MEETING BRIGITTE MACRON AT THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL!
When I woke up on the 26th of July 2023, little did I know that I was going to meet Brigitte Macron, the wife of Emmanuel Macron, the President of France.
We’d initially set our sights on the Mont-Saint Michel, which is one of the country’s most visited sites. Every year, a whopping 3 million enthusiasts make their way to this small island in Normandy whose population is said to be only about 29 people.
My earliest memories of this site can be traced to postcards and pop culture in general. Previously, I had also seen stunning images of this site online but I had never seen it in person.
To many people in France, the Mont-Saint-Michel is a legendary place where low and dangerous high tides rhythm people’s visits and catch tourists unawares.
As you can imagine, I was really looking forward to be part of this legend and to inscribe my footprint on this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I had no clue that what was waiting us up there was more than we’d bargained for. I’d always believed that I was the kind of person who always keeps her cool. Star-struck? Me? Thandi? Never! Well, what we saw on that island threw me entirely off guard and left me in an emotional upheaval for hours even days.
What happened on that day?
Well, we arrived early in the afternoon and decided to park our car in a village that was located a few kilometres away from our final destination.
It was a normal sunny day, a bit windy but not cold. I wore a pair of navy blue trousers, a sleeveless light blue blouse and a black cardigan. A wide-brimmed hat and a pair of black sandals completed this outfit. Usually, I wear dresses or skirts so I was happy that I felt comfortable enough to walk and explore my surroundings without difficulty.
Frankly speaking, I was taken aback by the simplicity of the place. I thought that there would be many people walking to the site considering that we were in the height of the tourist season. However, we met only a few people on our way.
I was equally surprised when I saw a large flock of sheep grazing on the grass in the magnificent bay that surrounds the Mont-Saint-Michel. In my wildest imagination, the calm sheep acted as the first defence line against would-be invaders that would want to attack the abbey. I guess livestock is the last image that comes to one’s mind when they think about this historical treasure.
Later on, I learned that these sheep are called salt-meadow lamb. Apparently, they are a delicacy owing to the salty grass that they eat in the bay. Additionally, the trade around their meat is carefully regulated and not just anyone can partake in this trade.
The image of a little lamb with a sprained leg remains etched in my mind. This little creature walked painstakingly, much far from herd, alongside its mother. I wonder what happened to it. That’s nature, isn’t it?
We crossed the bay and arrived on a main road that was full of tourists. Aha! There they were! People from all walks of life, speaking all sorts of languages and flocking to this place that had once been a holy pilgrimage centre.
For the origin of the site can be traced back to as early as 708 when the archangel Michael is said to have summoned Bishop Aubert of Avranches to build him a church on the little island.
Subsequently, the site would house an abbey and a prison! The site even managed to survive the Hundred Years War against the English thanks to its natural defence lines!
As we walked to the site I could not refrain from thinking that I was on a pilgrimage myself. I had no idea what sights would greet us there but I knew that I was going to be impressed.
We saw a police car near the gate that leads into the village. As we drew nearer, we spotted two police officers manning the small gate through which people were entering and leaving the site.
Picturesque shops on both sides of a narrow paved street welcomed us. The place reminded me of Prague and its crowds. We struggled to make our way upwards.
I could not help to notice more and more policemen and policewomen. Suddenly we stopped advancing. Then I saw people that looked like bodyguards or characters straight out of a Mission Impossible movie.
“This site is heavily protected!” I told myself. “Wow!”
“There is a celebrity in that café,” someone said.
“A celebrity?” I asked my husband who was a few metres from where I was standing.
“Yes, a celebrity,” he answered.
I could not wait to set my eyes on the so-called famous person.
“It’s Mrs Macron,” a bystander enlightened me.
“Mrs Macron? The First of Lady of France? Here in Mont-Saint-Michel? Rhetoric questions swarmed my head. What was she doing there? Why hadn’t we heard this on the news? Later on I would also learn that Jill Biden, Joe Biden’s wife had also graced this site with her presence. What a day!
I started seeing many people taking out their cameras and directing them towards the door from where she was to emerge in all her splendour. A few seconds later, I caught a glimpse of her blond hair. The signature hair that I had seen on TV and on social media posts so many times!
Suddenly she was outside, smiling, graciously taking a selfie with a little girl who was accompanied by her mother. At that moment I thought about the demands on her being.
What was it like to be hounded by all these people and to give all her person in such circumstances? I thought that I would not be able to handle that amount of pressure on an everyday basis. I observed her. She was smiling and fulfilling her duties without a single complaint, without a single push. All this seemed to come from a genuine place.
The bodyguards that surrounded her made sure that we were not approaching her too much. At this point, it was easy to make the link between the rocky ramparts of the Mont-Saint-Michel and the seemingly emotionless stalwarts who protected her. The undeniable truth was we could see her but we could not get to her. The intensity of all this left me speechless and I could only manage a weak “Wow” now and then.
As she passed, she said “Bonjour! (Hello!)” and I answered back “Bonjour! (Hello!)”, all the while repeating my chant “Wow!” Then she was gone just as she had appeared.
I could not believe that I had just been through that. Why? I kept replaying the events of the day. If our lunch had lasted longer, then we would not have met her. If we had not taken photos with the sheep, I would not have said hello to this amazing lady.
As the day advanced and I discovered the beauty of the Mont-Saint-Michel, I could not help but feel the grace of God.
We saw the majestic seagulls that are so abundant in this place. They seemed not to be afraid of us and we could observe them closely much to our heart’s content. Even the vanilla ice cream that I ate tasted better because it carried the wonderful stamp of that day.
A huge fig tree laden with fruit beckoned to be captured on my camera. I was happy that I had so much footage to last me a lifetime!
After this, the apex of the visit was the Mont-Saint-Michel’s abbey of course. We discovered its history and toured its different parts. It was like being thrown back centuries before in the heat of history. I could imagine the people who had walked through the same corridors and seen what I was seeing at that moment. I felt truly blessed.
The view of the bay from the roof of the abbey was breathtaking and awe-inspiring. Once in a while, I thought that I was seeing a moon landscape and the people walking below looked so minute, it felt like one could just reach out and pick them up one by one.
Hours flew by and it was already time to go back home.
Now, a few days have gone by and I have been able to think about what happened on that day and to process all those emotions.
I really hesitated to publish this article along with the footage that I took. However, in early August, I watched a German film in which one of the protagonists was making fun of the relationship between Brigitte Macron and her husband. The image he painted was revolting.
The sheer audacity of it all!
I cannot think of other films in which a serving President has been ridiculed in such a manner. I thought about the woman I had seen at Mont-Saint-Michel. I remembered the way she had carried herself with dignity and kindness on that day. I thought about the scriptwriter and concluded that he or she was nowhere near the elegant demeanour of Mrs Macron.
It was then that I threw caution to the wind. Let bygones be bygones! I decided to write the article after all. It was worth it!
***
Further Exploration: Meeting Brigitte Macron at the Mont-Saint-Michel
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About the Author
Thandi Ngwira Gatignol is the founder of Learn English With Africa. She was born on June 11th, 1981 in Blantyre, Malawi. When she was 19, she left her country of birth for France. She currently lives with her two daughters and husband in Poland.
Thandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in English studies obtained at the Université Paris X Nanterre in France and a Certificate in Journalism from Malawi. She has taught English as a French Ministry of Education certified teacher both in France and in Poland. She speaks six languages fluently, including French, Polish and Italian. She is now learning Kiswahili, German and Spanish. Salt No More is her debut novel and you can find her other books here on the website or on Amazon.
Blog Article: Star-struck!—We Met the French First Lady, BRIGITTE MACRON, at the Mont-Saint-Michel! (Level B1-B2) © Learn English With Africa, September 2023
