Mont Saint Michel, France Photo Gallery
Mont Saint-Michel when we arrived late in the evening.
Arriving in the evening helped us avoid the big daytime crowds.
Looking out on the land surrounding the mount, which only becomes an island when the tide is high.
Looking out at the bridge that brings you over to the island from our hotel window at Le Mére Poulard.
At the La Mère Poulard restaurant, which dates back to 1879, and is known for the wall of autographs from over a century of famous diners, including Ernest Hemingway and Yves Saint Laurent.
The restaurant became most famous for its speciality, Omelette de la mère Poulard, a giant omelette several inches thick, made in hand-hammered copper bowls, and cooked over an open fire.
The omelettes resemble a soufflé more than a traditional omelette. Of course I wanted to try it. It was very big and I thought there would be no way to eat it all, but like soufflé, was full of a lot of air.
After a late dinner we explored and decided to watch the sunset from this tower. Notice the tide is high in this photo.
Looking up towards the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, which was first a famous monastery, then an unspoiled fortress and a fearsome prison. The Abbey was magnificently restored from the end of the 19th century onwards.
Looking down one of the ramparts of the town.
The sunset was nice!
The birds in the beautiful sunset.
Looking down the main street of the town, which is empty at night.
One of the bastions of Mont Saint Michel.
A morning view out from the island while the tide is high.
Looking out over the city from the cemetery.
One of the cemeteries on the island.
The entrance towers to the abbey. The first sanctuary was founded here in the 8th century but it wasn’t until a Romanesque church was built around the end of the 11th century that the site began to take on its current form.
As the legend goes, the Archangel Michael appeared to the Bishop of Avranches, Aubert, in the 8th century and told him to build a church in his honor. A statue of this archangel adorns the spire of the church's tower,
The main church of the abbey is an impressive space, decorated in a Gothic style.
A bas-relief of the four evangelists from 1546.
The devil in the abbey of the church? What is this supposed to be?
A beautiful stained glass window.
Gargoyles on the abbey.
The structure known as the Merveille (which means ‘marvel’ in English).
Here is a detail of that area.
More details, so you can see why it's a marvel.
Brian sitting in the refectory and the cloisters.
Now this is the detail of the ceiling in the cloisters.
A little chapel in the abbey.
This is a giant wheel used in a pulley system to lift supplies up to the abbey.
The rope in the pulley system.
Looking down the old and long ramp that the supplies would come up.
Another room with these beautiful ceilings.
The last addition to the abbey was the spire at the end of the 19th century.
Another view of this massive abbey.
View from the garden area.
Logis Tiphaine Museum-Historic house of Knight Bertrand du Guesclin. We didn't go in here, but I liked the outside.
Houses and shops in the lower Mont Saint Michel area.
The statue of Joan of Arc enthroned at the entrance of the Saint-Pierre Parish Church pays homage to the Archangel, who guided her during the Hundred Years War.
Statue of Saint Michel killing the dragon in Saint-Pierre Parish Church.
Looking down the main street of Mont Saint Michel. Notice that the street is full of people. This is mid-morning when we left the abbey.
A courtyard area of Mont Saint Michel.
Looking out on some rooftops and garden areas from our hotel.
Mont Saint-Michel when we left the next day in the late morning.