Today we drove to Mont- St-Michel, a place we have both been really looking forward to seeing. Thought to date back to 708, when the Bishop of Avranches had it built as a sanctuary on Mount Tombe in honour of the Archangel, it soon became a major focus of pilgrimage. 
The Benedictine monks settled there in the 10th century and it was an impregnable stronghold during the 100 years war (which actually lasted 116 years!) between the English and the French. After the dissolution of the religious community during the French Revolution, it was also used, until 1863, as a prison.
The tide was out while were there and it was amazing to see the extent to which it ebbs and flows, it recedes for miles. 
A new walkway to the site was finished and was formally opened in December 2014. It takes approximately an hour to walk to the rock, or there is the option to take a shuttle bus.
After the walk across, it is uphill from there and extremely steep. I’m not sure of how many steps there were, I lost count after the first 300 hundred and 
I ‘felt the burn’ that’s for sure, but it is absolutely worth every minute of screaming thigh muscles as it is nothing short of magnificent. How they managed to build such a place on a rock surrounded by the sea is simply ‘incroyable’ .
There is a bit of an dispute between Normandy and Brittany as to who ‘owns’ Mont- Saint-Michel. I don’t want to buy into that argument, but all I can say is that was far quicker for us to drive there from Dinan (Brittany), than it was from Honfleur (Normandy). Just saying…
On the marshlands along the coastline, we saw sheep grazing. Agneau de pré-salé (French: “Salt meadow lamb”) is a type of lamb which is raised in the salt marsh meadows of France, especially near Mont- Saint-Michel and also the Bay of the Somme in Picardy. 
The pastures are covered in grasses with a high salinity and iodine content, causing their meat to have a distinct taste that is considered a delicacy and is very expensive. I remembered seeing them on the television program ‘Manu’s France’, so we were delighted to come across some ourselves
A great day out. And a hot bath tonight for aching muscles…..
postcardsfromkaren 
Hi Karen,
Katrina sent this to me at our lesson this morning. Great read. I haven’t been to the Mont yet — still on my list of things to make and do…… I can see you’re having a top time of it. Keep up the good work.
Cheers,
Wal
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Hi Wal, lovely to hear from you! And yes, you both would love it. It’s a bit like sideshow alley when you first arrive,(it reminded me of Carcassonne in that regard) but once you get through that bit, it’s a sight to behold. This holiday has been outstanding, for all sorts of reasons – weather, sights we’ve seen, people we’ve met,improvement in my confidence to speak etc etc etc. I so wish we could stay much longer! Looking forward to our ‘post Noumea’ catchup when I get back – Katrina was organzing a lunch I think?
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I so want to go there!!
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It was great, Jenny, just awe inspiring. You have to run the gauntlet of the tourist belt when you first arrive, but once through that bit, the rest is astounding.
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