Mont St. Michel proves to be worth all the efforts we've made to reach it! Somehow, even with the phenomenal number of tourists visiting everyday, the place manages to retain its mystery, charm and medieval airs... especially after 6 PM, when the island clears out and the streets are free to roam in peace and tranquility. The history and setting are entirely legendary. After a two-day visit, we would continue our ride by following small country roads until connecting with the lovely Mayenne River and its idyllic bike path that would take us all the way down to the Loire at Angers...
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| Happy to be here! |
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| Some genius got their act together and booted all vehicle traffic (except local transport buses) from the Mont, making it quiet, contemplative and absolutely car-free. |
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| Bo and Jeff on the Mont's main street, La Grande Rue. |
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| Looking out over the rooftops to the bay beyond. |
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| Bo had his way exploring the alleys and steps... |
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| ... the chapel... |
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| ... and the winding medieval paths. |
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| Rooftops and the Bay of Mont St. Michel stretching towards eternity. |
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| In the Mont St. Michel Abbey we came across plenty of shell motifs, as Mont St. Michel is on the Chemin de St. Jacques, especially for pilgrims who were coming from northern countries (England, Scandinavia). |
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| The cloisters (La Merveille). |
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| Katy and Bo taking it in. |
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| The Mont takes its name from Saint Michel, whose most prominous feat was slaying the dragon (Satan) (Book of Revelation), here pictured. Bodhi was overawed by this representation, where the Archangel Michael is seen standing on and subduing the dragon while preparing to put the spear through him. |
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| Bo, Jeff and sublime scenery. |
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| This was the only place in northern France to successfully resist English invasion during the Hundred Years War (1337-1453) between England and France. |
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| Jeff and Bo relaxing on one of Normandy's happy cows in the tourist village near the Mont. Our Normandy experience would be a short one, as just south of Mont. St. Michel we would re-enter Brittany (department Ile-et-Vilain). |
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| Bo and Katy depart a soggy campsite near Pontorson some 10km from the Mont... |
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| ... and ride through some mud leaving our campsite near St.Brice-en-Cogles. |
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| Brilliant cafe seen in Saint Brice. |
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| No offense, but these cows look like they were whacked with the ugly stick... |
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| Just arrived in Fougeres on a cold blustery day. |
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| Katy enjoying the only sun we saw all day, which came out in late evening. |
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| Bo pitches in with tent set-up... |
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| In some wooded bottomland near Luitre. |
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| The following morning the boss has a lie-in. |
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| Approaching the village of Juvigne in typical landscapes of this area. |
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| We discovered a whole field full of horses at an equestrian center near St. Berthevin. |
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| 4 km west of Laval in St. Berthevin we had our first WarmShowers stay of 2016, with the hospitable couple of Francis and Catherine. |
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| Their stunning house and its sprawling lands made for a great stopover and rest, and some great football sessions... |
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| Gorgeous church at Laval. |
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| At Laval we jumped onto the Mayenne River voie verte. |
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| Mileage marker on the towpath next to the river. |
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| Calm scenes like this one abound, with nature hemming in. |
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| Action shot along the Mayenne. |
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| Katy can never resist visiting with horses... |
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| ... while Bo is kept busy with blowing dandelion seeds everywhere. |
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| Not quite the Loire Valley yet, but we do start seeing some impressive chateaus along the Mayenne as we descend. |
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| The bikes never fail to stir the curiosity of horses seen along the way. |
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| The town of Chateau-Gontier straddles the Mayenne. |
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| Our camp near Menil. |
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| The picturesque village of Menil. |
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| Chateau above the cliffs... |
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| ... fortified mill. |
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| The Mayenne grows in size and scope as we pass near Le Lion d'Angers. |
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| Rasta donkeys! |
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| Dreadlocked and all, they form part of a small business along the Mayenne producing donkey-milk items such as soap and beauty-products amongst many other things. |
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| We happened upon this chateau lurking amongs forested land above the Mayenne and knew we must be near the Loire. |
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| End of a long day, nearing Angers on a fab cycle trail. |
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| Pictured is Michel, our WarmShowers host in Angers who permitted us a much-needed 2-night stay in his flat. |
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| Michel, in addition to sharing his personal travel stories both solo and with his daughters, also prepared a vegetarian version of a traditional Breton dish for us (utilizing a cloth bag to prepare buckwheat mash)... |
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| ... from a village near Brest, its called "kig ar farz"... involving plenty of vegetables... |
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| ... and buckwheat mash. |
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