Moon Over Mont-Saint-Michel

My first visit to the centuries-old fortified abbey of Mont Saint-Michel was in 1986 as a student attending a summer college French-language course in Angers, in the Loire Valley. I was impressed, but since I’d never really heard of the famous monument before, I can’t say I properly appreciated it. The main memory I have was the freezing cold rain and wind along the Normandy coast, even though our visit took place in June.

In April of 2019, I had the opportunity to return to the commune over Holy Week and experience a truly unique night sleeping on the island. This was quite by chance, as I booked a hotel I thought would be on the mainland with a view of Mont-Saint-Michel, but a few weeks before the trip realized my friend and I were actually going to be spending the night there. Even more exciting was that we would be there for Good Friday coinciding with a full ‘super moon’.

Getting to MSM is very easy from the city of Rennes, capital of Brittany and a pleasant destination on its own. The city boasts 2,000 years of history, with lovely preserved architecture and some superb crêperies and restaurants, including Le Galopin (https://www.legalopin.fr). The sidewalk cafe brasserie offers delicious options such as oysters and fresh grilled steaks and seafood, with mouth-watering local wines.

From the Rennes bus station, a short, hour-long bus trip brought us to the main Mont-Saint-Michel visitors center, where buses bring you to the actual monument. We decided to make the trip on foot from the parking lot, which was something of a trek. However, the growing excitement as we neared the island and saw the majestic structure looming ever closer was an unforgettable feeling.

During the day, MSM was packed with tourists, making it a bit unpleasant navigating the narrow medieval streets. But as the day wore on, the crowds dwindled and we were soon left with just a handful of other visitors, with the run of the mountain. We stayed at a pleasant inn, Le Mouton Blanc (https://lemontsaintmichel.info), right along the Grand Rue. The room was tiny, but cozy. And the hotel served a pleasant meal in the main auberge with traditional fare.

We watched a stunning sunset as the tide began to come in and isolate the mountain from the mainland. Mont-Saint-Michel was actually not initially an island, but due to years of erosion, developed into what exists today. And contrary to my previous knowledge, the water only cuts the road off from shore for a period of 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the tides. Once the sun went down, we were able to walk outside of the fortified gates and enjoy the evening views of the mountain illuminated against the night sky.

Most impressive during our visit was the pink ‘super moon’ which graced the skies that Good Friday evening and made a memorable visit even more unforgettable. Standing before the Mont’s abbey, far from land with a clear view of the cloudless sky surpassed any expectations I’d had. We enjoyed a cocktail at the piano bar of the Hotel Le Mere Poulard with the breeze from the water blowing through the open windows.

The next morning, we watched the sun rise over the coastline and had some freshly baked croissants and cafe au lait before visiting the l’Abbaye – another advantage of being hotel guests was arriving before all the crowds. The cavernous halls and hallowed grounds of the ancient church and monastery felt quite haunting, but in a good way. And the lovely vistas from the top of the mountain made for a breath-taking visit.

From Mont-Saint-Michel, we took the Flixbus (www.flixbus.com) to Saint Malo, along the Brittany coast with its fortified city and charming meandering streets along the coast. As with MSM, the beach is wide and inviting during the day, but in the evening the crashing surf makes for a dramatic transformation of the coastline. There are lovely shops, churches and restaurants in the city, and an antique carousel just outside the battlements. We dined in L’Absinthe (https://restaurant-absinthe.fr/en/) the first night and had Easter brunch at Le Table d’Henri, (now La Corniche: https://www.lacorniche-saintmalo.fr), serving wonderful fresh seafood, wines and a strawberry soup for dessert, with a bright, open dining room and pretty view of the beach.

The train station offered a convenient connection from Saint Malo back to Rennes, and from there a short plane trip to Amsterdam. The airport was quite tiny though and most destinations did require a layover at Paris Charles de Gualle. For a weekend getaway, the trip provided a fresh and awe-inspiring appreciation of an often-overlooked corner of France.