A day trip to Mont Saint-Michel

For a long time, my husband and I had wanted to visit a little island called Mont Saint-Michel, which is a popular destination in the Normandy region of France. Travelers flock to this place to enjoy its quaint village life and monastery. Indeed, Mont Saint-Michel and its bay are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

It is perched on a rocky islet in the middle of a bay, exposed to powerful tides that turn it rapidly into vast sandbanks. Its tide is very impressive for its great variation. The sea can recede at high speeds, 10-13 kilometers between low and high water, and return at the same speed. It is said that the tides advance with "the speed of a galloping horse".

We were able to fulfill our dream of travelling to Mont Saint-Michel and we travelled by plane from Madrid to Paris Beauvais last October. When we arrived at the airport, we hired a car for a few days. After travelling for four hours, we got to the hotel near midnight. We could enjoy the incredible scenery of Mont Saint-Michel from the hotel. We were looking forward to spending most of the following day visiting it.

The day came and we were very excited. We drove there in our rental car, and then left it in the car lot and we got on the free bus to Mont Saint-Michel's entrance. We could see much construction work on the only road.

The place really looks like something out of a dream or a fairy tale when you first lay eyes on it, and that doesn't stop as you get closer and closer. The medieval fortifications at the entrance of the island were built between the 12th and 15th centuries.

The village is inside the walls and has a small population, only 44 habitants. There were a lot of restaurants, shops and hotels. The narrow streets are steep and also crowded. Climbing up Grande Rue, we managed to reach the abbey. On the abbey walk, there were beautiful buildings and houses and lovely garden. You could also admire the excellent views of the sea and the surrounding area.

We went to the Abbey to buy the tickets and got two audio guides, so we could enjoy the historical explanations.

The abbey is a gothic-style Benedictine monastery, dedicated to the archangel St Michael, that dates to the 8th century. It was founded by St. Aubert, the bishop of Avranches. According to legend, St. Michael asked Saint Aubert to build a church on the rocky islet. It is said that he ignored the apparition twice, until the third time, when the Archangel touched Aubert`s forehead, making the mark of the cross on it. After that, he came to the conclusion that three apparitions were true and he decided to build the abbey. From that moment, the abbey became a place of religious pilgrimage. It was also used as a prison during French Revolution.

Inside the abbey, there is a huge crypt with big pillars built in the 15 century, built to support the abbey's gothic choir. Each pillar has five-metre perimeter. Another spectacular room is "The Knight Room", which was used for monks doing copy works, despite its name.

I enjoyed the cloister and the church itself. We contemplated the refectory where the monks used to eat and other different areas, some of which even have big chimneys. I love the entire abbey visit.

As we finished our visit, it started raining. So we went to the famous Mere Poulard to have a sweet breakfast: a cup of hot chocolate and a French crêpe. After that, we walked into the restaurant to have a look at the traditional cooking of the typical omelette made of eggs and butter with a slow method of beating. The local cuisine is notable: omelettes, lamb, mussels and homemade biscuits.

What I like about Mont Saint-Michel is how compact it is. You can walk round it very easily. You can enjoy every street, corner, shop, view. You can also walk in the nearby sand during low tide. Don't go far because walking around the mud flats is dangerous. There could be quicksand. If you want to walk around you must go with a local guide.

One of the most entertaining activities in Mont Saint-Michel is contemplating when the tide comes in and covers the land around the island; it's not just a slow, gradual rising of the water. One moment all is calm on the mud flats, but the next moment you can hear the sound of rushing water in the distance, and soon see the waves quickly rolling in. Once the tide is in, the entire island is completely surrounded by water except for the man-made land bridge.

If you enjoy taking pictures, the town and its walls are full of irresistible angles and with different levels of light. And so, we decided to walk far from the Mont to a viewpoint to enjoy the sunset and take photos of this marvelous scenery. After that, we came back to the village for had dinner and then later took some photos at night.

We used the next day for the return trip. We stopped in Rouen, a charming city beside the Sean that has an amazing cathedral with a sculpture of Joan of Arc. It is called "the city with a hundred bell towers". After that we went to Paris Beauvais to take our plane and come back to Madrid.

Mont Saint-Michel was one of the most enjoyable day trips I've ever taken, and I recommend adding it to your list of must-see things in France.

Mayleles