Before I went to Normandy for the weekend, my host mom told me that there are some places in Frances that are truly special and that Mont Saint-Michel is one of them. She was right. In the words of Guy de Maupassant : " l'abbaye escarpée, poussée là-bas, loin de terre, comme un manoir fantastique, stupéfiante comme un palais de rêve, invraisemblablement étrange et belle. "
Mont Saint-Michel is an abbey town built on a stone island off the coast of Normandy. According to legend, in the 8th century the archangel Micheal appeared to St. Aubert, the bishop of the closest town, in a dream and told him to build a church on the island. To this day a functioning monastery crowns the mount.
The monastery has a clean peacefulness about it. I sat in this rooftop garden and listened to the church bells.
Mont Saint-Michel has the highest tides in continental Europe, and depending on the season, the water level can change up to 15 meters and the coastline can recede 15 kilometers. One can cross from the shore to Mont Saint-Michel during low tide, but only with the help of a guide because of the fast moving tides and quicksand. We were there during low tide, so the island was surrounded by a strange, lonesome but beautiful marsh.
I know no man is an island, but if I were, I would be this one,
Maria
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