In some respects this voyage has been bookended by two Mount Saint Michaels. Both are rocky islands dedicated to (at least in the past) to the Archangel, Michael. Both can be reached on foot, at least at low tide. One is well known worldwide, the other, less so.
Saint Michael’s Mount
The lesser known of the two is located off the southern coast of Cornwall, within site of Penzance. Yes, the Penzance of pirate’s fame. This was our first home base in England for hiking the Southwest Coast, or, Salt Path. This Saint Michael’s Mount was the site of a monastery from about the 8th Century. In the 11th Century it was given to the Dominican order who ran the more famous Saint Michael’s across the channel.
The allegiance of the monastery, but not its name, changed hands many times over the centuries. Eventually the monks left and the island was occupied by a series of English nobility. At one time it was a thriving fishing village with at least three pubs. In 1659 a Colonel bought it and his family still occupies it. However, places like this are expensive to maintain, especially with British inheritance taxes. In 1954 the family deeded most of it to the National Trust, but—maintained a 999 year lease to let them live there.
Mont Saint Michel
Across the English Channel off the coast of the Normandy region of France, lies the better known island dedicated to the Archangel: Mont Saint Michel, French for Mount Saint Michael. This iconic island is the second most popular tourist destination in the country—second only to Paris itself. And on the day we visited, I could believe it. We are, unfortunately, in the height of the tourist season here and the streets were packed.
According to legend, the Archangel appeared to a local bishop in 708 and commanded him to build a church on the unoccupied rock. It took three visits and a poke through his skull to get the bishop to take action, but the end result is a large monastery and city crowded with tourists clinging to the side and top of this granite monument. At one point it was one of the major pilgrimage sites of the Christian world, the other three being Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela.
After the French Revolution the French had little use for religion or monasteries and the abbey was converted into a prison for over half a century. But influential French, including Victor Hugo, led a campaign to restore the island. It eventually was and is now a monastery with a small contingent of monks and nuns in residence, and an influx of thousands of tourists daily.
Two Mount Saint Michaels: One with a family as permanent residents under a 999 year lease, the other occupied mainly by monks and nuns. One that features beautiful gardens, the other with many tourists. But both have fascinating histories and are worth a visit.