Mont Saint Michel

On January 24, 2018 Mom and I went to the storybook town of Mont Saint Michel. The views of it and from it on top of the Abbey are absolutely breathtaking. I think this is a great way to finish up our time in Saint Malo. This rocky island is dedicated to Saint Michel, a statue of him is at the top of the Abbey and stands 157.10 meters above the shore. The Abbey was where we spent most of our visit enjoying the spectacular views and looking at the vast spaces. My favorite part was the Cloister with the green grass and the spacious Knights Room. The wheel was also interesting because at the end it said in a little museum that it was like a giant hamster wheel (but for humans) to bring in supplies.

Fun facts about Mont Saint Michel:

1. Mont-Saint Michel was an important pilgrimage of faith during the Middle Ages.

2. The English couldn't conquer Mont Saint Michel during the Hundred Years War.

3. Mont Saint Michel's Abbey served as a prison, closed in 1791, the abbey was converted into a prison.

4. Mont Saint Michel has deadly tides. Mont Saint Michel is connected to the mainland by a modern causeway built in 2014, the tide poses dangers for visitors who choose to walk across the sands—threatened by a tide that is said to travel at the speed of a galloping horse. -Angelina

I have dreamed about seeing Mt. Saint Michel for many years, and my Dad painted a beautiful, purple hued silhouette of the island, and its' Medieval buildings. We look forward to displaying again when we get home. What a secluded, peaceful and glorious setting. I felt as if I were on the moors in a fairy tale, and the Abbey and Chapel were very moving. My favorite rooms in the Abbey were the Knight's Hall (with vaulted ceilings and the gigantic hearths) and the Cloister and Garden area, with the green grass in the center of a courtyard with arched porticoes. We ate lunch with the birdies, mostly small wrens and one big seagull.

I loved the statue of St. Michel slaying the dragon inside the chapel in silver. What a mythical tale of triumph! We walked around the village and embraced the sweeping views of the Normandy Coastal lands. I feel enchanted being in this place, and grateful for sharing this with my daughter. On the way back to the bus, then the train to Saint Malo, we saw some modern art, the colorful cows, and what fun they are! We saw the horse drawn carriage, visited a shop and then at the station, I spotted a bird's nest. As we draw near the end of this journey, I am reminded that in nature there is a fragility, just as in us. I am so fortunate to have had so many happy days to walk paths unknown and to discover the beauty in each one, as unique as we all are. -Mona