Trifter

Upon arriving to Le Mont Saint Michel, well even before that when you are on the roadway nearing the wondrous site, you feel a sense of calmness wash over you.  You see it in the distance to your right, and you are not even so positive of all it’s glory and what it has to offer to you.  It is what you feel when you see it that is so hard to describe.  It is not unlike the first love you had as a teenager, or the excitement one might feel on Christmas morning opening your gifts.  

Le Mont Saint Michel, or more commonly know as Saint Michel’s Mount, has a very interesting history to it.  It was once a prison and serves as an Abbey as well.  When I was present recently there was a fantastic photography exhibition being held within the walls of the Monument.  It was the day after New Years, January 2, 2009.  It was freezing cold and that just did not matter. 

The front entrance boasts a rather large drawbridge that had been in use many years before and a lovely cobblestone street.  The shops were all painted nicely with ironwork and stained glass windows in abundance.  Our hotel was just inside the front gate and provided a feeling of warmth and serenity. 

Le Mont St. Michel has inspired many to write previously and has been featured in films and other productions throughout time.  My husband and I believe it to be one of the most wonderful travel destinations in the world.  Most of the time when traveling you end up inevitably having a drunken fool in the street, or someone shouting the odds in the middle of the night for no apparent reason, and not to mention litter lining your feet in the streets at all times in the day.  Not so at Saint Michel- it was quiet, clean and peaceful. We arose on our first night in the middle of the night, as it was so quiet.  My husband is a photographer and I become the assistant of course bringing the extra equipment along.  Knowing the weather is chilly we layer on the jumpers and jackets and head out into the freshness of the early morning hours.

Arriving on the cobblestone street we realize that no one is around. Not one soul is out of their bed for as far as we can see down the narrow path.  In fact, the only light inside the building is coming from our own hotel dining room where the Maître de is preparing the tables for breakfast.  The stillness and calm outside is similar to that of a seaside resort, only deserted.  The waves of water can be heard in the distance as the tide is currently out.  During the low tide you can see the sands drifting far away and leaving little rivers of water and pools forming amongst the gray clay like material.  We had read some of the warnings when we arrived that the sand is known to be quicksand.  That in it’s self should have put us off trekking through it, but the photographs were worth the risk.  Surely as it was freezing temperatures we would not be swept away by the sand devils.  Much to my surprise the earlier winds had died a death and it was serene.

After taking a few dozen shots we tiptoed back to our cozy room and back to our bed to sleep.  In the morning I heard the bells of the abbey long before I arose from the bed, only to find we had slept until mid morning.  When we finished getting ready and went outside the street was just beginning to become busy.  The shopkeepers stocking shelves and opening their shutters could be seen up and down the street.  The light clanging sounds of doors being thrust open and cups being stacked at the café.  I could see one shop keep had a rather large delivery in the night albeit no vehicles are allowed into the village through the front gates.  While we continued our walk up through the town where it had been so quiet the night before we could really appreciate the atmosphere Le Mont Saint Michel offered.  The sense of whimsy and laughter began to surround us.  I was greeted with “Bonjour” as I arrived to get the morning tea and I was most pleased to see the lemon tarts and crepes in large quantity so early.

There are four museums on the island and we visited them all in one day.  It was interesting to learn the history of the island as we had only read Wikipedia before setting off on our visit.  The monument itself appears to have come from nowhere out of the sea and is the tallest thing around for miles. We walked and walked.  We remained on our feet all day. We explored many labyrinths unnoticed from the previous day and even stumbled upon the local graveyard that was full of its own monumental statues.  That evening we enjoyed a hearty French dinner before an open fire and amazingly we were off to bed as the village came to close around 10:00 pm.  Before our departure the next day, we arrived at the monument just before it opened and spent about an hour nearly by ourselves in the solitude of the chapel and then out on the grounds of the Abbey and into the catacombs deep inside.  It was an out of this world adventure. 

I would recommend this place for a short break, a long weekend perhaps.  Just be sure to take your time to visit the monument at least twice during your journey so that you do not miss out on the fantastic rooms and views with the dramatics of lighting changes around.  There was quite a diversity of people touring the area and no worries of any trouble or crime. 

This hidden treasure should be on your list of things to do before your die- in other words get there!