Mont St Michel

Apr 27/08 - The Mont St Michel. Took a train from Montparnasse to Rennes, 2.5 hr by TGV (yes, very far). The TGV fare is covered by Eurail Pass, just had to pay Euro 3 for reservation per journey.
Upon arrival at Rennes, had to change to bus. Most of us slept during the journey, did not wake up even when Irene called us to look at the majestic Mont rising above the plains. We woke up very early that morning so we zzzzzzzzzz until the bus stopped. We missed the scenery during the journey so we said that we would keep awake on the way back, but later we also zzzzzzzzz until the train station.
The Mont is a sight to behold. The abbey built onto the rocky hill on a little island rising up majestically gave us a feeling like we were in the old age of chivalry, knights and kings. There is no modern architecture surrounding the Mont, only the busses and cars bring you back to the modern age, yeah not forgetting the tourists - there were lots of tourist, too many. The abbey is empty - nothing of interest unless one is an architecture student.
Still, the Mont is one of those sights that you just have to see once in your life.



UNESCO description - "Perched on a rocky islet in the midst of vast sandbanks exposed to powerful tides between Normandy and Brittany stand the 'Wonder of the West', a Gothic-style Benedictine abbey dedicated to the archangel St Michael, and the village that grew up in the shadow of its great walls. Built between the 11th and 16th centuries, the abbey is a technical and artistic tour de force, having had to adapt to the problems posed by this unique natural site."