Cabin Fever Chronicles – Getting Outdoors with Rod

One of the reasons I chose the Rick Steves Paris and the Heart of France tour was that the island monastery-fortress of Mont-St-Michel was on the itinerary! Ever since I learned of its purpose, history, and legendary status in French language classes, it’s been high up on my bucket list. This tour included a night’s stay on the island, complete with a multi course seafood supper.

Its is legendary in that at at high tide it is an island, but at low tide it can be accessed via mud flats. Since its first construction in the 9th Century, it has been a magnet for religious pilgrims, armies, and tourists. Twice it was a prison. Today, it’s positively crawling with tourists daytime. But after dusk, when the causeway closes, it returns to its cloistered-like state and you can be all alone with its mysteries. Its permanent population is less than 100.

The island is surrounded by a castle-like wall, within which is a village and up top an incredible Catholic abbey inhabited by monks. The sea breeze is most welcome and smells sweet. Centuries-old cobblestone streets lead to restaurants, shops, cemeteries, a couple of lodges, and finally the abbey – and several times daily the abbey bells ring out. The 45-ft tide coming and going was said to be as fast as a galloping horse – swallowing entire armies trying to take the island. The English tried and failed in 1423 and 1434. Over the ensuing centuries it became a prison, was used by Germans as a lookout and for 300,000+ German tourists during WWII. Today Catholic monks still worship in the monastery.

Views of the surrounding area abound. You can watch the incredibly fast-moving tide. One thing that really struck me is the golden image of Saint Michael topping the abbey. The sun lights it up like a flare. And it is visible for miles along the adjacent coastline like a flaming beacon.

On this visit I learned it was possible to experience a once-in-my-life moment: Attending a dawn service in the abbey given by the monks! This experience requires ascending dark, pre-dawn steps to a lonely door, arriving at 5:45 a.m. This I HAD TO DO! Carefully, I hiked up those steps – and was joined by 15 others. Then, at 5:45, we heard skeleton keys jingling on the other side of the door and then – a hooded monk cloaked to the feet opened it up and let us pass – locking behind. We entered a chapel, and inside there were monks on the floor covered in their robes – facing the alter.

The service began. They arose. And chanted. Then sang. The sound was acoustically ethereal to experience. We joined in – there was a pamphlet. Though in French – hard to follow for me.

The sun arose behind the stain-glass windows, and the expression on their faces was pure love. Indescribably pure. Unforgettable to behold.

Experience for yourself!