When I decided to move to Paris my biggest fear wasn’t the language barrier or not knowing my way around, it was that I expected to get very homesick. But, after living here for the past eight months one of my biggest surprises has been my lack of homesickness. It’s not that I don’t love my family and friends or think that the USA is a great place to live, it’s just that since moving to Paris there hasn’t been much time that passes that someone doesn’t come visit me!
Just last week I spent nine days touring my aunt and cousin around Paris and then we all took a side trip to Normandy to do WW2 history tours and visit a very impressive site, Mont Saint Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We meet our tour bus on a foggy morning and drove through the Norman countryside, passing long green meadows of sheep and cows and crossing through sleepy towns. By the time Mont St. Michel came into sight the fog had cleared and its towering structure appeared like it had been born of the sea and sand that surrounds it.
Our guide told us an odd fact- that Mont St Michel is home to a famous omelette. But with only three hours to explore this 12th century abbey and the many museums within the city walls, eating was not in the time budget.
We jumped off the bus and made our way up the steep incline that leads to the top of the mountain and the abbey museum.
As we entered the abbey museum, I grabbed the audio guide that led me around the abbey and monastery and through the history and architecture of this fascinating place.
There are many stairs and ramps throughout the complex which gave me some exercise for the day and….
…a great view of the quicksand and small islands that surround Mont St. Michel. Yes, that is real quicksand! And is said to have been very dangerous and even deadly for the Pilgrims that came to Mont St. Michel in ancient times.
Wandering around and looking up at the Flamboyant Gothic architecture…
…and the highest point of the abbey. See that gold-looking point on the top of the spire?…
That is a copper statue of St. Michel fighting and defeating a dragon (symbol of the devil) that looks like this (statue below). This statue, made out of plaster, is a replica of the copper statue that stands at the highest point in on Mont St. Michel spire. The original was ordered in 1895 and made by sculptor Emmanuel Frémiet and by architect Victor Petitgrand.
As you enter the museum, this model gives an idea of how the abbey has changed structure, grown and incorporated different architectural styles throughout the years. The model on the left is the abbey in the 8th century and the model on the right is the abbey in the 11th century.
Now the complex looks like this…
The audio guide took me through the Gothic cloisters where monks use to walk through and pray. This monastery is still home to monks.
There were many interesting art pieces scattered throughout the abbey. This frieze tells the story of the archangel Michel (Michael) touching the head of the bishop, burning a mark into his forehead.
This statue is called “Black Virgin” and is from 1366.
This fragment of a mural from the 13th century is called “The Meeting Held on Three Deaths and the Three Lives” from the Medieval abbey infirmary.
This Pieta is from the 15th century.
The Gothic interior of The Knights’ Hall, built to hold up the cloister, which was the work and study room for the monks.
Coming out of the Abbey I got one more picture of the view before heading into the small and eerie Musée Historique and the Dungeons of Mont St. Michel.
Check back for my visit to the Musée Historique and the dungeons of Mont St. Michel!
©2010 Danee Gilmartin All rights reserved
