The Village of Tocqueville: Final Resting Place for Alexis de Tocqueville

The little village of Tocqueville (population: about 280) has erected a bust for the French diplomat, political scientist, and historian, Alexis de Tocqueville. Tocqueville himself was born in Paris, attended school in Metz, died in Cannes, and is buried in Tocqueville.

He is best known for his works ‘Democracy in America’ and ‘The Old Regime and the Revolution’.

Bust of Alexis de Tocqueville

This is the church and cemetery where he is buried.

Tocqueville Church

We combed the hole cemetery for his grave, and initially could not find it. With the help of a sight-map in the church, we finally located the grave next to one of the side entrances.

Alexis de Tocqueville grave

One of the many mosaic windows in the Tocqueville Church.

Going to Barfleur, Normandy for the Sea Climate, and Sea Food

What attracted me first to Normandy was its summer climate. The forecast for July promised 17-19°C on most days. I claim any temperature past 23°C to be a total waste on me.

After an 11-hour drive from Oberursel near Frankfurt, passing the periphery of Paris in 42°C (108F) weather, we finally arrived. The French are knows for having late dinners, but just like last year in Cancale, we had to look around a bit to find an open restaurant at 9pm.

As usual, we rent a vacation home for privacy. I don’t like hotels, and I don’t care how many stars they have. I want space and time to visit myself. Our rental sat on the main road in Barfleur, but sat back a bit, so it was perfect. This view from the house shows some part of the outdoor seating possibilities. Every morning, I got to watch the sun rise sitting in that spot.

Vacation rental in Barfleur
Barfleur on a summer evening

There weren’t as many tourists as in Cancale last summer, and the sea food selection, in general, is a bit smaller as well, but just as good.

This is an old boat launch for life boats. The building now houses some kind of museum, and the launch now serves as a means for having some water fun.

An Afternoon Visit to Mont-Saint-Michel

On the spur of the moment, while touring villages around Cancale, we decided to drive over to Mont-Saint-Michel. I had not been there since 1986, so I was in for a big surprise.

If I recall correctly (mind you, it has been over 30 years), there was no street leading up to the abbey. We just stood at the shore, and saw it from a distance of about 600m on that cool, rainy, and overcast day.

Now Mont-Saint-Michel is overcrowded, and so was the shuttle bus as well. My first impression was that this has become a tourist trap.

A majestic site from afar! And I recommend you leave it that way, and bring a picnic basket instead.

 

About 2.5 million tourists a year visit Mont-Saint-Michel. I found the shops boring with the same old merchandise in each one.

It takes about 350 steps to climb up to the abbey (entrance fee is € 10). My husband went in, but I preferred to remain outside. The entrance area by the abbey was not crowded, it had a few places to sit in the shade, and I used the time to observe and take some notes.

The village’s Benedictine Abbaye du Mont Saint-Michel.

Things to Know Before You Go
  • The parking lot on the mainland is 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from the island. A shuttle will take you from the parking lot to a drop-off point. You need to walk another 440 yards (400 meters) to get to the entrance.
  • There are narrow walkways and steps, so wear comfortable shoes and be prepare for some elbowing.
  • You have to walk from the shuttle drop off to the entrance. The paved main street has no stairs, but it climbs quickly. Then you have 350 steps from the main street to the abbey.
  • There is no elevator.

Mont-Saint-Michel is a Gothic-style Benedictine abbey and dedicated to the archangel St Michael.

Diese Webseite verwendet Cookies. Wenn Sie auf der Seite weitersurfen, stimmen Sie der Cookie-Nutzung zu. Mehr Informationen

Diese Webseite verwendet so genannte Cookies. Sie dienen dazu, unser Angebot nutzerfreundlicher, effektiver und sicherer zu machen. Cookies sind kleine Textdateien, die auf Ihrem Rechner abgelegt werden und die Ihr Browser speichert. Die meisten der von uns verwendeten Cookies sind so genannte "Session-Cookies". Sie werden nach Ende Ihres Besuchs automatisch gelöscht. Cookies richten auf Ihrem Rechner keinen Schaden an und enthalten keine Viren. Weitere Informationen finden Sie auf der Seite “Datenschutzerklärung”.

Close