The Yellow Brick Road: Normandie Day 13: Omaha Beach and Mont St-Michel

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Normandie Day 13: Omaha Beach and Mont St-Michel

Got a rude awakening this morning when the fire alarm started going crazy at 8am. What do I do? Snooze some more... I got to have more discipline waking up now that I'm moving to Cincinnati where the workday starts at 7am. Ew...

Anyway, I digress. Today is Mont St-Michel day with a side trip to Omaha beach, one of the sites where D-Day happened and one of the most gruesome, where thousands of Americans were gunned down over just 2 days of fighting the Germans.

The beach goes on for miles on end and is pretty wide from the water to the end of the shoreline where the Germans were hiding with their machine guns. One can't help but imagine the battle scene all across and the fear of the soldiers on the frontline venturing out to certain death, acting basically as a human shield so that others behind them might succeed.

There are a couple of museums about D-Day which I didn't get to see because they were closed for lunch, though I did get to see the American Cemetery, which is just like the one in Fort Bonifacio.

The real highlight of my trip is the fabulous wonder that is Mont St-Michel, the 3rd most visited site in France (after the Eiffel and Versailles) and the inspiration for Minas Tirith for you LOTR fans. How fantastic is that -- an abbey built on a rock in the middle of the sea! Even approaching by car is an awe-inspiring moment.

One can only guess what the 12th-16th century pilgrims must have felt as they made the trek across the long beach at low tide.

It all started in the 10th century when Archangel Michael ordered St. Aubert to build a church at the top of the rock -- not an easy feat considering the top of the rock was shaped like a pyramid. They somehow succeeded and by the 14th century, a full village had sprung up at the foot of the mount, which is still there! It's pretty cool and I love that the signs still have the medieval characters to depict the professions.

I'll have to go back someday to see the tides rushing in to surround the island. Victor Hugo once said the tide comes in at "the speed of a galloping horse". How scary that must be if you're still stuck crossing the beach. Even to this day, there are people who attempt the cross and die either from getting caught in the tides suddenly or from the quicksand. So cross with caution if you must. And use the experienced guides around to lead the way!

Another reason to go back is the FAAAAAAANTASTIC La Mere Poulard, the first of hopefully many many many more Michelin star restaurants, where such dignitaries as Thatcher, Hemingway and Mitterand have dined. Really one of my top 5 dining experiences EVER. Everything was absolutely freaking perfect.

I'd only ever liked foie gras poele (pan-fried), but the quality of the pâté and OMG, the braised foie gras has definitely changed my mind! The omelette was also justifiably famous -- the lightest and softest I've ever had.