Glimmer of hope as island reopens

The statue of St Michael and the dragon glinted in the morning sun as another day began in Normandy in north-western France on Monday.

The statue, on the top of the spire of the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey, is the highest point of Mont Saint-Michel, a tidal island that is a Unesco world heritage site.

According to Radio France Internationale, the iconic island is usually visited by more than three million tourists each year.

This year, after two months of closure due to the coronavirus crisis, the island reopened its doors on May 11 with strict measures in place. These include a single direction of traffic in the village, to limit contact between visitors, and compulsory wearing of masks.

Shops and hotels reopened, but access to the abbey, a Gothic-style Benedictine building dedicated to the archangel St Michael, will remain closed until next month.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 27, 2020, with the headline Glimmer of hope as island reopens. Subscribe