We spent yesterday at Mont St Michel! Before we even got there, we were beginning to get a feeling for it's popularity as there was was a traffic jam 3 km long up the narrow road to the Mount. Apparently it was even longer a couple of weeks ago! But it was a magical sight as we kept spotting it and as it finally revealed itself as we left the mainland. We battled our way through the crowded tiny streets up to our hotel for night. It's in a great spot, halfway up the mount and main streets, with it's third level sitting at the top of the mount's defensive walls. Therefore, like our room one floor above, we had perfect views across the sandbanks that surround the Mount.

We had a great tour of the Abbey that sits a top the Mount. It has been a sight of pilgrimage for hundreds of years so the large numbers of tourists is no knew phenomenon for this area. The Abbey is a beautiful mix of Romanesque (what we call Norman) and Gothic architecture - after so many churches and old buildings we think we're starting to understand the difference finally! It is also fascinating to see how so many aspects of the architecture have deliberate religious and societal meanings. It is also fascinating to learn that, apart from the centre, much of the Abbey is not built on the actual rock of the Mount, but is simply hanging out from Mount, resting on a series of "crypts" (simply meaning hidden, there are no bodies!) that cling to or are merged with the rock. It is an amazing feat of masonry.

We finished our afternoon with a walk across the sandbanks while the tide was still out. It was lovely and refreshing to wander through the shallow water and bare sand that in only a few hours would be deep under water. We also were rewarded with beautiful views of the Mount. Then we returned to watch the tide come in from the hotel. It was a really lovely day, especially once the crowds went home so you could actually see around the narrow cobbled medieval streets. From the hotel we saw the water come in and block of the main entrance into the Mount and the Gendarmerie Police headquarters entrance!

It was only just reversing enough for our bus to get through when we left at 8.30am this morning!