We had almost a week left on this journey when I started to consider if there was something I wanted to see or do in these last few days. A French To Do List, if you like. We were way over on the west side of Brittany at the time and the rain was falling, better weather expected.

Even thought I’ve been many times I put Le Mont Saint Michel on top of the List. I’m not sure why it draws me in each time. I was very willing to be drawn in again. And that’s where we went on Wednesday morning last. It was another rainy day when we arrived, the sky fully grey with added purple clouds. Rainstorms forecast.

There’s a really good camper stop 30 minutes walk to the Mont where we stayed. We had enough water, electricity and internet to spend the day. You pay for 24 hours in advance and we had until 12.20pm Thursday until we had to pay for 24 hours more or checkout. Maybe I wouldn’t get a chance to visit today but possibly in the morning?

The rain eased towards evening and we donned rain coats and rain trousers and walked into the village of Beauvoir. One of the other things on my French List was Moules and frites (Mussels and chips) and that’s what I ordered.

Checking the forecast again before bed I realised the following day was to be dry and sunny. I would head off early to the Mont and be back by checkout time. The Mont is not on Denis’ French List so he was happy to stay behind and work.

The Mont is an island and when we visited almost thirty years ago you could only get onto the island at low tide. Now, there’s a bridge and a bus to carry you along the bridge.

At 8.30am I set out walking on the cycle/walk path behind the camper stop. Almost immediately you get a view of the Mont in the distance and it’s hard to describe what seeing it feels like. For me it’s so pretty, a neat triangle with an angel on top. Like a cake, maybe. Or a pyramid. I don’t think if I will ever grow tired of visiting it.

For some reason in order to give myself permission to visit the Mont again I had told myself I would take a tour of the Abbey on top. I had never done that so that was a valid reason to waste time going to an island I’d been to many times before. Even as I write this it occurs to me the strangeness of that thinking. Anyway there I was off to do a tour, to learn something new to not waste my time.

The bus, when I arrived, was full of other people and most seemed to be visiting for the first time as there were gasps and smiles as we got closer. I got out and took some photos from the bridge. There’s a post office just inside the gates, good place to buy and stamps and post cards! It would open at 10am, I’d sort that out on the way back.

The buildings on top of the Mont are a Benedictine Abbey and to reach them you have to walk through the increasingly steep street of shops and restaurants until you arrive at the first set of steps. I wish I had counted the steps, hundreds of steps to the door at the top is not an exaggeration.

I had purchase a ticket and a tour which would start at 10.15am, in thirty minutes. Meaning I had time to wander through the site. I took photos and read plaques and generally had a lovely time. And then I noticed something very scary…