June 14, 2022
“Church and State, Soul and Body, God and Man, are all one at Mont Saint Michel, and the business of all is to fight, each in his own way, or to stand guard for each other”.
- Henry Adams
We need to talk about butter. I thought I was crazy at first but the butter here definitely tastes better than anything I have ever had at home.
After a little research, I know know why. It has to do with these girls.
These are Jersey milk cows. They are the dominant breed of dairy cattle here in France. In the U.S. we almost always use Holstein cows. The reason why is the Holstein produces more milk than the Jersey especially with all the additives we feed them.
However, the Holstein milk has significantly less fat than the Jersey cows.
After the milk is obtained here they allow live cultures of Bacteria to grow in them further enhancing the sweetness and creaminess of the butter..
Here is a great story
A woman in Vermont decided she would raise Jersey cows in the European method. It costs more and she had trouble selling her butter against the cheaper American brands.
So she wrapped up stories about her farm and sent a pat of the butter to the famous chef Thomas Keller. He tasted it and contacted her at once.
He bought her entire supply.
Go to Whole Foods or Trader Joes, it will cost more but try this spread. It elevates anything you cook with it to a new level.
Today we drove out of Normandy and towards Brittany as we start our circumnavigation of the country. Our next stop was this place.
I know I am a geek, but one cannot help but wonder if the mythical city of Mines Tirith in Gondor is real. The pyramidal shape rising out of the flat plains is a wonder to see. Could Tolkien have used it for inspiration in Lord of the Rings?
This is the 1200 year old abby of Mont Saint Michel. It is a great rock that sits in a tidal bay with an ancient abby atop it.
Mont St-Michel has been one of Christendom’ great pilgrimage sites since 708 AD. It sits on a rocky mountain outcrop in the middle of a vast tidal plain. It is a stunning visage and little wonder why it evoked inspiration in pilgrims as they approached it.
For hundreds of years there was no way to approach the island but to walk across mud flats at low tide. This region was the largest and most exaggerated tidal flow in all of Europe. The pictures you see are when it was at low tide. By this evening the sea will come all the way back, galloping in at 18 mph and fill this entire bay.
You can walk out on the mud flats, many do, with a small risk. You have to know when the tide is coming in and quicksand can be a problem.
We were again fortunate with crowd size. Although this has been our busiest stop of the tour, the crowds aver very low and the place is often jammed.
You are introduced to the Grand Rue, the island’s main street through the village and up to the abbey. It is lined with touristy shops selling over priced trinkets of all kinds. It is a real gauntlet and I can imagine when the crowds are bigger the streets must be jammed. Despite all the cheap drivel, it is helpful to recall that such stores have always been here to sell to the pilgrims visiting the abbey.
About 30-40 people, this includes the monks, live on the island full time.
Here is a brief film from 1944 highlighting the abbey during the war. It is wonderful to see not much has changed other than there is now a bridge to the site
The Abbey is dedicated to Saint Micheal. It was his voice that appeared to the Bishop of Avranches and told him to “Build here and build high”. Surrounding the abbey is a fortified wall. St Michel has the distinction of never falling as a Fort to another nation, the British tried many times and thus became a symbol of French identity and national pride.
Today’s abbey is built on the remains of a Romanesque church which in turn was built on the remains of a Carolingian Church. Despite its 1200 years of history, the rooms are sparse. Even today, Monks lead a Spartan existence.
The large treadmill in the Ossuary was used to bring items on a sled from the lower level far below the abbey. During the French Revolution, organized religion was outlawed and the abbey was turned into an Alcatraz like prison. The first prisoners were 300 Priests who refused to reject there vows. They were made, 2-3 at a time, to walk in this wheel to help supply the abbey.
The abbey is supported on the mountain by crypts with enormous pillars underneath.
The views around the area are commanding and well worth the climb.
Tomorrow we leave Normandy and head into Brittany. This area of windswept and rugged coast line was very independent of the rest of France for centuries. it has strong Celtic ties and equally strong traditions that set it apart. Our destination is the city of Dinan.
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