This is the beautiful Mont Saint-Michel – an Medieval abbey built on top of a small island in the middle of the sea.
The abbey was founded in the 8th century when the archangel Saint-Michel appeared to a bishop in a dream calling for such a place of worship to be constructed.
From the 10th to the 15th century, the construction of this stunning monastery grew into “the marvel” that it is today.
So, after taking a bus from Honfleur to Caen, then an organised tour from Caen to Mont Saint-Michel, then a short walk, then a bus, then another short walk, and then many many steps, we finally arrived just in time for a wonderful guided tour of the monastery!
It was definitely worth it though!
Above is the view looking back up at the monastery.
And this is the view from the abbey looking out to the sea – as you can see, the tide was out when we visited.
In fact, the tide only comes in for two hours a day, thanks to a road that now blocks the water from flowing freely around the island. Thankfully, they are now in the process of removing the road and building a bridge from the mainland to the island, so that the water can surround Mont Saint-Michel once again.
The abbey and the village that sprung up below it are absolutely stunning. It was definitely well worth the visit, as it was one of the most beautiful places we have seen on our trip.
Which turned out to be a nice way to end things… On Saturday we start our long journey back to Perth, so this will be our last blog.
To our friends and family in Perth – see you Monday!
the grand tour 