Our trip to Mont Saint Michel will definitely be one that SYA remembers for quite some time. That, is in all certainty, an understatement. The trip is an annual tradition and following a route that was taken by pilgrims centuries ago, we cross the bay of Mt. St. Michel. It is known for having drastic tide changes and at low tide, you can walk the 8km, barefoot, to reach the island, which has a monastery and a small castle, along with a few small shops and other buildings. The walk is dangerous and can only be done with a guide, as there is quick sand and an ever changing landscape, along with tides that come in fast and can sweep you away.
For the first two kilometers, it was beautiful. We set off, first through a grass field and then into the mud and sand. A few drops of rain, and the usual wind that blows across the exposed bay, but nothing drastic.
For the first two kilometers, it was beautiful. We set off, first through a grass field and then into the mud and sand. A few drops of rain, and the usual wind that blows across the exposed bay, but nothing drastic.
In the picture, almost in the center, you can see Mt. St. Michel looming in the distance, our goal. Notice how gray the clouds look... Everyone is in shorts because you are wading through mud and water.
We stopped every so often and the guide would make sure everyone was there. At our last stop before we crossed a section of water, the guide made a joke that the sky looked to be "fifty shades of gray". Hilarious. We all waded through, see picture on the left below, and were trying very hard not to get our clothing wet, which would soon become irrelevant. At that point in the walk, we could no longer see Mt. St. Michel. It had been swallowed by a gray cloud. On the right is one of the last pictures I took. See how the clouds get really dark towards the horizon line? That's where Mt. St. Michel is.
We stopped every so often and the guide would make sure everyone was there. At our last stop before we crossed a section of water, the guide made a joke that the sky looked to be "fifty shades of gray". Hilarious. We all waded through, see picture on the left below, and were trying very hard not to get our clothing wet, which would soon become irrelevant. At that point in the walk, we could no longer see Mt. St. Michel. It had been swallowed by a gray cloud. On the right is one of the last pictures I took. See how the clouds get really dark towards the horizon line? That's where Mt. St. Michel is.
About five minutes after I took the last photo, the storm hit us full force. The wind hit around 50 miles per hour we think, as there were moments when it was hard to walk and the rain was so hard it felt like hail against your bare legs. Within a minute my shorts, or skort, was soaked and after another twenty even my raincoat was starting to wonder what was going on. It is impossible to describe what it is like, to be there out on that open plain, to feel the wind almost lifting you up and to have it block out all other sounds, to feel the rain soaking you through and to be blinded and what feels like cut off from the world, alone with the people around you. Definitely a bonding experience. And it really brought out the best in everyone. We were all checking to make sure everyone else was okay, especially when we started to get very cold towards the end and people were lending each other warm clothing once we were back on the bus. We all huddled together to try and block the wind and tried to be supportive. Or in my case, annoyingly cheerful.
And so, to give the best description of what it was like, I have complied a list of very clear sensations and images that I can so clearly remember from the trip, as the wind kind of blew everything else away. Or maybe that was the hypothermia.... (Just kidding, I'm fine Mom.)
The yellow of my raincoat against the gray sky
The girls who started singing Hedwig's theme as they walked, because Mt. St. Michel looked like Hogwarts
The wind drowning out everything; voices, calls to each other, even your own thoughts
Having to yell to hear each other and even then only barely
The packet of applesauce E.C. and I shared when we were so cold we could barely open it
The wind and rain stinging your legs
The way the water we crossed felt warm because we were so cold
The first bit of mud that squished up between your toes
Huddling together to keep warm on the open plain
Seeing Mt. St. Michel vanish into that gray cloud and how we didn't see that as a warning
The rain pouring down my glasses, blinding me
The icy water that ran down my arm every time I went to adjust my hood or fix my glasses
The awesome ham sandwich I had for lunch
Holding on to each other as we walked across a really slippery section, clasping each other's arms for balance
Asking Mr. Brochu for the Monday after off, being denied
Seeing one of the students carry his little host brother through the water
Feeling like you were going to be blown away
The warm socks I put on in the bus afterwards
Laughing in the middle of the storm because Madame had said it wasn't going to rain
Coming home and seeing Madame had made a fire in the fireplace.
The fifty shade of gray joke the guide made right before the storm hit
The damp sand being picked up by the wind and tossed around like a mini tornado
Feeling as though the wind was going to lift you up and carry you away
Your fingers being so cold and stiff you couldn't really bend them
The damp chill that began to penetrate your clothing and how your lips became too numb to talk
All the jokes we made about how it was supposed to be beautiful weather that day
The quick sand swallowing your feet and how it felt so nice and warm
The best hot shower I ever took when I got home
Finally seeing Mt. St. Michel reappear after an hour of it being invisible
How muddy our feet were
Joking with E.C. that she now knew what it was like to be in a hurricane
The wind and rain plastering your hood to your head
And so, to give the best description of what it was like, I have complied a list of very clear sensations and images that I can so clearly remember from the trip, as the wind kind of blew everything else away. Or maybe that was the hypothermia.... (Just kidding, I'm fine Mom.)
The yellow of my raincoat against the gray sky
The girls who started singing Hedwig's theme as they walked, because Mt. St. Michel looked like Hogwarts
The wind drowning out everything; voices, calls to each other, even your own thoughts
Having to yell to hear each other and even then only barely
The packet of applesauce E.C. and I shared when we were so cold we could barely open it
The wind and rain stinging your legs
The way the water we crossed felt warm because we were so cold
The first bit of mud that squished up between your toes
Huddling together to keep warm on the open plain
Seeing Mt. St. Michel vanish into that gray cloud and how we didn't see that as a warning
The rain pouring down my glasses, blinding me
The icy water that ran down my arm every time I went to adjust my hood or fix my glasses
The awesome ham sandwich I had for lunch
Holding on to each other as we walked across a really slippery section, clasping each other's arms for balance
Asking Mr. Brochu for the Monday after off, being denied
Seeing one of the students carry his little host brother through the water
Feeling like you were going to be blown away
The warm socks I put on in the bus afterwards
Laughing in the middle of the storm because Madame had said it wasn't going to rain
Coming home and seeing Madame had made a fire in the fireplace.
The fifty shade of gray joke the guide made right before the storm hit
The damp sand being picked up by the wind and tossed around like a mini tornado
Feeling as though the wind was going to lift you up and carry you away
Your fingers being so cold and stiff you couldn't really bend them
The damp chill that began to penetrate your clothing and how your lips became too numb to talk
All the jokes we made about how it was supposed to be beautiful weather that day
The quick sand swallowing your feet and how it felt so nice and warm
The best hot shower I ever took when I got home
Finally seeing Mt. St. Michel reappear after an hour of it being invisible
How muddy our feet were
Joking with E.C. that she now knew what it was like to be in a hurricane
The wind and rain plastering your hood to your head
This is also an English journal post, hence the length and amount of details.