Mont Saint-Michel, Part One

Getting to Mont Saint-Michel took 6 hours by train from Vernon. I went from Vernon to Oissel, where I waited for a train to Rennes. This is Oissel: a whole lotta nothin'. It was completely silent except for the one train that passed while I waited. The only other person around was a lady at the interior ticket booth.












A few hours later, as the train slowed down once again for a station, I saw a big church and a tall tower atop a green hill. I took a picture and felt a shiver when the train stopped and I saw the signs for "LISIEUX". This is the home of Thérèse de Lisieux the home of her Carmelite convent, the place where she lived her intense life of holy ordinariness, where she wrote.




My first view of le Mont came as the train pulled into Pontorson. Over the golden fields and through the slight fog I saw a shadowy peaked castle. In this picture you can see the tallest spire, to the right of that round tree on the left.





I took the bus to the Mont and treaded (im)patiently up the narrow street behind the herd of tourists. My room was up a further path, through an archway, and down a hallway. I melted at the view, and took a satisfied nap.




















































































I went to have a cup of coffee. It started raining right as the tide began to rise and overtake the mudflats.





































I finished my coffee and walked around, watching the water and eavesdropping on tourists in 3 languages.








The stones and wood tiles are covered in mosses and tiny textured plants. Moss will always amaze me!



More than halfway up the Mont and looking down:


More than halfway up and looking up and out, to where the clouds have broken a little:



Looking down, out over the ramparts :


A rainbow!

And its other tail too!


Ah, the sun.