We arrived in the dark,

all was still,

each person dreaming of

a creeping sea...

waves and waves and waves...

.

with the rush of a galloping horse

she rides

to champ and snort against the stone walls.

.

and the sea, she brings with her jewels,

of many colours - red and green

transclucent weeds that glisten in the sunrise.

...

It was the most glorious morning, on Mont St Michel! I had just awoken from some strange dream of horses, to the sight of Oliver still snoring on the pillow beside me.

I will never turn down an opportunity to luxuriate in bed, and this morning was particularly beautiful because the bed was not, as per usual, a car seat, but was in fact a hotel bed. Crisp cotton, and a heavy blanket, and a high ceiling... all these things I appreciated in silence for several minutes. Our journey had made me much more grateful for the tiniest of blessings.

But this, this was a HUGE blessing! Turning over, I nudged Oliver. It was time to get up, the light in the window had begun to turn from navy to a dusky kind of blue. We put on our shoes, I grabbed my camera, and we were off. It took only a few steps from our room to the shores...

Then I remembered my dream: of the ocean, encroaching on this tiny island in the night. The dream I had dreamed was there, lapping at the very entranceway - small waves in a shallow sea that had appeared overnight! The effect was utterly magical, totally breathtaking.

And there, too, was the sunrise. Walking out on a narrow stretch of concrete, and looking back at the scene, I couldn't quite believe it was all real... A cluster of spires, on a tiny island that looked like a castle, set amidst an endless ocean.

By the time the sun had breached the waters we were up in the small cul-de-sacs and cobbled alleyways of that grand stone castle.

It was early, and at first we only heard the sounds of bakers, delivery boys and several construction workers. Slowly, as we climbed ever higher, the noises gave way to the simple whisk of sea air, and nothingness. There was nobody about, and the whole island was ours to explore, if only for a short time.

From sea to sea, we walked the lonely streets,

to greet the walls and the wind and the gulls.