Belle Ile en-Mer

Monday, April 29, 2013, Belle Ile en-Mer, France

This morning we had two lectures, one pretty detailed and focused on the French discovery of Spanish painting and the removal of Spanish art to France by somewhat nefarious means.  The second was a preview of the Bayeux Tapestry which we will see on Wednesday afternoon.

After lunch we visited Belle Ile en-Mar.  Belle Ile is a small island about 12 miles off the coast of Brittany, on the North Atlantic coast of France.  It has much history dating back to Roman days, but is most famous because of its beauty, and because two people found it special—Claude Monet as a place to paint, and Sarah Bernhardt who spent many summers here.

The total population of the island is about 5000, half of whom live in the major town, Le Palais.  Today the island is supported by tourism (summer vacationers, mostly) and fishing.  Here is La Palais:

 

There is a huge citadel above the town, built in the mid-1800’s to defend the island and the coast of France.  It is massive:

 

And it has a massive moat:

 

After touring the citadel we visited a couple of special places on the island, one being the most picturesque of the many estuaries, which was a favorite of Monet’s to paint:

 

And here is the old small fort which Sarah Bernhardt had repurposed into a summer home on another small estuary.  Note the lighthouse in the background.  There’s nothing else nearby.  I guess if you live as busy a life as she did, isolation for your summer holiday makes sense.

 

Tomorrow we tour Guernsey Island as we begin the study of WWII and the German occupation.  The last lecturer (of three tomorrow) will be David Eisenhower who will talk on “Operation Overlord”.