Ever dream of escaping your everyday life?

Would you like to escape to your own Magical Faraway Kingdom? Wand and princess outfit not required (although you can bring them if you wish).

Do you ever imagine yourself, swept away off on a medieval pilgrimage – such as the tales of old:

“In a faraway kingdom, in a mythical age – you arrive at the doors of the fort as the sun sets off in the distance. Your horses’ pace is ever steady, yet you know that he’s tired after a long days ride.   You’ve arrived at the right time of the day, as the tide is out and you are able to cross the causeway to the Monastery.  Where you leave your horse at the stable and find yourself a suitable room above the inn.”

*sigh, dream*, what one wouldn’t give for a horse and room at the inn…

Have you envisioned checking out of your life for a few days to escape to a place so far from your everyday reality? It’s just the break you need to give your mind, spirit, and soul a well-deserved break that it needs.

You might be asking yourself if places like this still exist, and if so where.

Let’s uncover where you can find the keys to this faraway kingdom and unravel some of its mystery, that magical kingdom is ‘Mont St. Michel’ in Brittany, France.

The Pilgrimage of Getting to Mont St Michel by Horse, Carriage or Magic Wand

The mini fairy tale above did happen, albeit without the horse, and it’s not as far away or impossible as you might think. Although it is a bit of an adventure to get there. So, be sure to bring a travelers knapsack in which you keep a good book and a jar of patience.

I brought a very special book on this journey, one that I’d been waiting to read till I was on a real pilgrimage of my own Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker’s Guide to Making Travel Sacred.  This book was a perfect inspiration and gave me endless food for thought on my adventures during my stay at the Island.

The best route, depending on where you are coming from is via Paris, by air or over land.  Ideally, if you are able to hire a car or drive – as it’s a bit out of the way and a car gives you the extra freedom.

If, however, you are like me – the French and their style of driving are likely to have you in a panic – never fear, there are other options.

There is a train from Paris, to Rennes and from there you can catch the bus or shuttle.  Please find the most up-to-date options, and bus times here on Rome2Rio.

Do take heed: it is best that you are in time for the last bus, if the tide comes up you may otherwise find yourself stranded in Rennes for the night.

Or, if you are determined to get there as I was, it’ll cost you a small fortune for a taxi.

Is there a bed fit for a Princess above the Inn?

Perhaps you have a secret inkling that you too were once a prince or princess. Wishing that you could spend your time trekking across many lands on horseback – full of adventure, dwarfs, and elves…

You’ve seen the Hobbit, or read Sci-Fantasy books and there is always a wondrous room above the Inn.  These Inns do exist and there are a few of them located in Mont Saint Michel for you to stay in.

These are magical places to stay, firstly due to the fact that they are so quaint, that you half expect a Hobbit or Aragon to come walking in through the door. Secondly, most tourists come in during the day on a tour, if you are staying on the isle itself you’ll have the village streets to yourself in the evening and first thing in the morning.

I stayed at Le Mouton Blanc, which has since my stay been refurbished. The real experience is the view outside, the partly lit and magical windy paths upon which the tourists slowly exit the fortress.

Before you know it, it is evening and the streets have become quiet, the medieval shop fronts glisten and twinkle with mystery. The aromas from the Inns restaurant downstairs starts to travel up to your room. You can be lazy and glad to be able to eat downstairs at the Inns Resturant.

Like most restaurants on the island, it’s French – from the open fire to the wine, bread, and candles – it creates an atmosphere from times gone by. I tried the hearty French soup, that tasted as good today as it would’ve if you’d stopped at the Inn 500 years ago.

What’s a Princess to do, once she reaches the Fort

Sadly, Mont St. Michel doesn’t have dwarfs or elves. Better yet, it has a dragon!

St Michel, of course, was the angel who slew the dragon, so you’ll spot signs of their presence everywhere.

In the statues, shops, and artwork around the Abbey.

A word of wisdom on getting the best photos is set the alarm clock and get up early.

At the crack of dawn, there will be no tourists, and you’ll have the whole magical place to yourself.  You can meander down the cobblestoned streets, enjoy taking endless photos without anyone in them.

You may with a bit of imagination even envision King Arthur and his men riding out of the mists at any given moment.

Free Sunday Morning Recital in the church

The Abbey on Mont St Michel is a working one, Monks and Nuns still live there as the did once upon a time.  It means you’ll share the space with them, as well as the ringing bells that calls them to service.

If you are lucky enough to be there on a Sunday be sure to catch the mass, held at the main chapel at around 10 am.  The soft singing and chants of the choir ring out through the towers of the monastery and will leave you in tears and the purest state of bliss.

It will leave you with goosebumps and a peace in your heart that is not comparable with anything else.  While I didn’t intend to sit in on the mass, I am incredibly grateful that I did.

Tricks for avoiding the crowds without the Cloak of Invisibility

While Mont St. Michel is magical, the place is quickly overrun with hoards of people as soon as the morning tours start arriving.  It’s like a real-world Disney with real-world magic and that is something that everyone wants to come and experience.

If you’d rather not hang out with the masses – then this is the perfect time to head off and explore the rest of the area.  You can walk across the causeway and visit shops on the mainland, go hiking in the Dunes or visit other nearby historic villages such as Dinan.

The outer edges along the shoreline if the tide is out is also a great spot to wander and take photos of the iconic island rising up over the causeway.

The true Magic of Mont St Michel

The most enchanting aspect of Mont St Michel is simply Mont St Michel, whether it is strolling down its characterful alleys. Peering into the small shops selling trinkets and religious paraphernalia. The old-fashioned cafes serving delicious French pastries and restaurants lit with candle-light.  The magic hangs in the air and sweeps you away to a simpler era when like you, many pilgrims came by here looking to experience the magic and get a warm place to sleep.

Spending a few days is enough, especially when you sleeping on the island itself. You can make the most of the varies tides, the local wildlife and enjoy the peace and quiet of the Abbey.

The trick is to enjoy a touch of slow travel, let yourself be swept away to a place where little has been touched by the hand of time.

My last tip is to leave the real world at the threshold as you enter this enchanted place, and let the grace and magic in.

p.s. If you do see a dragon, Aragon or a hobbit, please be sure to let me know.

 

 

 

 

Without a doubt we are all for a bit ‘La Revolution’, and in most cases happy to support workers rights and protests on the whole.

Yet, do you hardly recall a real strike being held that interrupted your every day life?  Australia, Netherlands or the UK rarely strike – and the most we hear is rumours, threats, union meetings before it’s all neatly sorted out. And we are informed of the results.

The Revolution in France never really ended

Here, in France, where I am currently travelling they have an ongoing train strike – From April to June.  WHAT…. Yes, a 3 whole months, it’s spring and many tourists and locals are affected.

Read the details, or see the dates here in more detail here: Trainline EU

And they mean it.  I went and asked at the tourist information if there really was a strike –  seriously? there really isn’t any trains?? Are you sure?  The woman looked at me and my most absurd questions – of course there is a strike, which means limited to no trains.

Luckily while not everyday, booking anything can be tricky, I would advise where possible you travel on the days there is no strike.

Yet, there is another new transport distrupter that has stepped in and saved the day, a modern day knight / driver in shining chariot to whisk you off to where you’d like to go, meet  Bla Bla Car.

There is No Bla Bla about it….

So I have to declare I am a bit of a car sharing newbie – and was super nervous about getting into some strangers car, most likely this person won’t speak english – and my French is dismal at best.  How would this work?

Yet, thanks to my stubborn streak, I wasn’t going to let the Rail strike stand in the way of where I wanted to go, so I decided to risk it.  And try to Bla Bla my way across France to get to where I was going, when I said I was going to get there.

I found Bla Bla car to offer the best carpooling service, and there has also been a huge influx of French subscribers to the site, and a really community that is helping people everywhere to get them to where they are going – the easy way.

My First Bla Bla Experience

My first ride was a challenge to say the least.  I caught a taxi to the middle of nowhere and had to hope for the best. The taxi driver spoke to the driver, and the many messages the driver texted never arrived – as the website didn’t show my country code…  so, the driver rang – trying to speak french on the phone had me in tears, and I had no idea what was being said.

The taxi had left me in the wrong freeway exit, and the driver had to drive all the way around and hence was annoyed.  Communication melt-down at it’s best.  However, the driver found me, we resolved the issue.  He was super kind and I got across the country in less than 3 hours, while if I had taken the bus it would have taken me 13 hours!

The second driver had a full car, and was young yet a sensible, polite and charming.  So all in all with only an small wait between lifts, I got from Carcassonne in the South West of France up to La Creuse in the Middle of France cheaper and quicker than I would have ever gotten the train or bus for.

Lessons in using Bla Bla Car in a Foreign Country

So, while use of car pooling in another language isn’t without it’s challenges and limitations.  There were a few lessons learnt in the experience:

My advice:

• Try different routes, and have a play around with the locations – without dates, so you can gauge what the more travelled routes are
  • Also go for rides that can pick you up from a central location (ie. Train station, this means there are also taxis or buses should anything go wrong)
• Be sure to check the if they have room for luggage or not
• Don’t be worry if the car has other passengers (I found this ideal as that meant I didn’t need to talk to the driver)
• Read the reviews, Leave a review
• Make sure you are on time
• Always be polite and respectful

Bla Bla Car in Summary

Not only is the rail strike a spanner in the works, it is also difficult with the rail network or buses to get to get to the smaller cities or across from one region to another.  I am loving the option of using Bla Bla car to get me to where I want to go. While I personally like travelling by train, for me to get from here to my next destination Brittany I would need to change trains 6 times, which makes the journey a long an arduous one. While if driving it’s just 4 hours away.

Bla Bla Car is available in a variety of countries in Europe, and while you do pay for the ride, depending on what the driver is asking – it is still much cheaper than public transport. Payment it is via the website using paypay.

You can also set your preferences, music, smoking/ non smoking, and a little of a lot of bla bla (talking).

 Keep on Roaming 

I will continue to carpool across France, strike or no strike.  Admiring and yet avoiding the impact of the mini-revolution that is currently underway.

I’ll have my own revolution in difiance and not let it dampen my travels or stop me in getting to where I want to, when I want to get there.

Yes, the language barrier can be a challenge and also a great opportunity to learn some French and if you do speak the language the perfect chance to have a chat to a local. So don’t let a transport strike or your nerves get in the way.

Book a ride, get your Bla Bla on, and keep on Roaming.
What is life, if not a constant adventure.

Website: https://www.blablacar.com/

Book Train/ Bus: Oui SCNF