Mont Saint Michel Gites Blog

What to do on a Monday … maybe visit St Malo or go for a walk

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What to do on a Monday … maybe visit St Malo or go for a walk

A recent guest was just heading out for the day, when I asked “What are your plans for today?”  “We are going to Fougères,” he replied.  “But the castle is closed on a Monday at this time of year”. Monday can sometimes be like another Sunday in France, as many shops are closed and some tourist sites are closed too, at least for some months of the year.  Fougères castle is closed on Mondays from October until April.  (It’s also closed for lunch time, between 12:30 and 14:00, so really in the tradition of French opening hours.) So it’s worth planning ahead and checking what’s going to be open....

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Inside Mont St Michel – my recent visit to the abbey

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Inside Mont St Michel – my recent visit to the abbey

Although I see Mont St Michel every day from a distance, it is very rare that I actually go inside the abbey.  My cousin visited me this week, so I decided to go and have a look inside Mont St Michel.  Perhaps something had changed…   A lot changed in 2012.  The parking is now about 2.5km away from the foot of the Mont St Michel, which is good, as cars left in the car park do not float away at high tide anymore.  The price of the parking includes transport on the Navette (shuttle bus) to the Mont St Michel.  Actually the navette is just free, so if you visit the Mont on your bike,...

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Tripadvisor’s Top Beaches – St Malo number 3 in France

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Tripadvisor’s Top Beaches – St Malo number 3 in France

As Tripadvisor announces its view on the top beaches in the world, Le Sillon at St Malo comes in at number 3 in France. If you like a bit more seclusion, there are some lovely sandy bays near the Pointe de Grouin. You just need to take a picnic and your bathers Top Beaches in France   In fact the coastline changes dramatically travelling from Granville to St Malo, so you could visit a different kind of beach every day.  We are at the mid-point.  The beaches closest to us tend to be best for walking, sand yachting, flying kites and building sand castles.  If you want to swim, head west...

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Lambs – Very cute

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Here is the official photo of Demelza 2, staying close to mum Constance.  She might be our only lamb this year, so we hope mum keeps her safe. And here’s an up-to-date photo of the father of the flock.  He actually isn’t the father of any of the flock, but he is the oldest sheep in the field.   And because it isn’t all about sheep, here is our survivor chicken.  Madame Blanche got fed-up of her friends being taken out by foxes, so she decided to leave the hen-house and sleep in trees.  She changes her sleeping perch every couple of nights to stay safe.  She also got...

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Sheep News from la Ferme de la Baie

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Sheep News from la Ferme de la Baie

Today we said goodbye to Demelza.  She was part of the package when we moved to La Ferme de la Baie, so she was probably 10 years old, which is a good age for a sheep.  The Ouessants are the smallest breed of sheep in the world and a very hardy.  She was very timid when we arrived, but got braver as she got older.  Big Steve is the last of the pure Ouessants, and he has the advantage of never having his body ravaged by childbirth, so he could be with us for a while yet. In a happier note, Constance kept the numbers up by giving birth to a healthy baby girl last night.  Henry would like to...

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Food, Glorious Food – Restaurants We Love in the Bay of Mont St Michel

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Food, Glorious Food – Restaurants We Love in the Bay of Mont St Michel

Finding great restaurants in a new place can be a challenge but can make a good holiday great.  Here are some of our favourite places to eat in La Baie du Mont St Michel.  To be fair, a favourite restaurant is not always just about the food. It’s worth noting that in the countryside restaurants tend to open at 7pm and if you want to eat later you need to be sitting down to eat before 9pm.  Many restaurants are closed on Sunday night and on Monday and others choose other days.  And some restaurants are closed altogether in the low season.  We are happy to ring a restaurant for you to...

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