After a two night stay in Azay-le-Rideau in the Loire Valley we dragged our luggage down stairs (remember no elevator) and rolled it two blocks down a cobblestone walk way to our bus. (I will skip the details about the innkeeper sleeping in and forgetting to put out breakfast.) Anyway I am sure the neighbors appreciated all that clamoring at 8:00 a.m! We hopped on our motor coach and headed up north for a four hour drive to the St.Malo area of northern France.
Our first stop was Mont St-Michel. One of France's most recognized landmarks. The monastery sits on an island in Normandy France. Low tide made the island accessible to the pilgrams and during the high tide stranded or drowned assailants during wars. Mont-St Michel has remained French territory through the ages and earned the nickname "resistence".
We hopped back on the motor coach for a 45 minute drive to St-Malo a port town on the north east side of France. By the 1100s, St-Malo was a powerful fortified island guarding access to the Rance River and the English Channel. St-Malo is fortified by ramparts and surrounded by beautiful white sandy beaches. The fortified island was built during the 100 year war in the late 1600s to fend off England. During WWII St-Malo 80% of St-Malo was destroyed. Today much of the city has been restored to its original architecture even though many of the buildings date from 1945 or later.
Off to hotel for a one night stay in the city of Dinan.
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