Mont St. Michel

Sometimes you just have to give in to an impulse.

This time it was Christian's wish, because he already knows the Mont from the walking tour, he thought that I should see it too. At first I wasn't that enthusiastic, we've already driven past it twice, churches aren't really my thing either.

Then I stopped myself because it's an interesting story, so I shouldn't stand in the way of it. Today, thanks to birthday boy Loki, we got up shortly after 6 a.m. and were at the parking lot very punctually at 8:30 a.m. after walking the dog.

There was only wafts of fog around us before, it was supposed to be a very warm day, so we hurried because leaving the dogs in the car in these temperatures wouldn't be nice. It was just after sunrise when we made our way to the mountain.

In the past, you were allowed to drive your car directly onto the beach and park there, but there is quicksand, deep mud and certainly drivers who misjudge themselves and their skills and their car. I was glad that we had a parking lot with a little shade and there was a shuttle bus.

We caught one of the first buses and really saw the mountain coming out of the fog, no filter in the pictures! The sun then showed its magic and so the photos were great, obviously not quite postcard quality, but it's good enough for me. The mountain has charm, but it consists almost entirely of bars, hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops, which is a bit special. Of course, tourism is the main source of income here, so it's a bit like going to Venice.

The audience is international, it was interesting to see that, because especially in Normandy with the landing coast it was mainly British, Italians, Americans and French, here the situation was completely different.

We were so early that we mostly even managed not to get the numerous visitors to the huge monastery complex into the picture. The place is fascinating, but I also accept that it is exploited so commercially. Parking was more expensive than entry to the abbey, but that's just the way it is, the bus is free.

We then went hiking and discovered that there are an awful lot of mosquitoes living in the salt marshes and they always seem to be hungry. The well-known salt lambs that you can eat on the Mont must be very tough on the mosquitoes!

We then enjoyed another specialty, because if you drive this bay, Baie, further towards St Malo, there are oyster farms and the like, I couldn't miss that. Instead of lamb, I had huitres and moules...