Leaving home at 05:15 meant that we were amongst the early arrivals for the ferry by 06:30. For this day crossing we had opted for reserved recliner seats. Much of the first hour was spent chuckling at the antics of a few people who tried to sit in this area without reservation, only to be moved on by those with a ticket. The main restaurant was closed due to staff shortage, so the we had to make do with soggy scrambled eggs in the self service restaurant.
What felt like hours waiting to clear passport control was actually only about 40 minutes and we were soon on the road to Mont Dol. The major roads in Brittany are free of tolls and of good quality, with many sections of dual carriageway, so the 2 hour drive to Mont Dol passed quickly, keeping an eye out for petrol prices on the way to see if the promised price reductions in France had happened. As we found later they had, filling up at a local garage for €1.40 a litre.
The B&B in Mont Dol was a two part offering, with Château Mont Dol on one side (rooms and gîtes) and Jardin des Simples on the other (smart rooms) connected by what would have been a pretty and well-kept garden, but one which had borne the ravages of the recent 40˚ heat. The weather had decided that our arrival was the best time to drop to 20˚ or so with rain.
Our room was in an attic, up two flights of creaky and twisting stairs, but was comfortable and well appointed. The owner, Yannick, is a superb chef, but Sunday and Monday were his days off, so we headed straight down to Dol de Bretagne, only a couple of miles away, and found L’Évêché, a delightful and cosy restaurant with a good and reasonably-priced menu. It was very busy for a Monday night, normal according to the staff.
Breakfast was an interesting affair. All guests remained seated and were served individually, rather than browsing the standard buffet. Food was all hand prepared, although we did leave feeling in need of a little more nourishment.
Mont St Michel is a must-visit place, and one of the reasons why we chose this location, only about 20 km from our B&B. Just as we were thinking that all should be quiet on a rainy Tuesday morning in September we ground to a halt at the tail of the queue into the car park. Car parks would be more precise – we were directed into car park 12. By now the rain was coming down in buckets and the queue for the free shuttle stretched back a long way. There was no point in turning back now, so we zipped up our slightly inadequate rain tops and walked along the well-made 2.8 km track to the Abbey. As we approached we wondered whether there was an entry fee for the island, but we walked straight through an archway and up the steeply climbing cobbled streets, full of gift shops and cafés. Thinking ahead we ducked into the first café mostly to take advantage of its toilets, but first had to endure one of the worst coffees ever.
The narrow and steep cobbled street was packed with tourists going in both directions. About half way up we reached the Abbey entrance and paid our €11 each to go in, from which point the crowds, but not the endless steps, disappeared. The Abbey was well worth a visit – interesting chapels and crypts, wonderful architecture and fabulous views almost at every turn.
Back at the B&B dinner soon rolled round. As with breakfast this was a rather unusual affair. There was a fixed menu but nothing was shown to us or explained. The food just started coming. But the quality was superb. The owner and chef, Yannick, only cooks fish, and the main fish course was cooked to perfection. After a leisurely meal we went down to the basement where most guests had gathered for coffee, and finished off the evening chatting to a Dutch couple with similar interests to us – mostly boating.