As planned we got back to Paris by the evening of June 18, 2016. The day after we went to the Catacombes de Paris, which was worth the three-hour waiting in the queue. Although I'd probably recommend the reader to book the more expensive ticket online, and bypass the queue. It takes forever. Read more about our visit in the catacombs in Jeruen's blog. By the evening June 19 we were back at home in Berlin.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Mont-Saint-Michel
Back again. Our plan worked. After two days in Caen we arrived in Pontorson in the evening, and went to our accommodation, a family run bed-and-breakfast. In the morning while having breakfast in the family living room together with French tourists we wondering how a simple egg laid by the neighbor's hen can be so tasteful. It's totally different from the egg we get in the city. We left our luggage in the B&B and headed back to the train station, where we took the bus to Mont-Saint-Michel.
The long history of the place dates back to the 8th. century, when Aubert, Bishop of Avranches built a sanctuary on the island. During the 10th. century the Benedictines settled there, and established a village below the abbey's walls. There were several additions, and patches to the complex throughout the centuries. The place served as prison after the French Revolution, until it's renovation in the late 19th century.
The island is now connected to the mainland with a road, which can be used both in high- and in low-tide. Before this road was paved people could get in and out of Mont-Saint-Michel only in low-tide hours. We took an audio guide, and were exploring the abbey and the village for 3-4 hours. Spectacular views, amazing historical facts. Buildings on Mont-Saint-Michel were collapsing all the time, almost every century something collapses, burying dozens of humans. Great. Luckily that was not one of those days. We discovered a crêpe restaurant, which turned out to be an excellent choice, it was worth the waiting.
In the afternoon we took the train to Paris, which became a complicated task because of the strike, which cancelled one of our trains. But the train station staff was very helpful and explained us exactly what to do, and we were even refunded for a part of our tickets.
Please enjoy some views of Mont-Saint-Michel.
View from the road:
The road from the abbey:
Walking in low-tide
The village:
The other visitors:
The long history of the place dates back to the 8th. century, when Aubert, Bishop of Avranches built a sanctuary on the island. During the 10th. century the Benedictines settled there, and established a village below the abbey's walls. There were several additions, and patches to the complex throughout the centuries. The place served as prison after the French Revolution, until it's renovation in the late 19th century.
The island is now connected to the mainland with a road, which can be used both in high- and in low-tide. Before this road was paved people could get in and out of Mont-Saint-Michel only in low-tide hours. We took an audio guide, and were exploring the abbey and the village for 3-4 hours. Spectacular views, amazing historical facts. Buildings on Mont-Saint-Michel were collapsing all the time, almost every century something collapses, burying dozens of humans. Great. Luckily that was not one of those days. We discovered a crêpe restaurant, which turned out to be an excellent choice, it was worth the waiting.
In the afternoon we took the train to Paris, which became a complicated task because of the strike, which cancelled one of our trains. But the train station staff was very helpful and explained us exactly what to do, and we were even refunded for a part of our tickets.
Please enjoy some views of Mont-Saint-Michel.
View from the road:
The road from the abbey:
Walking in low-tide
The village:
The other visitors:
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