A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting Mont St. Michel, a unique little fortress village that is located in the Normandy region of France.
The mont itself is a semi island that sits a few hundred meters off the shore of the mainland. During high tide it is completely surrounded by water which aided in its defense during the hundred years war against the English.
Throughout its history, the island successfully defended itself from several full blown attacks using only a small garrison army. It remained unconquered throughout the hundred years war.
The Mont is surrounded by green fields, grazing sheep and meandering streams and one of the best parts of experiencing the island is simply walking up to it.
With no other structure within view, the Mont appears on the horizon as if its growing up and out of the earth and sea. The 20 minute walk from the neighboring hotel village really gives you the time to take it all in.
We started our journey of the island by walking the village. Small shops selling souvenirs (mostly touristy crap), bakeries, bars and restaurants line the lower cobblestone streets. A little further inwards are museums, hotels and what may even be a few resident homes?
The picture below was taken in the evening around dinner time. Most of the tourists had left for the day, making it feel as if we were sharing the island with only a few exclusive guests.
A picture of the Abbey at the top of the mountain.
I took several of these. We were lucky to have good weather that day.
Full and lush gardens, wisteria vines and potted flowers really added to the overall beauty of the town.
Small streets with countless nooks and crannies to explore. There is even a small cemetery located right on the island which I found to be quite unique.
More shots of the buildings and Abbey.
A mountain made of homes and buildings, some carved directly into the rock itself.
The Mont is also paradise village for seagulls. They were everywhere on the island. We even saw a few of their nesting grounds, several with young goslings exploring their territory on foot. I had never seen baby gulls before.
After walking the town we made our way to the outer ramparts for some spectacular views of the surrounding area.
At this point of the day it was low tide and many people were out exploring the bay on foot and on horseback. A group of people were walking out to a neighboring island, most likely on a tour with one of the local guides. You really have to know the tide schedule to do something like that. Only a few hours later the entire area was under water, who knows how deep.
Street view from the outer ramparts.
When we finished our self guided island tour, my wife and I made our way to the low tide area surrounding the mont. She played it safe by staying on the dry sand while I ventured out into the mucky clay.
Apparently there is quicksand in some places. I didn't venture too far from the beaten path though, just enough to make it impossible to put my shoes back on.
Is that a jellyfish? Try not to think about what lays in the mud while you're in it up to your ankles.
Looking back at the surrounding ramparts its easy to see what made the Mont such a good defensive position in times of war. Imagine standing there trying to engage in battle while the tide is quickly rising all around you.
A small chapel on the outside of the walls. I don't think its even accessible during hide tide. Where I am standing to take the photo is completely underwater in only a few short hours.
Later in the evening we did a tour of the Abbey at the top of the mountain. It was around 5pm. At that point the tide had come in and most of the mount was completely surrounded by water. If you visit the island I highly recommend staying to witness the high tide. Its actually pretty cool seeing the landscape transformed.
Abbey courtyard.
The small chapel where we had walked previously, now completely surrounded by water.
We ate supper on the island before making the 20 minute walk back to our hotel. One thing that we didn't do was eat the famous souffled omelette at Madame Poullards. We just couldn't justify spending 38 Euros on one and a half eggs that have been whipped to make them light and airy. We ate a three course meal at another restaurant instead for the same price and were more than satisfied. I made the souffled omelette myself in a cast iron pan once we got back home. Its actually really easy to make yourself. This winter I may even try cooking one in our wood burning fireplace for a more authentic effect. That's how they do it on the Island.
