Discovering le Mont St Michel!

On the shuttle today heading towards the world-famous Mont St Michel, a collective “whoa” could be heard when our Global Navigators first glimpsed this Unesco World Heritage site. The way the medieval abbey rises up above the small village constructed on the rocky island is simply breathtaking, and our students were going to be able to explore both the Abbey and the beautiful bay surrounding the island.

We made our way through crowded, narrow, cobblestone streets and up a series of steps to a shaded courtyard where we could eat our picnic lunch.  Then, after a challenging climb up seemingly endless steps, we entered the abbey and started our tour using audio guides. Our students learned that according to legend, in 708 AD, the Archangel Michael appeared to St. Aubert, the bishop of Avranches, instructing him to build a church atop the rocky island of Mont Tombe. Inspired by this divine vision, the bishop started the construction of a small chapel. Over time, this grew into a larger Benedictine abbey, with the incredible Gothic monastery, “La Merveille”,  being constructed during a period of just 30 years, starting in 1228. Our students simply marveled at the structures we were able to visit, including the chapel, the refectory, and guest rooms where kings of France were once received. 

After touring the inside, students caught amazing views of the bay from the ramparts and made their way back down the steps to meet the guides who were to take us for an unforgettable exploration of the tidal area surrounding the Mount.

We all took off our shoes and socks and followed our guides onto the sands. The area is known for having quicksand at marée basse (low tide), so not very far into our walk, our guide drew a circle in the sand and advised the students to get into the circle. Then they all had to jump up and down a few times and soon discovered the experience of sinking into quicksand! Some went a little too deep and needed a little help to get free of the “sables mouvants”.

As we continued our walk, our students learned more of the history of the island,  the bay, salt-water plant life in the area, and the huge tidal differences - extreme high tides can cover the walls! With an extreme low tide, you might have to look for 10 km from the ramparts to see the water!  In the 6 hours that it takes for the tide to come in, it rises up to 15 meters. We also walked over to the north side of the island, which we were told only 20% of the visitors ever get to see.

Overall, a wonderful learning and cultural experience, and a day that will always be remembered.