Mont St.Michel Abbey - Inside and out

Since we could not get inside the Abbey because of the strike, the best thing to do was to wander around the Mont. So I took the alternative route to the Abbey (in reverse) by going along the ramparts. From here you get to see the sandy beach surrounding the Mont.

And also the back of the buildings on the main street. This way is less crowded and more leisurely then the normal route but there are still stairs to climb but in stages.

You also get views of the Abbey in different perspectives.

When we reached the entrance of the town again, we got news that the Abbey was now opened to visitors and we rushed back to the Abbey. The strike was not exactly over as the ticket counter was not manned and thus visitors got in for free so some strikes do have some benefits, at least this one. So we made our way into the compound of the Abbey by climbing more stairs.

The interior of the Abbey was bare-bone compared to those churches that we have visited so we were a bit disappointed.

The attraction here is the history, the architecture and the construction of the Abbey itself. The cloister with the numerous columns and the greenery make an attractive sight.

Since the Abbey has 3 levels, I actually get a bit lost partly because I was under time pressure to complete the tour. Other shots of the Abbey interior,

I had some difficulty looking for the exit but I finally made it after meeting St.Michel himself.

We quickly went back to the meeting place at the entrance to the town. While waiting outside to board the coach for our next destination, we could not resist taking more shots of Mont St.Michel, truly a stunning sight.

Next stop, Angers.

Ronald Kwok

Mont St.Michel - Day 4 of Cosmos Tour

The whole morning today was spent in exploring Mont St.Michel. Before that, here's what we did the previous night after checking into Hotel Vert. This is one of the popular hotels on the mainland for visitors to the Mont. There is a supermarket selling all sorts of souvenirs conveniently next door. A restaurant, La Rotisserie, is also just outside the hotel.

After resting for a while in the hotel, we did some shopping at the supermarket. We bought some almond cookies and caramel sweets that this area is famous for and also some butter cookies in a souvenir tin container.

We took a walk towards the Mont but the road construction and the rain did not allow for good photos.

We then headed back to the restaurant outside the hotel for our dinner. This included mussels in a pot, lamb chop, beef steak and ice cream dessert. The food was OK but nothing exceptional and for less than 20 euros per person for a 3-course meal we cannot complain.

We set out early to Mont St.Michel after our breakfast in the hotel. As the area is front of the Mont was being prepared for a marathon, the coach was not allow to park near to the Mont so we had to walk from some distance away along the causeway but we got a panoramic view of the Mont as we approached the Isle.

Once inside the Mont, we entered the town through the gate and an old drawbridge.

The main street, the Grand Rue, gets very narrow after the Post Office just past the gates. It is very touristy with shops and eateries on both sides with attractive signages fighting for attention.

There are a few side roads

 and this is reputable to be the narrowest.

There is a small church along the way.

After climbing some stairs, parts of the Abbey gradually came into view.

There were more stairs to climb before we reached the entrance of the Abbey. There was a brand new notice posted on the wall on the entrance with curious tourists wondering what it meant. 

Simeon, our tour manager, read the notice and proclaimed "Welcome to France" and informed that the Abbey staff was on a sudden strike and the Abbey was closed to visitors. For you see, strikes often take place in France and can happen any time and anywhere so this was nothing unusual to him. All the tourists were disappointed and can only stare at the notice in wonder and subdued anger.

What to do? We are in France!


Ronald Kwok