Mont Saint-Michel Abbey
Discover one of the wonders of medieval architecture.
The second life of Mère Poulard
2018 marks the 130th anniversary of the creation of La Mère Poulard inn, located at the heart of Mont Saint-Michel.
In his book "Les carnets de recettes de La Mère Poulard", Eric Vannier recounts the history of Mont Saint-Michel, and, through his childhood memories, the life of Annette Poulard.
Rescuing Mont Saint-Michel
At the end of the last century, the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel was suffering from saturation (buses and cars on the parking lot in front of the Mont, too many vehicles on the dike leading to the rock, pollution and, above all, silting).
When Eric Vannier was elected mayor of Mont Saint-Michel, he fought to restore the site to its original status as an island. He campaigned for a major project to remove silting from the Bay, as well as the construction of a "dike-bridge" stopping just a few dozen meters from the Mont.
Eric Vannier fought hard for almost thirty years to make his voice heard, and for good reason: this Unesco World Heritage site had to be saved.
In 2015, thanks to the support of successive presidents François Mitterrand and Nicolas Sarkozy, the work was completed, restoring Mont Saint-Michel to its island status, at least twice a day at high tide.
The second life of Mère Poulard
When Eric Vannier took over the reins of La Mère Poulard in 1986, he wanted to perpetuate Annette Poulard's reputation for generosity and hospitality.
Today, a stop at the Auberge de La Mère Poulard is a must, to watch the ballet of cooks beating the eggs for the famous omelette.
La Mère Poulard was also famous for another specialty. These were the butter cookies that the cook offered to pilgrims' children. Its inimitable taste has crossed the years and borders.
Visitors to Mont Saint-Michel flock to La Mère Poulard stores to buy the famous cookies, made in a workshop in Saint-Etienne-en-Coglès.
From there, La Mère Poulard specialties are shipped around the world, and can be purchased on the the cookie factory website
Les Carnets de cuisine de la Mère Poulard, by Éric Vannier. Ed. du Chêne. 2018. 88 recipes. 336 p. 18,88 €
http://www.slate.fr/story/160915/gastronomie-cuisine-mere-poulard-mont-saint-michel-omelette-biscuits-eric-vannier