And the angel said.. Build a giant abbey on an island in the bay.

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MONT ST. MICHEL Day 9

Got the super early train to Pontorson so that I could visit Mont St. Michel. Before I forget to comment on an important matter; dogs are allowed to ride the train in Europe. All over the place I keep seeing dogs on the trains and not just little ones either. I like it! Dogs should be able to ride whatever train they want to. Back on track now, Mont St. Michel is an amazing abbey that is built on a hill in the middle of a bay. There is a road that has been constructed in order to reach the hill.

The story goes that the Archangel Michael came to St. Aubert in a number of dreams and told him to build this abbey on this particular spot. So that is what he did. And it is spectacular. These dreams took place in 708 and the first church was completed by 1000. Since that time many more additions: churches, abbeys, villages, and large military walls to protect the abbey during the Hundred Years War.

Unfortunately, it was still raining and I had to take my pack with me so I was a little cold, wet, and tired from walking a million stairs with my 12 kg pack. But despite this it was still beautiful to see. It seems to be such an unimaginable task to build in the middle of the bay. The views are also spectacular. But boy was I tired from all of those stairs.

After Mont St. Michel I boarded another train to Rennes. Then from Rennes to Nantes where I slept the night in a hostel that used to be an old manufacturing centre.

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Photos

mont st. michel 001
The sign over the water tap says "do not wash your feet"

mont st. michel 004
The small village/shops that is constructed around the abbey at the base of the abbey

mont st. michel 013
View from the top

mont st. michel 022
The bay around the abbey

Comments

[karoline]

wow
wowza that is 2 kool

[Cathie Lutes]

mont st michel
Amazing, I cannot get over the history behind it. Stairs people back then must have had great legs. LOL