|
|
Exceptional March tides in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel!
|
|
|
The month of March is rich in exceptional tides, those above
coefficient 95. This is the perfect opportunity to explore the Bay
of
Mont-Saint-Michel and discover its heritage.
 2006
will be rich in exceptional tides, particularly the month of March
when there will be almost ten tides above coefficient 95. If it is
an impressive sight at high tide (indeed even dangerous when weather
conditions are bad), it is just as impressive at low tide. Receding
several tens of kilometres offshore, the sea then gives way to over
25,000 ha (61,750 acres) of sand, rivers and mudflats.
Maisons de la baie and several private bodies organise trips to
explore this exceptional heritage. Reserved for good walkers, the
hikes (approximately 15 km/9 miles) take place in the company of
qualified guides who know how to avoid the main danger: not the
rising tide which, according to legend, moves as fast as a galloping
horse, but the quicksands, which are much more fearsome! You can
also explore the bay in a converted trailer drawn by tractor.
During this trip, you will come across numerous species of birds:
set at the crossroads of migratory routes from the British isles and
northern Europe, the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel constitutes an
important migratory stop and a wintering place that is very popular
with aquatic birdlife in search of nourishing mudflats, marshes and
polders. Another first-rate curiosity:opposite theChapelle
Sainte-Anne (in the district of Saint-Broladre), 6 km (3.7 miles)
from the shore, is an amazing sandy reef 1.5 m (4.9 ft) high and
stretching over 100 ha (247 acres). It is in fact a honeycomb worm
reef built by little sea worms ("hermelles"), which live in this
complex of sand tubes.
You will also discover the technique of mussel farming and the
wooden fisheries of Le Vivier-sur-Mer, used since the 11th century.
Those who want to enjoy the sight with their feet on dry land can go
to Le Grouin du Sud on the other side of the bay, in Normandy. From
here you can observe the tidal bore, the first wave that comes into
the bay at high tide, a "tidal wave" which can be as much as one
metre (3.2 ft) high.
A night on Mont-Saint-Michel
With some three million visitors each year, Mont-Saint-Michel
suffers not only from silting up but also from congestion. This is
one of many reasons to spend a night on this sanctuary founded in
708 by Saint Aubert, bishop of Avranches.
From 5pm, motorists are warned by loudspeaker to move their vehicles
on account of the strong tides. Leaning on the rampart walk you will
effectively see the vast expanse of sand, which blends into the grey
sky on the horizon, gradually being invaded by tongues of water that
suddenly appear from nowhere. The seagulls, golden plovers, crested
lapwings and black-tailed godwits head for home. As night falls, the
last visitors walk down the single Grande-Rue lined with ancient
houses and pass through the successive gates of this fortified town
to reach the car park. The third gate, known as the Porte du Roi
(15th century) because it housed the symbolic contingent that the
king kept here, still has its machicolations and portcullis.
At 6.30pm, the bell rings for the Benedictine service at the abbey:
why not go along, it is an excellent way to soak up the mystical
charm that shrouds this unique place. As you leave, you will see
cats - which form by far the biggest population on Mont-Saint-Michel
- voraciously attacking the bins.
We humans dine at LaMère Poulard, where chef Michel Bruneau now
officiates. Beneath its historic panelling, where François I and
François Mitterrand once sat, the man works wonders with produce
from both land and sea - salt-meadow lamb and free-range pigs from
Normandy, sole and oysters from the bay, Calvados and Pommeau.
You can visit the abbey as soon as it opens the next morning and
enjoy this masterpiece alone and in peace. The first stones were
laid in the 10th century, and the many campaigns of construction and
reconstruction have resulted in a complex building whose layout is
difficult to understand. All the more so since your visit will not
be by period or by building but, more prosaically, by storey and
through a labyrinth of corridors and flights of stairs.
We will not go into all the details here, but merely draw your
attention to a group of buildings consisting of six halls set out
over three levels and called LaMerveille (the Marvel): this is
probably one of the finest examples of 13th century monastic
architecture in the world. You will be struck by the perfection of
the cloisters, hanging between sky and sea - the view of the
grasslands and vast stretches of sand and water is unforgettable.
These cloisters give an intense feeling of serenity, dictated in
part by their bold architectural forms, such as the forest of small
columns arranged in a quincunx, which creates a striking perspective
effect. From one room to the next, visitors are filled with wonder
by the faith, hope and elbow grease that has been poured into the
stone...
From Mont-Saint-Michel to Cancale
Leaving Mont-Saint-Michel via the D976, we cross the Couesnon back
into Brittany at Beauvoir and enter a landscape of over 15,000
hectares (37,066 acres) of polders. Reclaimed from the sea in the
19th century, this fertile land, mainly planted with cereals and
vegetables, forms a strange checkerboard. The hilltop village of
Roz-sur-Couesnon offers a broad view of Mont-Saint-Michel.
Following the coastline, you soon arrive at Cherrueix, a big village
typical of the bay, which still has three mills and some
thatched-roof houses. It is now renowned for sand yachting. The
little Chapelle Sainte-Anne, built in 1684 and standing alone in the
middle of a crossroads, is worth a look.
The D155 is bordered by green pastureland where flocks of sheep and
colonies of seagulls cohabit peacefully. Flocks of crested lapwings
fly overhead; with a little luck and some careful observation you
might spot a bird of prey - a merlin, peregrine falcon or harrier -
who like these flat, open hunting grounds where they can see far
into the distance.
At Le Vivier-sur-Mer, a road off to the left leads to Mont-Dol,
which, along with Mont-Saint-Michel, is one of the last vestiges of
the Hercynian upthrust. This slight hill (which peaks at 63 m/207
ft) looks out of place in the flat, monotonous landscape. Initially
a prehistoric site (many bones of Palaeolithic animals have been
unearthed), over the centuries it became a place of druid, Roman and
then Christian worship. While studying in Dol, Châteaubriand used to
come here to vent his youthful melancholy.
After Le Vivier-sur-Mer - a mussel farming centre - you will pass
through Saint-Benoît-des-Ondes which still has several fixed
fisheries, 300 m/984 ft-long traps where fish are caught at flood
tide. Here, as well as further along the coast, there is a profusion
of cheap restaurants where you can indulge in mussels and oysters
fresh from the water.
|
|
http://www.viamichelin.com |
|
|
Tour of the Month |
Guided Visit to the Accademia Gallery Florence
Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Michelangelo! The Accademia
Gallery in Florence attracts visitors from all over the world to gaze upon
masterpieces by famous artists, especially Michelangelo's most famous work -
the statue of David. Come see for yourself the superb collections the
Gallery has to offer. Why not combine this tour with a tour of the amazing
Uffizi Gallery? |
|
