I took this photo back in 2006 on one of our visits to the Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. Back then, the island was connected to a causeway lined with parking lots (which is where we parked on this visit). The Mont was no longer a tidal island. I don't think we knew it at the time, but plans were in the works to remove the parking lots to the mainland and replace the causeway with a bridge, thus allowing the tides to once again encircle the site. The Mont would become a tidal island once again.
The work was completed in 2014 (I don't have a photo of that; maybe we should plan another trip!). Since then, cars must park on the mainland and visitors must take shuttles over the new bridge to access the tiny island town and its historic abbey. Now twice a day, when the tide comes in, the Mont is surrounded by water as it had been through most of human history.
I just checked it out on Google Maps. What an improvement!
ReplyDeletethats a lot of cars....must've been packed with people..whew
ReplyDeleteThe parking was on the mainland when Esta and I were there in '21.
ReplyDeleteOh, my goodness, I didn't even realize any of this!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I knew none of this either. Love the rooftops!
ReplyDeleteBettyAnn
mitch, supposedly, the change has been successful for the bay environment. I don't know what the tourists say.
ReplyDeletemelinda, it certainly was!
evelyn, did you find using the shuttles easy or not? More walking? Less walking?
judy, it was big news here ten years (wow!) ago.
bettyann, :)