On Saturday, IES took all 91 of us to Mont St. Michel, which is probably the second most-recognized French monument after the Eiffel Tower. And as with most iconic sites - I experienced the same with the Taj Mahal - amateur photos don't do them justice.Not to mention the fact that we only have 1 1/2 hours to see everything, solely for the reason that the food there was expensive. (I would gladly have paid 6 euro for a sandwich if it meant a few more hours there, but I could spend a whole entry on this frustration.) That time itself was truncated in navigating the touristy-pseudo town of gift shops at the bottom, squeezing past tourist groups of all nationalities while climbing up to the main entrance to the historic part, and then following a labyrinthine path of signs through the various parts of the site.
It's one of those places that started small, but grew more impressive with each addition (excluding the parking lot). And in spite of our limited time, it was still a breathtaking morning. I'll let my pictures explain for themselves:
The first breath of fresh air above the sea of tourists.
As you can see, the weather was perfect, as was the morning light shining through the cathedral windows.
My friend Jake and I at the top (even though it looks as if we're superimposed into a Romantic landscape painting!)
Taken with a little regret on the way down, wishing I was still at the top...We spent lunch and the remaining afternoon hours in St. Malo, a charming coastal town not far from St. Michel. Although I was brooding for a bit over the time crunch and an empty stomach, there's nothing that can't be solved by a romp on the beach!
It was a day well spent... just another Saturday in France!
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