Daily 'Gram
I always find myself photographing doors when traveling in Europe, but as I went to shoot this scene in Fougères, I noticed something rather delightful: a blue door, white shutters, and a red door - in other words, the French tricolore in door form.
Daily Snap
The town of Fougères was sleepy but charming. There weren't many tourists in sight, save for our group, but I spotted lots of locals - like this woman fishing - out and about.
Daily #Hashtag
#LePèlerinage: Meaning "pilgrimage," this was the journey we made to Mont Saint-Michel. Unlike the medieval pilgrims, however, we were lucky to arrive via air-conditioned bus rather than on foot!
Extra Photos
Day 7: We left lovely Amboise behind and ventured forth into a new region of France: Brittany! There, we spent the morning exploring the town of Fougères.
In Fougères, we learned about what makes the region of Brittany unique. On the bus, Virginie passed out a cheat sheet with phrases in the Breton language; just look at how different it is from French! Apparently, it's most similar to Welsh.
Once in town, we were set free to roam. Our first stop was another classically Breton thing: crepes and cider for lunch at Le Raoul II. Yum!
After lunch, we explored town, climbing up until we reached the public gardens, which provided beautiful views of the area.
#IHaveThisThingWithDoors: As a huge fan of the hashtag "I Have This Thing With Doors" on Instagram (and a door-photography fiend), I loved Fougères. There were gorgeous, grand doors scattered throughout town, and I wanted to take a picture of each one of them.
One thing I love about Rick Steves tours? They take me to places I never would have otherwise found on my own - like, for example, our visit to Fougères.
The town was not the glitziest, most exciting part of France, but it was one I had never experienced before, and the morning represented my first foray into Brittany to boot. I love having the chance to explore these new-to-me places, and to feel like I understand France a little bit better.
From Fougères, we drove on to our resting place for the evening: Mont Saint-Michel. When we arrived in town, we were greeted by impossibly blue skies providing a backdrop to the island. It was definitely a wow moment of an arrival!
We arrived in Mont Saint-Michel at the perfect time: just as the crowds were leaving! The island is often packed with tourists, so it was a relief to arrive as things were quieting down.
After checking into our hotel rooms, we had free time to explore until our group dinner. Mom and I made our way to the ramparts, admiring the views of the surrounding sea from above.
I went a bit photo crazy during our stay in Mont Saint-Michel (well, truth be told, I'm always a bit photo crazy, but it was particularly bad here). Though it's tiny, there's so much to explore and photograph here. What a special place!
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After exploring, we met up with our group at La Croix Blanche for dinner. We began out on the ramparts, where Virginie had set up a lovely little toast for us. Santé!
We moved inside for yet another feast: fish soup, lamp chop, a cheese course, and a chocolate cake for dessert. Just another light group dinner! Calories don't count on vacation, right? ; )
After dinner, mom and I made our way beyond the town walls to look up at the Abbey all lit up in the dark. It was incredibly windy and chilly - but so beautiful!
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Helpful Hyperlinks
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Check out Tourism Bretagne to learn more about Fougères and the Brittany region.
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In Fougères, we had lunch at Le Raoul II. The reviews on TripAdvisor aren't too kind, but I thought the food was good!
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Mont Saint-Michel is one of France's iconic sites - and worth braving the crowds for!
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We stayed at Auberge Saint-Pierre while in Mont Saint-Michel. We loved our room...for reasons that will be revealed on Day 8!
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Our group dinner in Mont Saint-Michel was at La Croix Blanche. The restaurant is just off the ramparts and features some beautiful views.
