Franco Fridays: Mont-Saint Michel, part 2

We walked inside the Abbey through these tall doors, and it immediately felt colder inside the stone walls.

There were beautiful windows and doors and massive stone columns.

I was working on pictures last night, and when I got to this door I couldn't help but think of these words:

The arched ceilings are beautiful, as is this door.

We made our way to the cloister.

 

This former dining room of the monks, located right beside the cloister, is incredibly lovely.  The light on these beautiful wooden tables are my favorite pictures from Mont-Saint Michel.  I think part of the reason I found it so lovely was all the natural light pouring through the windows.  Most other rooms are enclosed with very little light.

We were listening to a history of each room as we walked, and it made me feel sad when I heard the monks were required to eat here together in silence.  I couldn't help but think of Jesus and all the meals He shared with the disciples and the way the Bible talks about the marriage supper of the Lamb, all of the happiness and rejoicing.  

We make life so much harder on ourselves with our rules that we think will somehow make us more acceptable to God than we already are in Jesus.

As I have mentioned before, I am NOT a historian, so for the most accurate and detailed explanations you'll have to do your own research.  But as I understand it, the story as to why a church was originally built on this site is that the archangel Michael appeared to a bishop instructing him to build here, and when his instructions were ignored, he burned a hole in the bishop's skull to make him comply.  Nice story.

We made it out into the light again, where we bought the kids souvenirs.  James got a sword and shield, and Ella got one of her favorite sticker books in French.

 Farewell, medieval city.

As we walked back to our car I just kept taking pictures from different angles because, you know...that's what I do.

And of course the sheep had to be photographed.

We left Mont-Saint Michel in search of petrol where we then made our way to the most peaceful place I've ever been in my life.