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