THE WORLD'S BIGGEST MUSEUM
Imagine we're at the beginning of Christianity, 2,000 years ago.
Imagine this 80 meter rock overlooking the bay.
Some hounded Christians took refuge here
to practice their faith in austerity and deprivation.
In the 8th century, Archangel Michael visits the regional bishop, Aubert.
He begs him to dedicate this place called "Mont Tombe" to him.
So, in the 8th century of Christianity, it becomes "Mont Saint-Michel."
Today we're going to explore the mythic Mont Saint-Michel with you.
It has around 50 inhabitants, including seven monks and six nuns.
Millions of people come to visit every year.
Three million tourists come here every year.
Off we go.
Hello. - Hello.
Where are you from? - Brazil.
Is this your first trip to France? - My second.
Are you doing the tour with a Portuguese-speaking guide?
With my French friend, Alain, who lives in Saint-Malo.
He's the guide! Hello, Alain. - Hello.
She's with another Brazilian friend, so it's two for the price of one.
He has two Brazilian ladies staying with him in Saint-Malo.
So, he invites them to Mont Saint-Michel.
What a top quality pick-up strategy.
Why have you come here?
I'll translate.
For the history and the medieval tradition.
Because Brazil is a young country and doesn't have this.
He's a Middle Ages lover.
There are more things here.
Lots of Japanese here.
But I'm giving up on interviewing them because I don't speak Japanese.
ON MONT SAINT-MICHEL
Ladies and gentlemen, Jean-Marc Bouré.
You're the manager of Mont Saint-Michel Abbey.
Are we on the west church square? - We're on the west terrace.
Here we have an extraordinary view of the whole bay.
You deserve it after climbing 300 steps to get here.
I've never counted them. I climb them twice a day. About 300.
I heard that these stones come from the Anglo-Norman Chausey Islands.
There wasn't enough granite here to build the monument we know today.
So, the granite came from the Chausey Islands.
Shall we go in the abbatial church? - With pleasure.
Let's go.
Now we're in this church that dates back 1,000 years.
This part is the nave and dates back to early 1000.
And the back of the choir is 15th or 16th century.
Because the original choir collapsed.
It collapsed around 1400.
It took two centuries to reconstruct the gothic choir that we know today.
It's anachronistic that there are monks here every day.
The monks and tourists have to coexist.
It's all very harmonious.
We have an agreement with them.
At midday, even in August, when there are hundreds of people here,
mass takes place in complete serenity.
How many monks are there? - Today, there are 14.
I imagine the monastic community was larger back in olden days.
Yes, there used to be around 60 monks.
So, now we're entering a private zone.
It was dedicated to the monks and nuns.
Exactly. We're entering the cloister.
Possibly the only cloister in the world at the top of a building.
We're on the third floor. - The third floor of "the Marvel."
It was built in the early 13th century.
Why the "Marvel?"
Because it's an architectural marvel of the gothic era.
One of the first vertical buildings. - On three floors.
Floors that correspond to the social stratification of the time.
The Third Estate, with the chaplaincy and the saddler on the ground floor.
The nobility with the knights' room and reception hall on the first floor.
Rooms for the clergy on the top floor: the refectory and the cloister.
Take a look at this, my friends.
We're on the first floor of this marvel, this extraordinary building.
We're in one of the two rooms that make up the first floor.
You have the hosts' room and this so-called "knights' room."
With impressive chimneys.
It's surprising that it has chimneys.
St. Benoît's rules specified that there should be barely any heating.
The chimneys prove that living conditions here are especially difficult.
Thanks, Jean-Marc Bouré.
We'll see you later to explore the hidden side of Mont Saint-Michel.
The places that nobody visits.
Very good. - See you later.
Mistakes were made at Mont Saint-Michel in the 20th century.
There's this unattractive car park stuck to the entrance.
And then, there's the sandbanks of the bay.
The postcard Mont Saint-Michel, surrounded by sea, no longer exists.
The powers that be want to change things.
They'll get rid of the car park and install a wooden pontoon on stilts,
allowing the sea to pass underneath.
Cars will be replaced by a little train to take the tourists there.
And car parks will be on the mainland. That's for starters.
The second thing is dredging the sand.
Today, we want to restore Mont Saint-Michel's maritime character.
It's easy. Take a look at this. That's the River Couesnon.
It runs about ten meters away from the entrance of Mont Saint-Michel.
A dam has just been built. Can you see it here?
At high tide, it will hold back the water.
Once the tide is lower, it will release the water.
It'll generate a flow around Mont Saint-Michel
that will unblock the alluvium
and restore the pretty Mont Saint-Michel in the middle of the water.
RESCUE STATION
Hello. SEA RESCUE
Who's Frédéric Ridel? - That's me.
Nice to meet you. - You too.
I've been the lifeboat captain for over 20 years.
How does it work? Are you volunteers like firemen?
As soon as we're summoned, we have to head off on a call-out.
Now we're on a call-out to see if everything is OK in the bay.
Maybe some people are trapped there by the tide.
So, we're going out to check what's happening.
How long have you worked for Sea Rescue?
It's been 30 years for me. And 18 years as captain.
LIFEBOAT CAPTAIN
We're volunteers and restaurant owners on Mont Saint-Michel.
All three of you? - Yes, all three.
What if there's a call-out at 9 PM? - We leave our ovens and off we go.
Are the biggest call-outs in summer? - Yes, the biggest.
Are there fishermen too? - A lot less these days.
What do you say to people you rescue who've been very careless or reckless?
Do you tell them off? - We're supposed to tell them off.
In summer, the police pick them up after us and they do the telling off.
Two months ago, in winter, I rescued two people
on the other side, off the coast of the northern tower.
They were journalists. Reckless people.
What had these journalists done? - They crossed the river.
And they were trapped on a sand bank.
We had to fetch them as they were trapped.
You need water to get out. There must be days when you can't.
The sea has to reach and leave the car park so we can get the boat out.
Why are Mont Saint-Michel families moving to the mainland?
Business is business.
Isn't it a shame to lose the spirit of the place?
It was already lost 25 to 30 years ago, I think.
What do you think?
It's quite complex living on Mont Saint-Michel these days.
SEAMAN
You have tidal problems like nowhere else
and children need to play sports.
You need to move with the times.
That doesn't stop 43 people living on Mont Saint-Michel.
But they're still interested in their village.
It's an extraordinary thing to be born here.
You're charmed and lucky in terms of life, business and identity.
It's not an insignificant place.
It's a world-famous heap of pebbles.
If you're born on Mont Saint-Michel, you stay there all your life.
You're not going to work elsewhere.
I never have and neither has Yann. - No, I was born on the rock.
We'll stay here.
I might not be the Last of the Mohicans, but I'm probably the last islander.
Are you the last generation of settlers?
There aren't many left that are our age. - Exactly.
People who have put down roots? - No.
There aren't many young ones either.
That means they're waiting for us to leave.
I'm with Stéphane, the manager of a legendary establishment.
La Mère Poulard is a historic place.
It's famous for its omelets.
Famous for its omelets going back more than 120 years.
It's such a great story.
Listen to this incredible beat. - It's great.
It's always the same story. Annette Poulard kept it going.
The women cooked the omelet and the men beat the eggs.
We carry on this tradition with Christine who continues to cook omelets.
She beats eggs from time to time, too.
And Michel, who's dad used to work here, carries on the tradition.
Is it worth me asking you to reveal your method for making omelets?
No, we won't give anything away.
The omelet maker's job is to beat the eggs and keep the omelets going.
The egg rises as he beats.
He continues beating to avoid the yellow sinking.
Once it's all risen, what's next?
The basis is slightly salted butter.
Then we get started on cooking the omelet.
With this magic mixture.
Tell me about Mère Poulard, part of the legend of Mont Saint-Michel?
Are we going back to the late 19th century?
Yes, Annette Poulard was born in 1851 and died at 80 years of age in 1931.
She founded this restaurant in 1888.
She was famous on Mont Saint-Michel
for being open at any time for pilgrims visiting Mont Saint-Michel.
Respect, ladies and gentlemen. This is an almost religious experience.
Not exactly a multisecular gesture, but one that dates back 120 years.
A Japanese guy arriving here would be astounded and blown away.
He'd think: "Now I'm experiencing the real France."
It's their Holy Grail as it's become legendary since their emperor visited.
Who came here, Hirohito? - That's right. Hirohito came here.
Hirohito came here!
Christine takes the first one.
She places them to the side and then she goes back.
Oh boy. There's also a certain amount of technique involved in the cooking.
It's not like at home.
Can I taste some later?
Later, yes. We can give you a taste, no worries.
It's only for professional reasons. I won't enjoy it one little bit.
I'm pulling out all the stops for my job.
Ladies and gents, French excellence right in front of your eyes.
An omelet should have an even color and it should be fluffy,
allowing you to fully enjoy the egg.
How do you eat an omelet like this? - Just plain, like that.
In we go.
I'm trying the outside and some air. - Try it all.
Oh boy. Yummy.
That's splendid.
I think I need to taste it a second time to really appreciate it.
Go for it.
Michel and Christine, watch out.
Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal may have future plans with omelets.
They could get close without finding the same recipe.
Thank you for this experience. - Thank you, Eric.
Taking part in the cooking process and tasting it afterwards is...
That's the best way to eat it.
Savoring it from the edge of the table like Egon Ronay.
By the fire.
Thank you very much, Christine and Michel.
Thanks to this device and for just 1 euro,
you too can discover the flora and fauna of the bay of Mont Saint-Michel.
But as it's too complicated to place the camera lens here,
I suggest that you follow the guide.
We're very lucky to have such a beautiful bay.
Plus, we have that here.
PROFESSIONAL BAY GUIDE
It's unique.
People come here for the bay
and the pleasure of a natural location with its flora and fauna.
In addition, they have the mount, the cherry on the cake.
Wide open spaces become like a drug.
Sometimes I go home and find that my house is too small.
The ceiling is too low.
We are part of something unique. You're not just a number.
It's really nice to be here and to get to know people and chat to them.
You can give a tour with basic explanations.
Anyone can do that, but they want more than that.
You need to give them a trip out like you would have with your friends.
That's how the day should go.
If you walk here after low tide, you're the first one to set foot on the sand.
That's the paradox of the bay.
This environment has two sides.
First, you have Mont Saint-Michel.
You have coach loads of people coming and days when there are people all over.
And 5 km in that direction, you have only fish, seals and birds
and not one single human being.
It's OK because we're on a slight tidal coefficient but it gets steep.
We've taken time to set off but immediately we're off again.
We know that the sea rises again, so be careful.
Keep that in mind all the time.
You mustn't forget it.
Let's not exaggerate, we have time and can take it relatively easy.
At first, you can think that it's hard and it holds up.
If you realize that you can make it all move,
you start to get big patches moving and it all moves around you.
If there are many of you and you pass over here with a large group,
if you haven't checked things over properly,
it keeps on sinking and sinking and you're stuck.
Now I'll have to ask for your help because I think I'm stuck.
Once you're in it like this, you don't want to go much further.
It's OK up to your knees, but you mustn't go any further down.
Otherwise, you'll never come up again.
The phenomenon of thixotropy.
It's like a bowl of custard.
This phenomenon exists all over the world.
You need to be careful.
Plus, if you let pilgrims sink, everyone up there can see you.
Here we are with Brother François-Marie in the monks' refectory.
The monks have been on Mont Saint-Michel for several years.
Tell me about the congregation here, Brother.
They belong to the monastic fraternities of Jerusalem.
The fraternity of sisters is next door.
Here we're in the brothers' fraternity.
We're from monastic fraternities that were founded on All Saints Day in 1975
by Brother Pierre-Marie Delfieux.
We've been on Mont Saint-Michel since 24th June, 2001,
the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.
The French Revolution had put an end to monastic presence on Mont Saint-Michel.
People say that without monks, Mont Saint-Michel doesn't make sense,
because it was founded by monks for prayer.
If there were no monks or nuns, it would be a lifeless heap of stones.
Beautiful, but soulless.
I have an important question.
How can a community of 15 monks, at the peak of Mont Saint-Michel,
live next to a flux
of almost 3 million visitors every year?
We have to find a balance
between the presence of men and women passing through
and taking a step back.
Either we're totally available to them and there's no monastic life
or we're completely removed and our presence here doesn't make sense.
So, we must find a balance.
Our community makes a judgment call on what we can and cannot do.
There are many requests, notably from school groups,
who want to meet nuns or monks to hear their testimonies.
We try to agree, but sometimes we don't, because we can't.
The visitors and tourists who climb Mont Saint-Michel every day,
are they just tourists, or sometimes pilgrims?
There are both tourists and pilgrims and sometimes, tourists who become pilgrims.
Here's a lovely example, for us at least.
Some Japanese tourists came here.
They were Buddhists.
They were captured by the place and its grace
and they asked to be baptized.
They were baptized last Easter night in the abbatial.
Another example.
Last Sunday, a young man from Rennes spent a few days here
before making a pilgrimage to St. James of Compostela on foot.
He'd said: "I'm snowed under with work and I need to take stock.
"Can I spend two or three days with you so I can make this pilgrimage
"and have a better idea of my purpose in life and how I should live it?"
It was very beautiful.
You could see the steps he was taking towards his pilgrimage.
I'm happy to be with Jean-Marc Bouré, manager of Mont Saint-Michel Abbey.
Now we're going to explore an area of Mont Saint-Michel
which is rarely visited by the public.
You're going to enjoy this.
This is very impressive, Jean-Marc.
Look at this worm-eaten wood and these ancient locks.
That's one of the doors of the two cells
in the Mont Saint-Michel dungeon.
For a long time, Mont Saint-Michel also had a sinister function.
It was a prison.
Notably, in the 1500s, according to legend,
Louis XI's iron cage could be found here.
In the 19th century, Mont Saint-Michel Abbey was turned into a prison.
The monks were driven away in 1792 until 1863.
This was with little regard for any architectural dimension.
The abbatial was divided up by floorboards
in order to build administrative premises.
The abbatial was a prison? - Absolutely.
It was a place dedicated to prisoners.
After the 1848 Revolution, Barbès was imprisoned here.
The whole of the Abbey was transformed into a prison in the 19th century,
including the abbatial and the refectory.
Everything was separated off and divided up.
It was only in 1863, that the Abbey ceased being a prison.
In 1863? - Yes.
Here we are in a very strange and secret place:
Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre.
We're in the heart of Mont Saint-Michel Abbey,
in Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre,
the oldest building still in existence on Mont Saint-Michel.
What period? - Between 930 and 960.
Presumably, the first Benedictines built it after they arrived here.
This building disappeared for centuries, didn't it?
Yes, it was buried when the abbatial collapsed in the late 18th century.
It was only rediscovered in the early 20th century.
It was dug out and restored to how it is today in the 1960s.
Thank you for showing us this place and others
that are only accessible to group visits and unknown to the general public.
Thanks a lot. Goodbye.
Look at this small island behind me. It's Tombelaine Island.
You can see it's leveled off and totally deserted.
See how it looked a few centuries ago.
This is an etching that was found in the Tower of London.
See how it used to look?
Tombelaine Island was fortified, of course.
It was occupied by the English during the Hundred Years' War.
Its fortification and prestige were a threat to Mont Saint-Michel!
Imagine an English garrison here during the Hundred Years' War.
An extraordinary place.
It gets its name from a wonderful legend.
Hélène, King Arthur's fiancée, is thought to have died there.
That's why it's called "Tombelaine," because Hélène's tomb is there.
That's the end of the program. Thanks for watching.
See you next week for more heritage magic.
Bye.
Subtitles: Babel Subtitling - babelSUB.be