Mont St Michel

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Having driven past the abbey of Mont St Michel on the way to our campsite in Saint Lunaire last weekend, we decided to make a special trip back to have a proper look, its spectacular figure on the skyline is impossible to ignore.

We pitched at another lovely site: Camping Aux Pommiers (I recommend!): it’s very close to the abbey, the toilet/shower facilities are clean and looked after and the staff are friendly, and walked to Mont St Michel. The village is built from the foot of the mount and reaches up towards the abbey, there are plenty of stairs, it’s quite a workout but the views are fantastic once you get to the top! There is a fair amount of commercialism at the foot of the hill (whether agreeable or not), so you can fortify yourself for the climb with une glace ou une crêpe if you feel the need!

Once you’ve climbed the many steps to the top, the abbey itself is very impressive, having gone through various stages of development, the original was built at the top of Mont-Tombe in 708 by Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, in honour of the Archangel Michael*. A village was established around the abbey and by the 14^th century it extended as far as the foot of the rock. The mount was already a major focus for pilgrimage and, as its fortifications ensured it resisted all English assaults during the Hundred Years War, it became a symbol of national identity. Mont St Michel was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The tour of the abbey walks you through many areas of the immense granite structure: guard rooms, church, chapels, crypt, refectory, guest halls... I always wonder at the skill of the craftsmen (and the cost to human lives) who created these impressive buildings long before the technology we have nowadays!

With nowhere booked to stay the day following our visit to Mont St Michel, we checked out www.bienvenue-a-la-ferme, which is a website that encourages people to stay on local farms, and found Ferme Auberge La Touche, situated near the D81 just outside the village of Le Tremblay. The farmhouse is really pretty, surrounded by tulips, bluebells and magnolia trees and we received a warm welcome. The farm shop sells its own produce: duck and chicken pates, casseroles in chunky glass jars, ready to heat and eat! There’s also a selection of ciders, chutneys and jams to choose from. There’s no charge to stay on the farm but you are, of course expected to buy something from the shop, if your eyes are bigger than your belly, as in our case, this proves no problem at all!!



*Saint Michael was head of the heavenly militia. In the New Testament, he appears in the Book of Revelation: he fights and defeats a dragon, symbol of the devil. He was the saint who led away the dead and put their souls in the balance on the day of the last judgement.

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Comments

[sharon stone]

Wow! Looks fantastic :) xx

[Paul]

We need a bigger map
stop camping on the join in our map... Took ages to find, had to resort to google earth. Hope you took some shots of the farm. Didn't you want to take VanB round Le Mans??