Cloister, Le Mont St. Michel, France

The only bright patch we saw at Le Mont St. Michel was the cloister roof garden. The flowers were just beginning to bloom and under the dull sky that day, the bright green patch cheered us. The walkway around the garden was for the monks. And tourists today walk the same pathway where monks once strolled, prayed and meditated. Ideal place to contemplate on life! Once does feel a sense of peace!

The cloister is lined with two layers of columns instead of single thick columns. This arrangement enhanced the inflow of light. The staggered pattern of the columns makes photography of these parts very interesting. The arches are sculpted with designs of flowers and owls. The dormitory, church, kitchen, stairways could be accessed from here.

The abbey church façade looked magical through the columns of the cloister.

One can’t resist looking up all the time and click the amazing structure standing so high and majestic. The outlines of gargoyles made the sight even more interesting. You get models of these gargoyles as souvenirs at the shops lined along the street Grande Rue. The yellow patches on the surface of the stone complex gives away the age and this makes it more mysterious, monstrous, yet magnificent. Just think of this: The Mont was used to imprison enemies of the crown until Emperor Napoleon III shut it down in 1863. These ramparts are the best place to position yourself to watch the natural phenomena of tides rolling in and out.

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