Family Vacation: Mont St. Michel/St. Malo

On Monday morning, we headed out to Mont St. Michel.  It was another beautiful day and we were really excited about seeing and experiencing this place together for the first time.  It is an island commune just off the coast and is an absolutely beautiful sight from the shores of the mainland.  We went not knowing exactly what to expect, and came a bit unprepared.  The parking is about two kilometers away from the actual commune, and the visitors are shuttle in by bus or a horse drawn buggy.  We brought way more than we needed not knowing what to fully expect, and in doing so opted to bring the stroller which we quickly found out, although a bit too late, that Mont St. Michel is most definitely NOT stroller friendly.  The streets are small and to simply say over crowded would be a bit of an understatement.  This French landmark is one of the top tourist spots in France, and is flooded with visitors all year long.  Between the crowds and difficulties maneuvering the stroller while climbing stairs upon stairs, we had a quick lunch of a famous omelet beat to a specific rhythm and a quick walk around the lower level of the commune before grabbing an ice cream cone and a few souvenirs and heading back to the mainland.  It was a quick trip, but a good one and we were thankful to have been able to go despite the inconveniences.  We will go back again when you are older and explore a bit more!

Extremely fishy seafood soup that you couldn't get enough of...stinky!

Since we finished at Mont St. Michel by 3:30 and you both were ready for naps, we decided to keep driving west a bit for a quick stop in St. Malo.  St. Malo is a walled port city just over the border of Brittany.  We watched a Travel Channel food show about this little city and were so happy it worked out to go for a quick visit.  We walked the quiet streets inside the tall, stone walls, ate local foods, explored the boats on the port, and spent a warm evening playing in the sand on the beaches while the sun went down.  The people were so welcoming and kind and some day we will go back to see more of the lovely Brittany. 

It was a long day, but a very fun day.  You both were so well behaved and seemed to enjoy ever bit of our adventures.  We made it back to the house just before midnight and all slept in the next morning ready for more fun on the beaches of Normandy before heading off to Paris. 

Family Vacation: The Beaches

The beaches, along with there beauty, brought about a lot of emotions.  The history of pain, death, terror and war, all of which brought about victory, is settled into the sand and written across the vast, open water.  It is raw, and surreal.  It is a sacred place that has been kept, mostly, just as it was in hopes to respect the lives that were lost.  The area is rural with wide open fields, beautiful trees and flowers filling the spaces, buildings dating back far before that gruesome day in June of 1944, and some of the kindest people around.

We drove along the coast visiting the different beaches, walking along the sandy landscapes with our toes tucked in under the cold waters stretching themselves across the open spaces while watching you in all your glory having the time of your life.  We saw history and artifacts, people gathering and remembering, ate seafood, galettes and ice cream, all while enjoying our time as a family of four on our very first vacation.  One day we will go back when you are older and learn more through the museums and monuments, but this trip was so full of joy doing things that we knew made you happy.  Namely, the beach. 

The one piece of history we could not go without seeing was the cemetery where 9,368 American soldiers are buried and remembered by over a million visitors a year.  A breathtaking memorial that demands silence and almost instantly brings tears to your eyes and knots fill your stomach as you stand in awe looking out among the fields of strategically placed, perfect rows of white crosses.  Below the cliffs, is the very beach these men were faced with the reality of their worst nightmare as they fought to bring an end to the depths of the war that had made great attempts to take over this beautiful country. 

Our days on the beaches were relaxed with no real plans or agenda, and it was perfect.  You were so happy to run free and play in the sand with the water tickling your toes.  As far as we were concerned, we could have done nothing else but watch you laugh as you wandered and explored.  Experiencing life through your joyful spirit is something that humbles us daily.  You make us remember to stop and just be in the moments that seem overwhelming and stressful.  Life is good, and we were so thankful to be prancing around Normandy with our two adorable babies.