The day after we arrived, my host dad, M. Andre, took Rebekah and I to see the Chatêau. While only a small island, Noirmoutier’s Château is impressive. Stone walls surround the château, also encasing what probably was once the guard house as well as a home built by a later governor. Consisting of about three floors, the white, stone fortress is incredible.
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| Rebekah and M. Andre |
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| Me, Rebekah, Shane, and Emily |
Today, the Château is used as a museum, documenting the history of the castle. Now, it is devoted entirely to World War I, commemorating the bravery of local men such as Pierre Monnier or Captain Sauveur-Auguste Guillet (both of La Guérinière), portraying the life of prisoners kept in the Château, and displaying life-size pictures and artifacts of the time. While I could not read the plaques explaining what I saw, I experienced the museum on a more emotional level. Seeing the pictures, feeling the cold seep through the stone walls, and imagining what it would have been like in that time was an experience I will never forget.
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| The view from the top. |
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| St. Philbert from the top of the Chatêau |
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| Spiral staircases in the turrets. |
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| The rafters in the turrets. |
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| In the field, where the daisies are.... |
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| Me, M. Andre, and Rebekah |
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| A map of the island displayed in the castle |
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| A monument in front. I can't remember what it was for.... whoops! |
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| The Chatêau at night. |
Right next to the Château is L’Eglise Saint Philbert, the church of Noirmoutier’s patron saint. Built on the foundation of the abbey founded by St. Philbert in 674 AD, the church which stands today was built in the 11th century.
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| A painting of the miraculous fishing catch. |
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| A model of the frigate of the Lieutenant Jacobsen |
Below the choir, is the crypt where St. Philbert’s relic, tomb, and statue are. The tomb is raised into an arch, under which humble pilgrims crawl towards the marble statue where prayer candles are lit. It is slightly foreboding in the crypt, but, at the same time, it is exciting. I can imagine World War II refugees seeking safety and finding it in the crypt.
My mental picture expands imagining and even hearing tastes of music sung in the church. Listening to and singing pieces such as Gounod’s Da Pacem, Poulenc’s Ave Maria, and Mozart’s Requiem, Lacrymosa, and Laudate Dominum in the churches spread chills through my body. The already deep music expanded and filled the church, reverberating from every stone and alcove. With this in my mind, I imagine medieval peasants walking miles after an already exhausting day in the fields to pray and hear mass. I see and hear a place of sanctuary, reverence, and awe; a chapel built in the, so called, Dark Ages to bring Lux Perpetua, Light Eternal, to the world, still standing today.
There are two ways to get onto the island: by bridge or by the Passage du Gois. The Passage is a natural site, created on a high seabed. At low tide, a road appears, over which cars and pedestrians can cross.
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| Me, Rebekah, and Madame Iréne, and Gino in the background. ;) |
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| The water started seeping onto the pavement.... |
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| Then, it started rushing! |
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| These rescue posts are placed along the Passage for those unfortunate souls who forget the time and are left stranded in the ocean. |
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| Not one hour after we arrived, the Passage had disappeared. |
Up next.... Victory in Europe Day—in Europe! Plus, the market and town.
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