Good Times - Condor Magazine Spring/Summer 2023

This was my second bay walk with Chemins
de la Baie, whose expert guides run low-tide
walks around the year - an unforgettable
way to discover both the human and
natural history of the bay. The first time, I’d
enjoy blue skies and sunshine above the
iconic silhouette of Mont-Saint-Michel; this
time, it was grey and raining. But as I soon
discovered, there’s a unique atmosphere
whatever the weather.
Picture: Villa Les Rhumbs, Christian Dior’s childhood home
This island community topped by an abbey
church is classified as a UNESCO World
Heritage site, one of France’s most popular
visitor attractions with its narrow winding
street, cavernous church, and panoramic
high level views. Officially the Mount stands
in Norman waters, but the triangular bay
around it is shared between Brittany and
Normandy, and there are numerous ways to
enjoy it.
Love your seafood?
Head to Cancale in Brittany at the western
limit of the bay to try the area’s famous
oysters and explore coastal and inland
footpaths. Some maritime history? Then
make for Granville in Normandy at the
northern apex.
Granville’s Upper Town stands on a strategic
rocky promontory originally fortified by
the English. Take in the views, explore the
winding streets and then head downhill to
the gleaming marina. Here I set sail for a
half-day cruise on board La Granvillaise, a
traditional sailing boat or bisquine once used
for fishing the bay. On a blue-sky afternoon
with a gentle breeze, there seemed no better
way to enjoy distant views of the UNESCOlisted
island.
You also catch a glimpse of Villa Les Rhumbs,
childhood home of couture legend Christian
Dior whose pink-washed cliff-top house is
now a museum hosting an annual exhibition.
This year’s theme – Le Génie d’un Créateur’
– celebrates the creativity of Dior who was
largely influenced by his Granville childhood
(29 April to 5 November).
Following the coast south, I enjoyed a
circular walk along the granite cliffs above
Carolles for an unusual perspective on Mont-
Saint-Michel and the uninhabited island of
Tomberlaine. A third island also once rose
from the waters of the bay but for the last
4,000 years Mont-Dol has been surrounded
by Breton countryside, the sea having
receded across the centuries.
Visit the Maison de la Baie in Vains near
Avranches (April to September) for an
interactive look at the local landscape,
wildlife, and tides, including the mascaret
or tidal bore. And, if you have a sweet tooth,
drop in at nearby Cara-meuh! - a fourthgeneration
family farm that has diversified
into all things caramel from sweets, sauces
and biscuits, to home-produced cheese,
honey and meat.
Final stop on my tour was Avranches, tucked
into the far eastern corner of the bay where
the river Sée meets the sea. This charming
town is home to the Scriptorial, a fascinating
insight into the illuminated manuscripts
made by medieval monks at the abbey of
Saint-Michel. Ask for the children’s booklet if
you have family in tow.
And don’t miss the green space of Place
Becket. King Henry II of England knelt here
in 1172 before papal delegates from Rome
in return for absolution for his part in the
murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of
Canterbury. The cathedral is long gone –
destroyed during the French Revolution
- but time stands still as you look towards
the hazy outline of Mont-Saint-Michel, an
inspirational view across the centuries,
whatever your beliefs.
Useful websites:
www.bienvenueaumontsaintmichel.com/en
www.ot-montsaintmichel.com
www.normandie-tourisme.fr
www.cheminsdelabaie.com
www.lagranvillaise.org
www.musee-dior-granville.com
Mont-Saint-Michel | 77