We began our third day in Normand with a visit to Le Scriptorial d'Avranches. Since the Revolution, the town of Avranches has been home to the manuscripts from Mount St. Michel. These manuscripts where written by Benedictine monks during the middle of the Middle Ages.
According to the Michelin Green Guide: In 1791, Mont Saint Michel monastery was stripped of its assets. A collection of 4 000 volumes from its library has been amassed at the Scriptorial in Avranches, including 203 manuscripts, some of which date from the 9C and represent the spiritual, intellectual and artistic memory of the Benedictines and, through them, of the medieval world. Works include chronicles and important texts from Antiquity and the Middle Ages, treatises on Roman and canonic law, as well as books on botany, music, astronomy, medicine, the lives of saints etc.
We began the day by scoping out the market. I bought a three pack of stripey socks at this stand and we previewed the lunch offerings. Avranches is perched up on a high hill and has a rich history.
A view from the ramparts
A strong climber on the ramparts.
Another view from the ramparts
Can you see our Peugeot hatchback?
The museum was great. It is new and has a lot of interactive technology for kids. The girls enjoyed doing a treasure hunt that they were given at the ticket desk and they liked playing many different games at different computer terminals. There was a large room explaining parchment, thus all of the sheep that graze around Mount St. Michel, and all of the different things needed to make the different colored inks. There were several original manuscripts on display and they are rather mind blowing. They are so old and the writing and illustrations are so beautiful and so perfectly preserved. I recommend Arvanches. I am not sure I can recommend the sausage wrapped in a a galette (savory crepe made with buckwheat flour), but Pierre gives it a thumbs up.
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