| Saturday, 25 May 2002: Mt. St. Michel |
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| The road to St Lo is difficult, with lots of small towns and roundabouts, but it finally straightens, and we meet the main highway (that we'd been paralleling) toward Rennes and Mt. St. Michel. Now the driving is easy, but the sight of Mt. St. Michel in the distance (and quite a distance!) quickens our pulses. We arrive at our hotel (de la Digue) road-weary, but excited; we quickly check in and head to our destination. |
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| It's just a stone's throw to the causeway to Mt. St. Michel, and we wonder where to park. The sign says that the tide will come it at 18 (6 pm), and, after some looking, we find a safe and convenient place to park on the causeway, our benefit from arriving late (4:30) in the day. We avoid the 'Tijuana' -- all of the tourist traps -- at the gate, and hike along the ramparts, looking out to the farms on the mainland, and (mostly) dry mudflats as far as we can see. |
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| With part of the ramparts sheltered, we stop to look out when the rain falls, and move up when the sun comes out, just a few moments later. At the end of the long climb, we reach the abbey and wonder what we'll see. The first stop is the chapel at the summit -- much bigger than we expected, with only a little decorative stained glass. |
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| As we come around the altar to the apse, we're stopped in our tracks by a model ship hanging, just like at St. Marks's! |
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| Downstairs is the immense refractory (dining hall). |
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| And then down another level to the 'living room' -- another immense room, with fireplaces taller than either of us, used for receiving visitors, especially important ones. And a reminder of whose place this was! |
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| In contrast, is the lovely nearby cloister garden. |  |
| As we traverse this abbey, each turn or new room has something new and interesting, all the way down to the crypt at the bottom, with many still decorated altars. We try out the acoustics in some of the great halls -- what a wonderful place to sing -- and some other tourists try it out, too. After the abbey, we continue downhill toward the exit, stopping for some ice cream (with a cone-making machine) and postcards, and also stop at the parish church for the locals. |
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| We follow the sheep's lead, and mosey back to the hotel.
During dinner, we do postcards and watch the day fade on Mt. St. Michel in the distance.
And what a wonderful dinner -- memorable beef bourginion, apple pie, grape ice cream with
framboise syrup -- yum, yum, yum! Later in the evening, we can see Mt. St. Michel in lights from our balcony. |  |
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