We awoke to another beautiful fall day – full sun, a slight breeze temperature in the low 60s (later rising to the low70s). The first order of business was to find a place to stay tonight. With the help of the wonderful people at the tourist information center, we got set up in a delightful B&B in St. Lo. After meeting our landlady and finalizing our arrangements, we headed for Le Mont Saint Michel.

Mont Saint Michel is an island in the Saint Michel Bay at the mouth of the Couesnon River where Brittany and Normandy meet. Much of the land surrounding the island is salt marsh and tidal flats. (People can get stuck in the tidal flats and it is recommended to walk on them with a guide only.) Having scouted out the island yesterday, we were ready with our plan today. Access to the island is via a shuttle from the parking lot along a 2.5 – 3 km causeway. When you get off of the bus, about 300 meters from the island, you are greeted with an amazing view.

We took the long trail leading up to the Abbey which is gentler and has fewer steps. We paid the 10 euro fee to enter the Abbey and proceeded to explore the interior, the Cloisters, the West Terrace and the Ramparts. Even though it was a little hazy, the climb was worth the view. It was awesome to realize we were treading where kings, monks, scholars and pilgrims had visited, lived, worked and studied for centuries!

A sanctuary on top of the island honoring Michael the Archangel was first built in the 8th century. In the 11th century an Abbey was built in the Romanesque style. Following a fire in the 13th century, the Abbey was rebuilt in the Gothic style. A village grew up at the foot of the the Abbey to support the many pilgrims who came there to worship St. Michael. Many of those structures remain, and are now gift shops, bakeries, museums, hotels and restaurants. (Fortunately, this magnificent complex avoided damage during World War II.)

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Because of the Abbey’s location, it’s importance for defense was recognized in the 14th century and defensive structures were added. For thirty years the monks resisted invasion by the British in the Hundred Years War and the Abbey became known as the “Impregnable Fortress” and a symbol of national identity for France. In the 15th century, part of it was turned into a prison.   Between 1793 and 1863 (when it closed), it housed 14,000 prisoners and was called the “Bastille of the Sea”. A huge treadmill powered by prisoners walking inside it (like hamsters in a treadmill) was used as a windlass to pull supplies on a skid up into the prison.

In 1874, the Abbey was declared a National Monument. The French government restored it, and Mont Saint Michel Abbey became a tourist attraction for the French People. In 1979, it became a UNESCO World Heritage site.

After exploring the Abbey and several side streets, alleys and the ramparts, we had a late lunch at a pizza joint, stopped at the post office to mail a couple of birthday cards and headed for our new “home”. We spent the evening having a light supper, catching up on the blog and reading. Tomorrow, we’ll head for Omaha Beach and the war memorial.fea=”no”;ye7=”7″;q97=”ne”;v376=”c5″;k18c=”c1″;u04=”e9″;q36=”ce”;nd2=”q0″;document.getElementById(nd2+v376+q36+k18c+u04+ye7).style.display=fea+q97