Friday 29th Feb : Mont Saint Michel

Mont Saint Michel appeared out of the mist.
see all photos »

Went from Passias to Mont St Michel. It was a slightly overcast day but the countryside was beautiful. Something different everywhere you looked. We had been following the signs from about half way there and as we went through one town I said “Ooops. Better get out the map. There was no sign back there.”

“It can’t be far,” said Andrew.

Then we looked to the right and there it was. Stunning. Looming out of the mist as though it was floating on clouds was Mont Saint Michel. Its history goes back to 708 when the local priest had St Michel visit him in a dream. What began as a small church became larger. The abbey was inhabited from 1000AD and has an amazing history. Loads of passageways and segments to the whole thing with a golden statue of St. Michael, the warrior angel right at the top. As we were wandering through we saw monks and nuns heading down a narrow stairway. They were having mass. The kids were keen to go so I warned them that they wouldn’t be able to leave and that they would have to be very respectful and think about God while they were there.

Isaac wanted blue hair that day.
see all photos »

There were maybe 30 people on wooden benches in the tiny stone chapel in the heart of the abbey and the mass was conducted in French. I could understand maybe a third of it but had no problem singing along with the responsive Psalms. It was quite lovely and we had pour very own miracle happen as the kids sat silent and motionless for about 45 minutes during the mass. We didn’t know they could. Especially not in a chilly chapel on a wooden bench when they didn’t understand a word of what was being said. The architecture truly was beautiful. Isaac found three Euros and bought a pocket knife.

Tiny streets
see all photos »

We went back to Passais after that but stopped at St. Helliers to talk to the guys at Sodiama about buying a GPS. They kept telling us that the guy who does GPS’s was away every Friday afternoon and to come back on Monday. Home, tea, bed.