Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the life of German soldiers stationed along the Atlantic Wall. This wing also explores the
struggles of the POWs and French citizens who built the fortifications.
The finale is a walk through the US Armed Forces Memorial Garden (Vallée du Mé-
morial). On a visit here, I was bothered at first by the seemingly mindless laughing of
lighthearted children, unable to appreciate the gravity of their surroundings. Then I read
thisinscription onthepavement: “Fromtheheartofourlandflowsthebloodofouryouth,
given to you in the name of freedom.” And their laughter made me happy.
Mont St-Michel
For more than a thousand years, the distant silhouette of this island abbey sent pilgrims'
spirits soaring. Today, it does the same for tourists. Mont St-Michel, among the top four
pilgrimage sites in Christendom through the ages, floats like a mirage on the horizon.
Today, several million visitors—far more tourists than pilgrims—flood the single street of
the tiny island each year.
The year 2014 is a momentous one for this timeless abbey. This is the last year for
the causeway that for more than 100 years has brought tourists to Mont St-Michel's front.
(It's supposed to be demolished by 2015—see “The Causeway and Its Demise” sidebar.)
At the same time, a restoration of the island's ramparts may block some island walkways.
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