La Belle France
Mont St. Michel
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The next morning we docked at La Rochelle at 7 am. La Rochelle is a maritime city founded in the l0th century. There is much history here -- too much for one day, but we gamely set out for Rochefort, the renowned shipbuilding city on the Charente River. Louis XIV, the Sun KIng, intended Rochefort to be the most beautiful city in his kingdom. The drive to Rochefort takes one along the seafront of La Rochelle, with its old harbor, 14th- and l5th-century towers, and Great Clock gate.
Upon arriving in Rochefort, we took a walking tour of the 17th century old town. Then it was off to the shipyard and the Royal Ropery Museum. The museum is the longest building in France allowing for the making of ropes that seemed to go on forever. Ropes were made here for many sailing ships of the time, and we spent time studying the exhibits showing how it was done. Instead of returning directly to the Marco Polo, we got off the tour bus in La Rochelle to check out the seafront (the German u-boat pens, featured prominently in the classic movie "Das Boot," are here) and visit a wonderful maritime museum. All too soon our visit was over and we returned to the Marco Polo for a 9 pm sailing. Another "day off" tomorrow as we cruise the Bay of Biscay on the way to St. Malo, France.
The harbor of St. Malo
After a day of doing as little as possible (and not starting that until noon), we arrived at St. Malo at 10:30 the following morning. Phyllis and I split up once again. She went to the medieval abbey of Mont St. Michel. The abbey is built atop a rock pinnacle that rises from the sea, and is one of France's most astonishing sights. Begun in A.D. 708 , it took 500 years to complete. The stones used to build the abbey were brought to the island by boat and then pulled up the hillside using ropes. Much as I would have liked to have seen this wondrous place, there was much walking and much stair climbing, and my back just does not permit this kind of activity. Instead, I chose to see the vistas of the Brittany Coast with its white sand beaches, towering cliffs, and offshore islands. An interesting stop was at the Rance Dam where the strength of the tides (the Rance estuary rises 48 feet and is second only to the Bay of Fundy) makes this the only power station in the world to produce electricity from the tidal force. I also saw medieval Dinard, a charming resort developed by British aristocracy and frequented by the international jet set (I saw the home of Christian Dior); St. Cast le Guido, a seaside resort with a superb view of the Cote d'Emeraude, and Cap Fréhel, 240 feet above sea level with a spectacular view from the Point du Grouin to the Ile de Bréhat. We sailed that evening for Le Havre at 8 pm.
The Emerald Coast
This is the time to tell you a little story. One of our dearest friends died last year and, after her cremation, we asked for and received some of her ashes to do with as we wished. She was of French descent and spoke the language fluently. Phyllis put some of Vi's ashes in the cloister garden of Mont St. Michel and disbursed more of them from the fantail of the Marco Polo as we sailed out of St. Malo harbor. We had some left and I had a special plan for them.
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After a day of doing as little as possible (and not starting that until noon), we arrived at St. Malo at 10:30 the following morning. Phyllis and I split up once again. She went to the medieval abbey of Mont St. Michel. The abbey is built atop a rock pinnacle that rises from the sea, and is one of France's most astonishing sights. Begun in A.D. 708 , it took 500 years to complete. The stones used to build the abbey were brought to the island by boat and then pulled up the hillside using ropes. Much as I would have liked to have seen this wondrous place, there was much walking and much stair climbing, and my back just does not permit this kind of activity. Instead, I chose to see the vistas of the Brittany Coast with its white sand beaches, towering cliffs, and offshore islands. An interesting stop was at the Rance Dam where the strength of the tides (the Rance estuary rises 48 feet and is second only to the Bay of Fundy) makes this the only power station in the world to produce electricity from the tidal force. I also saw medieval Dinard, a charming resort developed by British aristocracy and frequented by the international jet set (I saw the home of Christian Dior); St. Cast le Guido, a seaside resort with a superb view of the Cote d'Emeraude, and Cap Fréhel, 240 feet above sea level with a spectacular view from the Point du Grouin to the Ile de Bréhat. We sailed that evening for Le Havre at 8 pm.
The Emerald Coast
This is the time to tell you a little story. One of our dearest friends died last year and, after her cremation, we asked for and received some of her ashes to do with as we wished. She was of French descent and spoke the language fluently. Phyllis put some of Vi's ashes in the cloister garden of Mont St. Michel and disbursed more of them from the fantail of the Marco Polo as we sailed out of St. Malo harbor. We had some left and I had a special plan for them.
Return To The Index
This is the time to tell you a little story. One of our dearest friends died last year and, after her cremation, we asked for and received some of her ashes to do with as we wished. She was of French descent and spoke the language fluently. Phyllis put some of Vi's ashes in the cloister garden of Mont St. Michel and disbursed more of them from the fantail of the Marco Polo as we sailed out of St. Malo harbor. We had some left and I had a special plan for them.
Return To The Index