Head to the tiny town of Mont Saint-Michel, home to only a few dozen full-time residents. Enjoy an included tour of the medieval town and its eleventh-century Romanesque Abbey, world-famous for its dramatic clifftop perch, as well as its rich history. Breton legend has it that the archangel Michael appeared to Aubert, the local bishop, in AD 708 and demanded that a church be built on this stony promontory, but Aubert—somehow unfazed by the appearance of a celestial visitor—said no. Aubert changed his mind, so the story goes, when Michael burned a hole into the bishop's skull with one finger. The first structure was built soon after, and was then expanded dramatically in the eleventh century, taking the striking form we see today. You may decide for yourself whether the finished abbey resembles a mostly closed fist with the spire as one extended angelic finger. This medieval abbey and surrounding commune has appeared as a dreamlike "floating castle" to pilgrims in the Middle Ages and modern-day tourists alike. Today, a causeway connects the island to the mainland, creating a safer passage for when the historic high tides come sweeping in.
After lunch on your own, continue to the quaint fishing port of Cancale. Along the way, we will make a short stop to a World War II-era German cemetery. Upon arrival in Cancale, we'll take part in a discovery walk, strolling along the rocky jetty and perusing the crates of dripping wet, fresh mollusks set up streetside by local vendors. We'll even get to sample the rich bounty of the sea during an included oyster tasting.
