Our hotel ran a shuttle to and from Mont Saint-Michel which was very convenient. This was very beautiful to walk up to (if you can ignore the construction going on as they attempt to remove silt build up), and I wish I could have seen the tide "rushing" in in person. The change in tide here is huge at about 50 feet! This has been both a monastery, a fortification, as well as a prison. Quite the varied history, non?
The stained glass here is at many times simple, and in it's simplicity it is beautiful. Currently they are undergoing a large restoration project on the stained glass as it is warping and allowing the elements to come inside. Not something you want in any structure.
During the time it was a prison they used the prisoners to move a giant wheel which hauled materials up the side of the mount.
 |
| See the hole in the wall left of the middle with the wooden ramp coming out of it...this is where the wheel/prisoners hauled things up. |
I really wish we had had a tour of Mont St. Michel. I feel like I would have a better understanding of it's history.
Below the monastery was a small village which today houses a bunch of junky souvenir shops. While some say it gives you the feel of people hocking goods in the marketplace, I say it just feels tacky. There are some fancy restaurants here and four hotels though, so if you're looking for a unique place to stay for one night to see the change in tide...it could be fun.
