that pretty much clinches the fact that Mont Saint Michel, after Paris but probably before Arles, is an absolute must-see place for Japanese tourists. There have been a huge number of complaints about the walking that is still required from the shuttle terminus to the entrance of the Mont, but frankly I think that one needs to do a little walking to fully appreciate the majesty of the sight, and anyway, there was just as much walking involved in the old days going from the car park along the causeway. As for disabled visitors, well, there are precious few of those, I would imagine, because Mont Saint Michel is absolutely not accessible to the physically handicapped, and I don't think it ever will be. Nevertheless, during the construction phase at the moment, there is practically no lighting from the bus stop to the entrance, and that was indeed a challenge due to the invisible mud puddles and various loose rocks.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 17, 2013 12:32:23 GMT
Oh how different everything looks! I can barely make out the route but do recognize the open window at one of the turrets that unless you are careful you could go hurtling down the ramparts....I froze when young school children deserted their teacher and went rushing over, pushing and jostling each other!
I look forward to more Kerouac.
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Post by fumobici on Nov 17, 2013 14:42:33 GMT
We've probably had MSM reports here--perhaps before I joined--but this is the first I can recall seeing. I know essentially nothing about the place except my mother told me it was well worth visiting, apparently she was there once when she was young and it impressed and/or charmed her and I've seen it a couple of times from an airplane window. This is one of those touristy places that I would never be caught dead in in the high season, but might well enjoy when less touristed. I am impressed that the Japanese understand the advantages of off-season travel. Germans seem often to be au fait travelers as well, they often turn up in special places in Italy few others besides Italians can find.
I hope there is more to this, the place is obviously an iconic tourist destination for a reason.
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Post by htmb on Nov 17, 2013 15:03:56 GMT
I have recently viewed several different YouTube videos of Mont Saint Michel, both professionally done and those filmed by amateurs. Seeing video of summer visitors packing into that narrow street makes me feel claustrophobic just to watch. It's nice you had it relatively to yourself, though I would imagine a flashlight may have come in handy at times.
For several years I have been interested in the changes being made to the area and have been following the progress of the building of the passerelle and eventual removal of the causeway. I will have a lot of questions about your lodging, as well as various other logistics, but will wait until you've finished your report. Looking forward to seeing more photographs, Kerouac.
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Post by bjd on Nov 17, 2013 15:11:41 GMT
I read somewhere that Mont St Michel is the most visited tourist sight in France after the Eiffel Tower. So, lots of people. We went there once about *gasp* 31 years ago. They wouldn't allow a stroller inside (anyway it's full of stairs), so my husband carried our sleeping 2-year old through the entire church visit.
I can imagine what the narrow street is like in summer -- like the narrow streets in Carcassonne.
It's impressive in daytime too, although your night picture is really great, Kerouac.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2013 17:39:04 GMT
You can see the mainland pretty much surrounding Mont Saint Michel on three sides, but it all seems inaccessible when you take into consideration the quicksand and other unseen traps. I absolutely cannot imagine that anybody ever made the trip after dark before the causeway was built.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2013 18:16:04 GMT
Next time, I will return during the daytime but still out of season.
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Post by htmb on Nov 17, 2013 20:25:30 GMT
Kerouac, do you happen to know the expected date of the causeway removal? Did the bridge look fairly complete, or was everything so dark you couldn't tell?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2013 20:39:54 GMT
From what I could see in the dark, the bridge appears to be mostly complete now. Obviously, the causeway removal is a bigger job, and since the project is supposed to continue until 2015, I imagine that the causeway will not be completely gone until then.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2013 23:46:37 GMT
I just love seeing night photos like the ones above. Mont Saint Michel seems perfect for capturing at that time. Sometimes we 'see' things walking around at night time that we could and do easily miss in the brightness of the day.
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Post by mez on Nov 18, 2013 0:54:56 GMT
I stayed overnight on MSM in 2011. It was a fabulous experience and I thoroughly recommend it for the reason stated earlier - the crowds!
From dusk until the next morning, it was great to have few visitors around. I was able to walk, take photos, listen to the water and birds and it felt wonderful.
The next morning, I was able to tour the abbey and have it virtually to myself.
As I walked back to my rental car, the surge of people heading towards me was insane. The serenity and peace had definitely gone.
Even though hotels and food on MSM are not the greatest, I consider it a good price to pay for *not* having to deal with the masses.
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Post by fgrsk8r1970 on Nov 18, 2013 21:30:00 GMT
Interestingly enough I had never heard of MSM - or maybe I had a long time ago in Germany but I can't remember. It looks really cool after dark, I especially enjoyed the photos down from the rafters into the streets. The way this must be packed during high season in the summer could probably be compared to the Drosselgasse in Ruedesheim…… Thanks for this - obviously wouldn't be able to visit with my husband since it's not accessible… this is just as nice
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Post by tradaema on Jan 11, 2014 21:27:56 GMT
Thanks kerouac2. Great pictures and information as usual.Think we will look at going late in the day and staying overnight. The pictures of the Mont at night are just spectacular!
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Post by lugg on Jan 20, 2014 19:58:50 GMT
Such lovely atmospheric photos K2 of a wonderful place. I for one am pleased that you report that the entrance to and exit from is now by shuttle
I cannot remember if I have posted before about my ****** experience here. In short, we visited on our way back from Brittany - on our way to Caen to catch the ferry, lots of time we thought ......but the recurrent nightmare I now have is trying to get out from the car park and then the slow crawl down the causeway and the final race to Caen. We should not even have been travelling that route but it was the year that the Quiberon caught fire and was out of service.
Anyway MSM was lovely apart from the crowds.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2014 18:26:09 GMT
I just had to mention that the evening news tonight had a report about the crowds at Mont Saint Michel, just during the April school holidays and not even at the height of tourist season. You cannot even squeeze through the skinny central street right now. Nevertheless, they did show that after nightfall, visitors have the place all to themselves.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2015 18:37:10 GMT
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Post by htmb on Jan 2, 2015 18:46:28 GMT
Maybe it will be more worth my time for a visit on my next trip.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 30, 2017 3:55:54 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on May 30, 2017 4:06:17 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on May 31, 2017 5:38:29 GMT
Well, this is a super interesting and different look at the place! I guess I could google this, but ~ was it also meant to serve as a fortress? The massive columns and the way they meet the ceiling are so beautiful. I love that gorgeous soaring angle you caught, with the birds in the perfect blue sky. The preceding picture, shot through the leaves, is very lovely too and I adore that first shot looking down.
What is the big wheel (pulley?) used for? I guess the people coming across the flats need a guide so they don't step into some hidden soupy spot and disappear, right?
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Post by htmb on May 31, 2017 22:16:32 GMT
Maybe it will be more worth my time for a visit on my next trip. Thank you, Kerouac, for helping me finally get to Mont Saint Michel. It's a place I've wanted to visit for quite a long time. Even though we picked the busiest, hottest weekend in May, the trip was incredible and you did an outstanding job of helping us navigate the crowds. I have a few additional photos of MSM I'll post, along with pictures I took of the beaches on the return to Saint-Malo.
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Post by htmb on May 31, 2017 22:27:17 GMT
Here's a section of the main pathway past the shops and restaurants. In two of Kerouac's nighttime photos the street is almost, if not completely, empty. One area of the abbey I've always wanted to see was the cloisters. In photos, it always looks so beautiful with its shady walkways and lovely flowers. However, it's undergoing a bit of work and here's the sight that greeted us. You can see what a marvelous view we almost had. More tomorrow...
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Post by htmb on Jun 1, 2017 6:34:13 GMT
The walk down from the abbey was much more pleasant than the sprint to the top. There were plenty of places to stop along the ramparts and take in the views. It was fascinating to watch as the tide retreated. Each time we checked, the colors of the water seemed to have evolved into more and more interesting patterns. We soon reached the bridge at the bottom of the mont, and marveled at the mid-day crowds headed inside. Kerouac timed our trip well so that we were out and away before the temperatures reached their max and the crowds became even more chaotic.
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Post by htmb on Jun 1, 2017 10:29:37 GMT
I forgot I had a couple of "low-tide tour" pictures. This fellow with the beautiful white dog seemed to be the tour guide for a group of children and their parents. It's probably very wise to take an organized tour of the beach with an experienced leader since there are many places with shifting sand where a person could get stuck. Plus, as the tide turns, it comes in very rapidly and can be quite dangerous. I haven't watched this video in a couple of years, but remember it made quite an impression on me.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 1, 2017 13:02:47 GMT
The title is a bit misleading since nobody rescued them!
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 1, 2017 13:36:59 GMT
Those long shots are dazzling, Htmb!
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Post by htmb on Jun 1, 2017 18:05:49 GMT
The title is a bit misleading since nobody rescued them! True, but I thought the video appropriate because it shows just how fast things can get out of hand as the tide rushes in. After leaving Mont Saint-Michel we drove to the town of Cancale where we found a shady spot to eat our sandwiches near this fountain. Cancale seemed an interesting place, and one I'd like to explore at another time. However, it was full of holiday crowds, so we then proceeded to drive on a bit and explore the coast. This out-of-the-way beach was just outside Cancale, but I can't find it on google. Something like "Brieuc." Kerouac, you're going to have to jump back into your thread and clean up my location names, I'm afraid. And was this Pointe du Grouin? I was so dazzled by the image of Mont Saint-Michel in the distance, all sense of location left my brain. Last, but not least, is Plage du Guesclin. This is just a little section. Perhaps you have a few beach photos, Kerouac? The scenery along the coast was gorgeous, as you can see, and the weather outstanding. All in all, it was a wonderful day and a much-appreciated treat for me.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 1, 2017 18:54:31 GMT
I just have a few photos of when we stopped at the Plage du Guesclin across from the Fort du Guesclin which just looks like a big house to me. The first bits were built in 1026 and its heyday seems to have been in the 14th century. Over the following centuries, it was disassembled, rebuilt (repeat at will), demolished again in 1759, rebuilt again. In 1826, it was decided that it really had no purpose, because it is sort of in the middle of nowhere, so it was sold to private interests and converted into a private residence. Nevertheless, the Germans used it as a fort again in 1942. After the war, the mayor of the nearby village sold it the famous singer (famous in the French speaking world) from Monaco Léo Ferré who lived there from 1959 to 1968. Then it was abandoned but finally bought again in 1996. Apparently rich people still stay there from time to time, if they don't mind being stared out by thousands of people passing by. It is an island at high tide.
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Post by bjd on Jun 1, 2017 19:18:30 GMT
I'm amazed at how many people were in the water. It's freezing there in midsummer. Well, I see that they are mostly standing around where it's shallow.
You were certainly lucky with the weather -- I have never seen the English Channel so blue.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 1, 2017 19:19:27 GMT
That last one is a really great people shot, Kerouac.
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