Fri 6 Jun 2014 Cumulative distance 1582km
A glorious cloudless morning with the sun shining and a cool breeze - ideal for cycling.
We had decided to head eastward (rather than north-east) across Normandy, to bypass the crowds, and all the pomp and ceremony, associated with the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Nevertheless, we found that D-Day celebrations and associated decorations, flags and displays were much in evidence in most of the towns that we passed through. Even after such a long period the significance of these landings in the French psyche was very apparent. It caused us to ponder on the happenings of 6 June 1944 and the months afterwards, as we cycled along through the magnificent countryside. It was hard to imagine how it must have felt to be a soldier in whatever uniform in this landscape, to us so beautiful, to them so fraught with danger.
The wind was a mixed blessing, keeping us cool as the temperatures "soared" to 26 degC, but occasionally impeding us on the numerous small, sharp climbs we encountered on our route. We reached Tinchebray around 4pm and, with the help of the Tourist Office, found a hotel nearby. However, the rooms had not yet been made-up and we could not check-in till 6pm so we left our bikes and luggage there in safe storage and wandered into town where preparations for a D-Day celebration 'Songs from the 30s to 50s' that evening were in full swing. We found a small cafe and enjoyed a couple of leisurely drinks before wandering back to our hotel for a much-needed shower.
Heading East across Normandy (D-Day 6 June 2014)
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Marcey les Grèves
Thu 5 Jun 2014 Cumulative distance 1521km
Blue sky, barely a cloud and a warming sun - it's not a myth, summer is on the way! In the cool crisp morning air we set off to visit Le Mont St-Michel, early enough to beat the mid-morning influx of tourist buses (we're not tourists, we're travellers we reminded each other). There are more than 3 million people visiting each year! After locking our bikes in one of the several bike 'parks', we walked the last kilometre across the causeway to the Mont. It is impressive and, not surprisingly, dominates the landscape. Le Mont St-Michel is located approximately one kilometre off the coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River, is about 100 hectares in size and 92 metres above sea level at its highest point. The island has held strategic fortifications since ancient times, and since the eighth century has been the seat of the monastery from which it draws its name. The composition of the town exemplifies the feudal society that constructed it. On top God, the abbey and monastery, below this the Great halls, then stores and housing, and at the bottom, outside the walls, fishermen and farmers' housing.
In 1879, the tidal causeway was converted into a raised or dry causeway. This prevented the tides from scouring the silt around the mount and combined with the reduced scouring effect of the Couesnon River after it was canalised, and the gradual natural reclamation of surrounding lands, the Mont was in danger of ceasing to be an island. So, in 2006, a project was initiated to allow the river flow and tidal flows to again remove the accumulated silt deposited by the rising tides. The project includes the replacement of the causeway with a light bridge that will allow the waters to flow freely around the island. The new bridge is scheduled to open in August, ready for the major tourist influx. (Wikipedia).
Entry to the Mont is free with only paid entry to the Abbey on the peak. The winding climb up to the top is lined with dozens of souvenir shops, cafes, restaurants and small (expensive) hotels - all a bit tacky but not enough to distract from the grandeur of the whole construction. The views from on-high across the surrounding sand plains (the tide was out) were phenomenal.
After an hour or so we retreated back across the causeway (taking the free shuttle bus) just as the hordes descended. Great timing.
With the sun on our back and a light breeze (quite a change from yesterday) we followed minor roads eastward along the coast, stopping around midday for a picnic lunch at a small point with views of the Mont. As we remained concerned about possible shortages of accommodation due to the D-Day celebrations tomorrow, we then continued on the Avranches and immediately headed to the Tourist Office to find out what was available. It seems that our fear of not finding beds (at least in this area) was unwarranted and although many hotels were quite full, there were still various rooms available. We opted for a nice place a little out of town and were happy to have a short day and the opportunity to relax during the afternoon, before heading out in the evening to find a bite to eat.
Le Mont St-Michel
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(click on image to enlarge in a new window)
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