FRANCE 4 - Mont Saint Michel

 
On our fourth day, we packed up our bags and left the Loire Valley.  We drove three hours to Normandy to visit Mont Saint Michel. 

Legend says in 708 AD (that was a really, really, really long time ago) the archangel Michael appeared to Saint Aubert, bishop of Avranches, instructing him to build a church on this rocky tidal island.  After repeatedly ignoring his instructions, the angel burned a hole in the bishop's skull with his finger...yikes!

The abbey was built and served as a strategic fortification since ancient times.  During the Hundred Years' War the English made repeated assaults on the island, but were never able to seize it because of it's strong fortifications. 

For years, the Abbey attracted monks who were seeking solitude.  They built on the rock to get as close to heaven as they could.  During the Revolution, monasticism was abolished so the abbey was closed and turned into a prison.  The prison closed, and in 1874 Mont Saint Michel was declared a historical monument. 

 

We wound up the narrow streets through the little village on our way up to the abbey.  It was packed with tourists!

We took a different path to avoid all the people and found this cool cemetery.

I love doors :)

 

It was a drizzly day, but we were lucky and didn't get caught in a down pour.

The tides in the area change quickly, and have been described as "à la vitesse d'un cheval au galop" or "as swiftly as a galloping horse".

 The Abbey:

When we were done, we drove another three hours or so to Paris...where we spent another 4 days :)  Stay tuned...