Journals from the week ending June 13, 1997
Mont-Saint-Michel
Kristin Smith, Onboard Director, 6/9/97, aboard ship...On June 5th, we went to Mont-Saint-Michel. Did you know that Mont-Saint-Michel is the most visited attraction in France? It started as a 250 foot high rock with sheer sides. In 708, the rock was dedicated to St. Michel and from year 1000 to the 16th century monks undertook a superhuman construction. An abbey was built on the islet in the style of a citadel, the overall height of which, including the churches steeple, is well over 500 feet. Over the years the building has also been used as a prison and a fortress. The tide in the bay that surrounds Mont-Saint-Michel is among the strongest in the world. It is said that the sea can come in "as fast as a horse at a gallop." For a few short hours we went back in time, it would have been neat to live back the those days.
Reflections on St. Malo
Jacquie Davies, 6/9/97, aboard ship...In some ports of call, it is difficult to see the city's inner charm from the first scenic impressions. However, the real St. Malo was well represented by it's outer look of great history and French character.
From where we docked, we could see roofs and the steeple of the town's cathedral, despite the height of the walls that surrounded the city. All else inside the old town of St. Malo was hidden from sight. It was difficult to gather a sense of direction through the narrow cobblestone streets of the inner walls. We got a better idea of how the city was laid out when we walked the top of the wall surrounding the city. Every sunset, I strolled along the elevated city boundaries past sentry posts, couples, dogs, and large statues of historic figures like Jacques Cartier.
Within the walls were streets of small gift shops, bakeries, and restaurants. Towering over all the other buildings though, was the cathedral. Rebuilt after W.W. II, the main stained glass window was bright and quite modern in comparison with the traditional pattern or flowered designs. As a Canadian, and moreover, as a Montrealer, it was moving to see Jacques Cartier's tomb inside the cathedral. It was at this cathedral in St. Malo that he prayed for success and safety with respect to his voyage in the 16th century.
As a group, we also visited the infamous Mont-Saint Michel. Although crowded with tourists, the old abbey at the top of the mount seemed to still have an authentic tranquillity about it.
From visits to the aquarium and to the Cape Horn Museum, we all experienced many different things in St. Malo. It's almost surprising to think about how much we could still learn about the place if we had the time…