George is a former nightclub bouncer, private detective, radio DJ, pub landlord and gravedigger. He is now an acclaimed travel writer who has been writing about France for more than thirty years. His latest book “French Impressions – Brittany” was published several months ago. I read and enjoyed the book and thought it would be a great idea (with George’s permission) to publish passages from the book here, in a series that we are going to call “On the trail of George East”. The excerpts are George’s opinions of places in Brittany that he has visited and we would like you, our readers, to add your comments, letting us know if you agree or disagree with George.
For the first excerpt I have chosen one of the most famous of French landmarks…
Not counting the Eiffel Tower, Mont St-Michel is the most popular tourist attraction in France. It is also not technically in Brittany. Standing on a tidal island in the bay of the same name, the Mont is still the cause of a degree of ill-will between Normans and Bretons with long memories. The Mont was technically Breton and an Armorican focus of Romano-Breton culture and power in the 6th century until it was annexed in 933 by William Long Sword, the first duke of Normandy. After the monks gave their support to the invasion of 1066, the monastery of St-Michel was awarded properties and lands in England, including a small island off cornwall where the mini-version was to be built. The influence of the Norman abbey waned with the onset of the Reformation, and it became a prison until being declared an historic monument in 1874.
When we arrived, we had to fight our way through the throngs of Japanese tourists and touts promoting the tacky wares of the shops lining the ascent. After a lung bursting, elbow jostling climb, we pitched up at the main building entrance to find it would cost a small fortune to go further, and our dog would not be allowed at any price. Unimpressed, we made the long descent and headed for the nearest chippie.
Let us know your views on the Mont St-Michel.
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On a recent cross-Channel ferry with my husband and mother, we bumped into a former work colleague, Paul, and his charming wife, Wendy.
We started exchanging impressions and stories on being proud British owners of French holiday homes (well, I was born French, but having lived half my life in the UK, I have a suspicious feeling that my Hackney-born husband sometimes feels more French than I do !). After comparing our endless “practically ex-pat” experiences, the conversation naturally turned to the various tourist sites and places that we are all so proudly familiar with (the funniest part was when I said that I am very fond of Mt St Michel, and Paul replied that so is he, more so that the Normandie (???). After a split second of stunned silence, we came to the conclusion that we all spend far too much time travelling on Brittany Ferries !!!).
Mt Saint-Michel : what a wonderful landmark!
As one drives down the dual-carriageway bypassing Avranches, there it is, in the distance, a sight I never tire of. My heart always skips a beat as I try to catch a glimpse of that distinctive spire high in the Normandy sky.
Funnily enough, my very first memory of the place isn’t a particularly pleasant one. On holiday from Bordeaux as a moody teenager with my parents, I remember feeling so disappointed that we didn’t actually manage to make it to the place.
It was a warm August day, and Mt St Michel was packed with noisy tourists.
In order to reach the site, there is a causeway which also serves as a car park at low tide. A car park that was full that day, resulting in us having to park in a space that felt like miles away (looking back, it probably was…). My father suffered from a minor disability which prevented him from walking long distances, so we didn’t manage to set foot on the island itself (to my great relief, I must say : the tide around Mt St Michel is renowned for coming in at the speed of a galloping horse, and I had visions of my family and I hobbling along the never ending causeway, surrounded by rising water and eventually having to swim back to shore and to safety (by the way, none of us could swim…)).
Happy days !
I have been back to Mt St Michel many times since (yes, actually ON the island), but now I wonder : does my heart skip a beat on the Avranches road because it cannot forget the horrific death I had imagined for us that day ?
The trick with Mont St Michel, as with all such places, is to go the first Sunday of the month, when it’s free! A glacial clear winters day is best, because you have it to yourself, but it is not known as the Cathedral of the Wind for nothing. Wrap up warm.
Re Mont St Michel – well yes, it can be unbearably crowded by its very nature – tiny narrow streets and magnificent situation. After once such experience in high summer in 2007(we crawled to it by car from the main road for 2h and parked several miles away on quicksand!) we vowed never to go again.I had visited it as a boy (soon after it was built) and in 1999 and was amazed, but after the debacle of 2007 I was pursuaded to visit it again this Sept 1st and went in by the other gate to the west which was totally quiet and an easier climb, with no shops or tourists, arriving to a short queue for the Abbey tour. Magnifique, epoustoufflant! Pas de tout epouventable!