On this trip one of the major ticks was to visit Mont Saint Michel. I first saw a picture of this amazing abbey sitting atop an island just off the Normandy coast of France, way back in 1987. So it has been on 'the list' for nearly 30 years!
On my 8 day coach tour of the 'Jewels of France', I was finally able to visit Mont St Michel. We arrived very late in the afternoon and had a bit of a challenge to make our way through the tourist crowd to get up to the Abbey - we had to get through the tourist crowds and then climb a mere 320 steps to get to the Abbey entrance gate before it closed at 5pm. It was now 4:50pm. My dodgy knees were not going to like this!!!
Adrenalin is a powerful drug and my determination to finally see the abbey overcame aches, pains and the screaming I could feel from from my knees. But it was so worth the wait and the climb.
The Abbey was ancient and dark. It's stone walls stretching up to towering cathedral ceilings, forming arches along the cloisters and the stairs. There was very little in the way of electric lighting but the natural light coming in from the windows gave the rooms a beautiful ethereal quality. And the views out from the windows were just as spectacular.
Below the abbey but still on the island were the many shops, cafes, restaurants homes and the occasional hotel. Unfortunately for us most of the shops were closing up but it was still too early for the restaurants to open for dinner. So after wandering around the ramparts for a while we took the shuttle bus back across to the 'mainland' for a pleasant dinner near our hotel. Then we headed back toward MSM to watch the sunset and see the Abbey lit up in the darkness. Beautiful!!!
The opportunity to have a sleep in the next morning was vetoed by the chance to watch the sunrise lighting up the opposite side of MSM. Another enjoyable way to see this lovely island and its famous abbey in all its glory.
Living in Paris in a beautiful apartment was a dream come true even if it was only for a week! Thanks to an Australian friend who rents his apartment, I was able to take the time to relax and live the Parisian lifestyle ( well tourist style anyway).
The apartment is the three windows on the first floor above the blue striped awning.
The apartment was in the Marais district or 3rd Arrondisment, not very far from the Place de Republic. It was walking distance to The Picasso Museum and not too much further to the Louvre. The Picasso Museum was my only cultural stop during the week and I have to say that much of his work - particularly his sculptures are not really to my taste. But the building and its gardens were lovely.
To familiarise myself to the area I again took a walking tour. This was a wonderful way to find out about the hidden gems of this Arrondisment and get more of an insight into how a Mariasian lives or even walks. Well apparently they don't walk - they strut as if on cat walk! It's true I saw several incredibly well dressed gentlemen doing just that. But I think the main trick for anyone wandering around Paris is trying to avoid the doggy-do!
There are many beautiful public gardens locked up behind closed doors if you know where to find them. Alternatively as our guide explained "if you see a doorway open, go and take a look inside. You never know what you might find!"
So our exploring took us through centuries old Paris Chateauxs, the Jewish Quarters, student digs and very stylish apartment blocks. Shops in the Marais are an eclectic and somewhat confused mix. Window shopping it was difficult to determine if the shop was a) a clothing store, b) an art gallery, c) a cafe, or d) an antique dealer. Answer - e) all of the above. I even bought a beautiful book at a great little boutique bar. It made for a great time shopping. You never knew what the shop would be.
Is it a toy store, beauty salon or shoe store? Well I think it was actually a hairdressers!!!
Waking up then wandering downstairs to the boulangerie for my morning croissant and juice, dining at little cafes devoid of tourists but crowded with locals enjoying the dish of the day and the house vin de rouge were a few of the highlights of living like a Parisian.
Part 2 to come
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