We are anchored of the coast of Brittany today, near the historic French port of IIIe-te-Vilaine. The famous walled city of Saint-Malo is just off in the horizon. Saint-Malo, known as the Roman Reginca or Aletum, was founded by the Gauls in the 1st century BC. By the late 4th century AD, the Saint-Servan district was the site of a major Saxon Shore Promontory fort that protected the Rance estuary from seaborne raiders from beyond the frontiers. According to the Notitia Dignitatum, the fort was garrisoned by the militum Martensium under a dux (commander) of the Tractus Armoricanus et Nervicanus section of the litus Saxonicum.
During the decline of the Western Roman Empire, Armorica (modern-day Brittany) rebelled from Roman rule under the Bagaudae. In the 5th and 6th centuries many Celtic Britons fleeing instability across the Channel made their way to Saint-Malo. The modern Saint-Malo traces its origins to a monastic settlement founded by Saint Aaron and Saint Brendan early in the sixth century. Its name is derived from a man said to have been a follower of Brendan the Navigator, Saint Malo or Maclou, an immigrant from what is now Wales.
Saint-Malo is the setting of Marie de France's poem "Laüstic," a 12th-century love story. The city had a tradition of asserting its autonomy in dealings with the French authorities and even with the local Breton authorities.
From 1590 to 1594, Saint-Malo declared itself to be an independent republic, when 'la république de Saint-Malo' (Saint Malo Republic) functioned as a de facto city-state, and from whence the town takes its defiant motto "not French, not Breton, but Malouin" (‘Ni Français, ni Breton, Malouin suis’).
Saint-Malo became notorious as the home of the corsairs, French privateers and sometimes pirates. In the 19th century, this "piratical" notoriety was portrayed in Jean Richepin's play Le flibustier and in César Cui's eponymous opera. The corsairs of Saint-Malo not only forced English ships passing up the Channel to pay tribute but also brought wealth from further afield. Jacques Cartier lived in, and sailed from, Saint-Malo to the Saint Lawrence River, visiting the villages of Stadacona and Hochelaga that would later become the sites of present-day Quebec City and Montreal respectively. As the first European to encounter these sites and learning the local word "Kanata" (meaning a group of houses), Cartier is credited as the discoverer of Canada.
Inhabitants of Saint-Malo are called Malouins in French. From this came the Spanish name Islas Malvinas for the archipelago known in English as the Falkland Islands. Islas Malvinas derives from the 1764 name Îles Malouines, given to the islands by French explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville. Bougainville, who founded the archipelago's first settlement, named the islands after the inhabitants of Saint-Malo, the point of departure for his ships and colonists.
In 1758, the Raid on Saint-Malo saw a British expedition land, intending to capture the town. However, the British made no attempt on Saint-Malo and instead occupied the nearby town of Saint-Servan, where they destroyed 30 privateers before departing.
During fighting in late August and early September 1944, the historic walled city of Saint-Malo was almost totally destroyed by American shelling and bombing. The beaches of nearby Dinard had been heavily fortified against possible Allied commando raids. Artillery at the two locations provided mutual support. The fortification complex was garrisoned by more than twelve thousand German troops from different services and units as well as stragglers from other battles in the Cotentin. About eight thousand Germans were in Saint-Malo itself when the battle began.
Colonel Andreas von Aulock, the German commander, refused to surrender when asked to do so by the town's authorities. He said he "would defend St. Malo to the last man even if the last man had to be himself".
The first American attack was launched by the 83rd Infantry Division on 5 August 1944. German positions at Châteauneuf quickly fell. Cancale was abandoned and occupied by the Americans on the 6th. In the same way and on the same day, Dinan fell to Free French forces. The Germans shortened their lines and drew closer to the ancient citadel at St. Servan-sur-Mer, now reinforced with concrete.
Effective German artillery emplacements on the island of Cezembre were out of reach of American ground forces. German garrisons on the Channel Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney were able to use small craft to bring in water and remove the wounded from the battle.
On 13 August, the walled city was on fire and a short truce was declared to allow French civilians to flee the city. Outlying German positions at St. Ideuc and La Varde fell to infantry attacks. This fighting ended resistance on the north shore of the peninsula. Only the citadel remained. Surrounded by American artillery and under frequent air attack, this last holdout surrendered on the afternoon of 17 August.
Cezembre surrendered on 2 September when the three-hundred-man garrison ran out of drinking water. The Americans had taken more than ten thousand prisoners during the two-week fight, von Aulock among them.
Today Saint Malo is a holiday beach destination for the French. Apparently, the people of Paris, about 2 and a half hours away, really like to holiday here. However, although we can see both Dinard and Saint Malo from the dock, our excursion is going to visit Mont-Saint-Michel, about an hour away.
Mont-Saint-Michel is an Abby which sits on a tidal island which lies approximately one kilometer off France's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. The island is all of 17 acres in acres in size.
Mont-Saint-Michel's position—just a few hundred meters from mainland—made it accessible, at least at low tide, to the many pilgrims wanting to visit the abbey, and defensible as the incoming tide stranded, drove off, or drowned would-be assailants. It was one of the major stops on Via Francigena; the pilgrim road between Canterbury, in England, and Rome.
The island remained unconquered during the Hundred Years' War. A small garrison fended off a full attack by the English in 1433. Louis XI recognized the benefits of its natural defense and turned it into a prison. The abbey was used regularly as a prison during the Ancien Régime.
Mont-Saint-Michel and its surrounding bay were inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979 for its unique aesthetic and importance as a Catholic site It is visited by more than three million people each year. Today, all three million people visited the island. When Harry V and I were here in May 2019 for the 75 anniversary of D-Day, it was also crazy with people. When you intermingle with all of these people you understand why many cities want to limit the number of tourists. It is impossible to enjoy the sit, any site, if you are just being pushed along with the crowd.
Today is special here as there is some super tide here today. The sea drops 10 plus meters exposing more of the tidal plain around the island than normal. It is obvious from the exposed tidal lands around the island.
Within the city are over 60 buildings which are protected as historical monuments. In 2023, President Macron marked 1,000 years of the abbey. They have even built a dam and the elevated pedestrian bridge because the land around the island had silted up. The restoration of water flowing in the bay has made the mount an island again.
We did our best to keep up with the group, but the climbing of the stairs got to be too much for Mary. About halfway up we stopped at the tiny cemetery of Mont-Saint-Michel, which borders the parish church. It is interesting in that it is built on two levels and it offered a beautiful view of the bay. There are few “old” tombs here, but the most probable reason is that the graves are recycled. There are a number of recent burials. One has to wonder who gets the honor of being buried here.
Among the tombs that are decipherable is that of one of most most famous people from Mont-Saint-Michel, “Mother” Annette Poullard (1851-1931). She had a famous restaurant on the mont, which is still there. She was famous throughout the world for her omelettes. She rests next to her husband under an unattractive slab.
The fanciest tomb in the cemetery belongs to that the non-figurative sculptor Henri-Georges Adam (1901-1967). Henri-Georges was a non-figurative sculptor and a member of the School of Paris. He created several monumental sculptures and tapestries.
Next to the graveyard is the Saint-Pierre Catholic Church. The church is probably overlooked by most visitors to Mont-Saint-Michel, as they are here to see the Abby at the top of the hill. This little church current state dates from the 14th, 15th and 17th centuries. Since the end of the 19th century, the building has had the dual status of parish church and pilgrimage sanctuary for the worship of Saint Michael. The steps out front of the church leading to the Grande Rue probably get more attention – they seemed to be used as a place to sit and have lunch. Places to sit or even stand on Mont-Saint-Michel are at a premium.
Speaking of which at the foot of the steps is a small sandwich shop – La Coquille. We picked up two “sandwich au jambon et au fromage” and two bottles of eau. We then proceed to be two of those tourists who sat on the steps of the Saint-Pierre Church and ate their lunch.
After lunch we walk down the Grande Rue towards the entrance which is also the exit. It was difficult making our way down the Grande Rue as there were just so many people. People with their dogs. Why would you bring your dog here? The kids are understandable, the double wide baby strollers are not.
It would be good to go back here sometime when there aren’t so many people. Perhaps even trying on stay in one of the hotels on the mont. You simply can not get much of the sense of the importance or history of the place with this many people. Ah, this is why so many European cities was to limit tourists!
We walked out the entrance towards the trolly stop to take the trolly back to the parking lot, which is about a mile and a half from the mont. The hordes of people coming from the parking lot was unbelievable. The police weren’t even letting people on the the actual mont.
The line to wait for the trolly was about a quarter mile long, so we decided imply to walk back. We had time and need the exercise. Fortunately, it was a nice day and not very hot. We got back to the tourist center near the parking lot, and then made our way to the bus.
Apparently, I got on the bus and immediately fell asleep. The next thing I knew we were pulling up to the ship. Michael, in keeping with the French theme of the day, had made reservations at Chartreuse, the French restaurant on board, for dinner.
We met Mike and Maddie outside Chartreuse at 18:30. The menu was the same as we had on the Mariner during the World Cruise. The food is, as usual, good, just not what I prefer. Dinner lasted about two hours. Afterwards it was off to bed for the night.
Buonanotte e ciao, Enrico e Maria.
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