Here is a nifty little map I found.
St. Malo is a port city that's surrounded by a giant wall. You can walk on this giant wall. We did. I almost fell off like thirty times. Crazy wind. (Just kidding)
Me being shackled.
La mer. The English Channel, to be specific.
There was a cute little town- St. Malo, duh- inside the wall. We walked around for a while and bought lunch.
When then went to another place... whose name I don't remember because I forgot to pick up an itinerary but it starts with a 'B'... and ate said lunch.
I thought this was cute.
There was also some major oyster selling going on. I had oysters for the first time in my life here in Rennes a few weeks ago. They tasted like salt, and their texture was similar to what I'd imagine it'd be like eating my own mucus. Needless to say, I did not buy any this time.
But here are some oysters, nonetheless.
After a bit of time here, we hopped back on the bus and headed to Mont St. Michel.
BAM.
Want to know some information about Mont St. Michel? Well we all know I [unfortunately] have zip interest in history, and I of course did not retain a thing that I heard during the hour-long audio tour, so I'll ask my friend Wikipedia to help me out here:
Mont-Saint-Michel was used in the 6th and 7th centuries as an Armorican stronghold of Romano-Breton culture and power, until it was ransacked by the Franks, thus ending the trans-channel culture that had stood since the departure of the Romans in AD 460.
Before the construction of the first monastic establishment in the 8th century, the island was called "monte tombe". According to legend, the Archangel Michael appeared to St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches, in 708 and instructed him to build a church on the rocky islet (that's random). Aubert repeatedly ignored the angel's instruction, until Michael burned a hole in the bishop's skull with his finger(oh, OW).
The mount gained strategic significance in 933 when William "Long Sword", William I, Duke of Normandy, annexed the Cotentin Peninsula, definitively placing the mount in Normandy.
In 1067, the monastery of Mont-Saint-Michel gave its support to duke William of Normandy in his claim to the throne of England. It was rewarded with properties and grounds on the English side of the Channel, including a small island located to the west of Cornwall, which was modeled after the Mount, and became a Norman priory named St Michael's Mount of Penzance.
During the Hundred Years' War (didn't that actually last more than 100 years?), the English made repeated assaults on the island, but were unable to seize it due to the abbey's improved fortifications. Les Michelettes – two wrought-iron bombards left by the English in their failed 1423–24 siege of Mont-Saint-Michel – are still displayed near the outer defense wall.
Anyway, there are tiny roads and restaurants and stuff inside (but before you actually get in the monastery) that looks like Diagon Alley.
Harry Potter!
And the inside was really cool too. Example: cloisters.
Only bit of sun you'll ever see in Bretagne.
I have other things to blog about that I will blog about... eventually... example: I found the best park ever and have been running there a LOT the past few days. It's so gorgeous/French. I need to take photos. Oh, also, my classes. Should blog about those too. Speaking of classes, I have an 815 tomorrow, and it's currently 1030... so I'm out. Buenas noches a todos!
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