Mont Saint Mishel

The slender towers and sky-scraping turrets of the abbey of Mont St-Michel are one of the classic images of northern France. Rising from flat white sands, the abbey sits atop a small island encircled by stout ramparts and battlements, connected to the mainland by an old causeway. Legend has it that the abbey was founded in the 8th century, when Aubert, the bishop of Avranches, was visited by the Archangel Michael in a dream; to this day the abbey is still crowned by a gilded copper statue of Michael slaying a dragon, symbolising the triumph of good over evil.

The bay around Mont St-Michel is famed for its extraordinary tides. Depending on the season and the gravitational pull of the moon, the difference between low and high tides can reach 15m, although the Mont is only completely surrounded by the sea during seasonal equinoxes. Regardless of the time of year, the waters sweep in at an astonishing rate; at low tide the Mont can be surrounded by bare sand for miles around, but at high tide, barely six hours later, the whole bay is often entirely submerged by the sea.

There are a few expensive hotels around the base of the Mont itself, but most people choose to stay at Beauvoir, right opposite the Mont, or Pontorson, about 5 miles inland from the bay. Unsurprisingly, for one of France’s top tourist attractions, the Mont is always packed with coach tours and bellowing kids at the start of the day – you’ll enjoy a much quieter visit if you turn up in late afternoon.

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Rocky islet and famous sanctuary in Manche département, Basse-Normandie région, off the coast of Normandy, France. It lies 41 miles (66 km) north of Rennes and 32 miles (52 km) east of Saint-Malo. Around its base are medieval walls and towers above which rise the clustered buildings of the village with the ancient abbey crowning the mount. One of the more popular tourist attractions in France, Mont-Saint-Michel was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.

Mont-Saint-Michel is almost circular (about 3,000 feet [900 metres] in circumference) and consists of a granite outcrop rising sharply (to 256 feet [78 metres]) out of Mont-Saint-Michel Bay (between Brittany and Normandy). Most of the time it is surrounded by vast sandbanks and becomes an island only when the tides are very high. Before the construction of the 3,000-foot causeway that connects the island to land, it was particularly difficult to reach because of quicksand and very fast-rising tides. The causeway, however, has become a barrier to the removal of material by the tides, resulting in higher sandbanks between the islet and the coast.

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The beautiful region of Normandy France has many sites of interest: the Bayeux Tapestry, Rhone Cathedral, and the D-Day beaches, among others. Of all Normandy's outstanding sights, Mont St Michel—a UNESCO world heritage site—is the most famous. Its pyramid-like outline has become famous the world over and thousands of tourist flock each year for a Mont St. Michel tour.

Mont St Michel France is situated on a quasi-island on the Normandy coast, near Brittany. At high tide, Mont St Michel is almost entirely separated from the mainland. Only a narrow causeway, constructed in the 1880s preserves a link to the coast. (A bridge to replace the causeway and allow the circulation of tidal waters in the bay is scheduled for completion in 2012.) Beware: the tide comes in quickly—"à la vitesse d'un cheval au galop" (as swiftly as a galloping horse), as Victor Hugo claimed—many tourists have drowned attempting to cross the sandy bay.

Unlike other castles in France, which began as defensive structures (i.e., Carcassonne Castle) or pleasure palaces (i.e., Chenonceau Castle), Mont St Michel had its beginnings as a monastery. There has been a Christian shrine on the site since the eighth century and the first church was completed in 1144. By the thirteenth century, hundreds of Benedictine monks lived in the sturdy structures on Mont St Michel. They held out against the English when most of western France fell during the Hundred Years War.

The graceful Abbey of Mont St Michel that forms the peak of the island's structures was completed in 1521 after centuries of construction. By the seventeenth century, the influence of monasteries was on the wane and by the time of the French Revolution Mont St Michel France was being used as a prison. Like other castles in France, Mont St Michel was falling into disrepair by the late nineteenthcentury. A thorough renovation was begun in 1873. The next few decades saw the construction of the causeway forming a permanent connection to the mainland and the heightening of the abbey's steeple—it is now over 500 feet above sea level.

Today, Mont St Michel attracts over four million visitors a year, far more than most castles in France, making it one of the most popular things to do on a France vacation. The buildings are is open year-round. Admission is about $10 each ($25 for the four museums), but a guided Mont St. Michel tour is highly recommended (about $10 extra). A Mont St. Michel tour visits several otherwise inaccessible towers and rooms. If your French is up to par, there is a guided Mont St. Michel tour every half hour. English speakers should look for the twice-daily English-language tour (more in high season).

The little town of Mont St Michel France is spread around the bottom of the island outside the religious structures. There are several good hotels and restaurants around the island. There is something peculiarly romantic about spending a night on a rock cut off from the mainland, although the place is somewhat crowded in summertime.

Mont St Michel France has been described as the Merveille de l'Occident (wonder of the Western world). It is easy to see why.

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Potala Palace, Lhasa

The Potala Palace (Tibetan: Po-trang Po-ta-la; Chinese: Bùdála Gong) in Lhasa was the primary residence of the Dalai Lama until 1959, when the 14th Dalai Lama fled to Dharamsala after a failed uprising.

Today the Potala Palace is a state museum, a popular tourist attraction, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was also recently named one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World" by the television show Good Morning America and the newspaper USA Today.


History

This hilltop site above the city of Lhasa originally hosted the meditation retreat of King Songtsen Gampo, who built the first palace there in 637 in order to greet his bride Princess Wencheng of China.

Construction of the present palace began in 1645 under the fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso, an important figure in Tibetan history. Known as the "Great Fifth," he unified Tibet and made the Yellow Hat sect the state religion. The White Palace was completed in 1648, after which it was used as winter quarters by the Dalai Lama.

Construction on the Red Palace was still underway when the Great Fifth died in 1682. Fearing the project would be abandoned, the monks kept his death a secret for 10 years until the Red Palace was completed. In the meantime, the Dalai Lama was impersonated by a monk who looked most like him.

In 1959, the current Dalai Lama fled to India amid riots against the Chinese military occupation of Tibet; he remains in exile today. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-77), the remaining monks were expelled and the abandoned palace was looted and damaged by Chinese soldiers.

Today, only a few monks are allowed to occupy the Potala Palace under strict supervision and Tibetan pilgrims are not generally admitted to the shrines. The Chinese government operates the palace as a state museum and has recently renovated the building to attract foreign tourists.


What to See

Built on a rocky hill overlooking the city of Lhasa, the Potala Palace has a sturdy fortress-like appearance. It contains more than a thousand rooms spreading over an area of 1,300 feet by 1,000 feet. The stone walls are 16 feet thick at the base, but more finely constructed (without the use of nails) in the upper stories.

The palace is fronted by a great plaza at the south base of the rock, enclosed by walls and gates. A series of fairly easy staircases, broken by intervals of gentle ascent, leads to the summit of the rock. It is important to become acclimated to the high altitude of Lhasa before making the climb.

The Potala Palace is made of two main parts, easily distinguished by their color: the Red Palace and White Palace. The two are joined by a smaller, yellow-painted structure that houses the sacred banners hung on the exterior for the New Year festivals. The rooms inside the palace are identified by numbers as well as names.


Red Palace

The heart of the complex is the Red Palace (Potrang Marpo), painted a deep red and used primarily for religious purposes. Richly decorated with painting, jewelled work, carving and other ornament, it contains several shrines and the tombs of eight past Dalai Lamas. Before the tombs are precious votive offerings, including a pagoda made of 200,000 pearls.

Especially celebrated throughout the Red Palace is the fifth Dalai Lama, whose life story is depicted in murals. His mummified body rests inside a 50-foot stupa covered with four tons of gold and encrusted with semi-precious stones. In another chapel he is shown enthroned as an equal to the Buddha. Also impressive is the golden tomb-stupa of the last Dalai Lama (d. 1933), who made Tibet an independent country.

The Red Palace also houses the monks' assembly hall, numerous chapels and shrines (dedicated to the full extent of Tibet's pantheon of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, saints and demons) and libraries of important Tibetan Buddhist scriptures (the Kangyur in 108 volumes and the Tengyur in 225, all hand-painted from carved wooden blocks).


White Palace

Surrounding the Red Palace is the secular White Palace (Potrang Karpo), the former home of the Dalai Lama and his monks. Originally built in the 1650s, it was extended to its present size by the 13th Dalai Lama in the early 1900s. In addition to monastic living quarters, the White Palace contained offices, the seminary for training Tibetan government officials and the printing house.

The most important shrine in the Potala is the Saint's Chapel in the White Palace, which contains a revered statue of Chenrezi, bodhisattva of compassion. Below the Saint's Chapel is the Dharma Cave, where King Songtsen Gampo studied the Buddhist scriptures after his conversion in the 7th century. These rooms are the oldest part of the Potala Palace.



Quick Facts

Site Information

• Names: Potala Palace; Bùdála Gong
• Location: Lhasa, Tibet
• Faith: Buddhism
• Denomination: Tibetan
• Order: Yellow Hat
• Categories: Castles and Palaces; Buddhist Monasteries; World Heritage Sites
• Date: Founded 637; present building mostly 17th cent.
• Status: museum

Visitor Information

• Coordinates: 29.657715° N, 91.117233° E (view on Google Maps)
• Lodging: View hotels near this location
• Phone: 0891/683-4362
• Opening hours: 9am-3pm daily. Admission is limited to 2,500 visitors per day. Reservations must be made a few hours to one day in advance. Entry time is assigned when the ticket is purchased.
• Cost: General admission ¥100; admission to relics museum and roof additional ¥10 each

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10 great places to play a trick on the eye

What better way to celebrate April Fool's Day than by viewing trompe l'oeil, the artistic style that is French for "tricks the eye"? Ancient Greek artists were some of the earliest to play with perspective and create illusions. "People have always enjoyed being tricked," says Kevin Bruce, author of The Murals of John Pugh: Beyond Trompe l'Oeil (Ten Speed Press, $35). He shares his favorites with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.

Mana Nalu Mural Project

401 Kamake'e St., Honolulu

Bruce calls artist John Pugh "the da Vinci of trompe l'oeil." This mural, which means "spirit of the wave" in Hawaiian, shows Hawaii's last queen, Liliuokalani, and surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku. "The work is masterful, and you also learn something," Bruce says. A group of children, painted at the base of the four-story mural, appear so realistic that the fire department supposedly once rushed to rescue them. visit-oahu.com

Jesuit Church

Vienna

The Catholic Church knew the appeal of trompe l'oeil and used it liberally during the Baroque period. Bruce likes the work of Andrea Pozzo, who started with a simple barrel-vaulted ceiling and added a magnificent faux dome. The only hint that it's not real is that light can't enter the non-existent windows painted at the top. "It really does trick the eye, and it's really good stuff," Bruce says. vienna.info

The Staircase Group

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia

This painting is said to have fooled George Washington, who said hello as he passed two boys on a staircase. Except, of course, the boys weren't there, and neither was the staircase. The painting does protrude at the bottom with what appears to be the first step. "It's the first instance of trompe l'oeil moving over to the New World," Bruce says. 215-763-8100; philamuseum.org

Various buildings

Portofino, Italy

Trompe l'oeil isn't just limited to paintings or murals. Whole towns have embraced the art form. For centuries, buildings in Portofino have sported architectural flourishes that are nothing more than paint. "Even the church up on the hill looks like it's built from stone, but it's not," Bruce says. italiantourism.com

The Making of a Fresco Showing the Building of a City

San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco

The famous Mexican muralist Diego Rivera wasn't above a little trickery. This piece shows the construction of a skyscraper, with architects, engineers, businessman and laborers all at work. There's also a muralist, probably Rivera himself, sitting on scaffolding with his back to the viewer. "It's a mural within a mural showing the builders of America," Bruce says. 415-771-7020; sfai.edu

Trompe l'Oeil With Writing Materials

Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Edward Collier's 1702 easel painting looks so convincing, you'll want to reach out and grab the papers that appear to be hanging on the wall. Not so fast: It's all fake. "A classic," Bruce says. "The images are life-size and realistic." www.vam.ac.uk

Centre Theatre

Milwaukee

With a bit of paint and imagination, artist Richard Haas transformed a blank brick wall into an illusion. His mural creates a 12-story art-deco facade, which appears to show the reflection of neighboring buildings, including some torn down years ago. "It's very deceptive," Bruce says. visitmilwaukee.org

Various sites

Lyon, France

In the 1970s, a group of students decided to perk up their city with murals. Now Lyon is known worldwide for its public art. "It literally is a city of murals," Bruce says. "You can spend all day looking around." Many of the paintings are trompe l'oeil— Bruce likes one that shows customers lining up at a fake ATM. en.lyon-france.com

Niagara

Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls USA, N.Y.

Trompe l'oeil is a people's art, as demonstrated by this mural at an outlet center. "It's on the wall of a mall, but the artist has taken it and stuck Niagara Falls in there," Bruce says. 800-414-0475; fashionoutletsniagara.com

Study With Sphere & Water

Student Center, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Fla.

Artist John Pugh created an illusionary library alcove at the University of North Florida's student center. There's a painted skylight, ivy seems to hang from a planter, and a scientific sphere appears to jut into the room. "A kid up on the library ladder is pulling down Immanuel Kant, which is probably the hardest book anyone would read in college," Bruce says. 904-620-1000; www.unf.edu

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