Paris 2017, Day 6b Mt St Michel

[first attempt at a draft:  I just can't believe that I've been to France five times in the last seven years and I've never made it to Mt St Michel until this trip!  What an amazing day we had (as I slug down three Advil with a gulp of vin rouge -- it has certainly been a three Advil day :)  Must sleep, I'll work on this tomorrow].

My next attempt:

After circumnavigating the ramparts surrounding San Malo, we boarded our very comfortable Mercedes van and made the 50 minute trip to Mt St Michel.  Is this the most amazing place you've ever seen?  Well, let me answer that for you:  yes it is!  Here is a bit of history:

The site is thought to date back to 708, when Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, had a sanctuary built on Mont-Tombe in honor of the Archangel.  The mount soon became a major focus of pilgrimage.  In the 10th century, the Benedictines settled in the abbey, while a village grew up below its walls.  By the 14th century it extended as far as the foot of the rock.

An impregnable stronghold during the Hundred Years War, Mont Saint Michel is also an example of military architecture.  Its ramparts and fortifications resisted all the English assaults and as a result the Mount became a symbol of national identity.  (read here: holy church meets military stronghold!)

Following the dissolution of the religious community during the Revolution and until 1863 the abbey was used as a prison.  Classified as a historic monument in 1874, it underwent major restoration work which continues today.  Just think about its history, the stories within these walls.  Yesterday, the first level was crowded with visitors gawking and shopping.  The middle level is dedicated to hotels (seriously), a sweet chapel, small cemetery and stairs everywhere and views that just do not stop.  As we made our way up, always up, the senses changed to that of worship and a desire to meditate (and the crowds thinned dramatically).  At "the top" the ticket that we had carried was necessary for entrance to the abbey and the outside deck on which stood a life sized game of some sort.

[side note: on our way down, just before arriving at the gate where you purchase your ticket to gain entrance to the abbey, we encountered a young couple carrying an infant.  She implored me to tell her the top was worth 10 euros a piece!  Well, that all depends on what you hope to experience (I thought).  I said, enthusiastically, that "Yes, it is worth it and more!"  I hope she thought so when she got there.]

According to the brochure: "The abbey is a unique building: its plan is unlike that of any other monastery.  Constrained by the pyramidal shape of the mount, its medieval builders wrapped the buildings around the granite rock."  I'll say!

By the time the mount was in our rear view mirror we had completed 11,000 steps and were a long way from our hotel, when Michael, our guide said, "Our next stop will be Dinan."  Our next stop?  Yikes!

Now is this a postcard worthy picture?  You bet!  Taken with my iPhone.  Feeling pretty smug :)

When you are on a private tour you get to take the back roads to your destination.  Michael was wonderful at knowing where all the great "early" shots should be taken.  I loved getting this shot with the traditional lambs in the foreground.

This holy place was also a perfect defense spot.  The English never were able to penetrate the grounds.

About two thirds the way up the mount was this lovely chapel.  We stopped to spend some time reflecting on what we were experiencing, then Sharon headed for a side alcove to light a candle for Terry.  And then the bells began which drew me outside.  See my FB page for a video of the area, flowers and cemetery with the bells tolling.

One of many windows with history that seems to demand attention.  "Look at me!  Admire my architecture!  Let me share my story!" They all seem to say, this one in particular just a bit louder than some others.

From this vantage point you can see a knight looking defensive with levels above and the Abbey spire.  Atop the 32 meter steeple (about 105 feet tall) is (roughly) a 14 foot statute of the archangel St Michael, patron saint of knights and of all guilds associated with arms and scales.  The statute was originally placed in 1897 -- HOW did they do that? -- it was restored in 1987 and removed by helicopter in 2016 to repair the lightening rod device.

A particularly beautiful and moving stained glass window which are very challenging for me to photograph, I really liked how this shot turned out.  Gosh, I love the camera app in my phone.

 Tide is still out.  Sharon and I have both commented that we would love to be there when the tide is in -- to see the change.  On the other hand I have zero desire to schlep my suitcase around these cobblestones -- they are killer on my back, hips and knees!

Look up high, there are the gargoyles who are there to assist in moving the rain water off the roofs and away from the building.  Also you get a sense of how tall those walls are.

We are on a very wide set of stairs (yes, another blasted set of stairs -- Thanks, Sharon) when we see this guy clowning for his family's camera.  He quickly moved out of the way as I trained my camera on him.  "No!" I said, and motioned him to do it again.  He was very happy to comply.  I told him that I would include him in my blog, not that I think he understood.  Funny guy, he was obviously thirsty.

We're approaching the entrance to the abbey.  Not the abbey itself, you must understand, but the place where they take your ticket and allow you to use yet another very long set of stairs.  Oh boy, more stairs!  Thanks, Sharon!

Finally we make it to the outside to breath before entering a place of worship.  I was fascinated by the life sized board game and wanted to play.  9 squares and 6 playing pieces, each a different thing.
Still pondering this game.

 Getting ready to enter.

The Abbey is everything I expected it to be...and more.  It was originally built in the early decades of the year 1000 and constructed on the top of the rock, eighty meters (262.5 feet) above sea level, on a platform also eighty meters long.  The nave has an elevation on three levels, arches, galleries and tall windows.

Wish I had taken a better shot of the floor, just look at the altar.  Now imagine the Abbott in his robes with a cloth covering the altar and supporting the sacraments.  I imagine a service in Latin (or French or Hebrew for that matter) -- I may not understand the language but I believe I would understand the message.  I was for certain feeling it.

This day, the anniversary of Sharon's birth, this holy place.  My heart is full.

Paris 2017, Day 6a, San Malo

5am alarm.  Yes, she bounded out of bed again.  Good grief!  In/out of the shower and downstairs for COFFEE!  That's when Yannick explained that breakfast starts at 7:00, not 6 as I had thought.  He immediately added that we were lucky because he had prepared the buffet early today -- not his norm.  He smiled indulgently when he saw my face go from sad to happy -- please, Yannick, I NEED coffee!  The eggs were out, a crusty roll and some soft cheese -- PLEASE let me start my day with sustenance.  We were out the door by 7, dashed across the street to Picpus Metro and off to the Monparnesse Gare.

Once there we eventually found our way to the correct area and waited for our track to be announced.  On the platform, trying to find the correct coach we came across a nice couple who were as worried as we were, the coaches were counting down from nine; we were assigned to coach 11 (they were looking for 19).  After we got to Coach 1 came an engine which was (thankfully) hooked to another engine and the coaches began counting up from 10, whew!  Found our seat and settled in for a two hour ride to Saint Malo, a port town in Normandy (Omaha Beach is two hours north of our location; our tour guide, Michael, pointed out that "not all of Normandy is Omaha Bitch" -- his accent was heavy).

We exited the train toward the station and there was our guide, Michael and we came upon the other couple (who had been looking for coach 19).  We were a nice group of eight.

Off to visit San Malo, a walled city built by a port with one very old 3 masted ship.  I haven't found any information about when it was originally built, but the first seaward entrance gate was designed in 1647 and completed in 1709 which allowed the privateers easier entrance to the ramparts from which 32 magazines with arched quarters on top that were "bomb-proof" and featured 22 gun ports.  Traders who made their fortunes from importing silver from Peru, purchased sites in the extension and built impressive houses there.  In 1890, the second archway was added to the left of the previous one.  And, get this, the coats of arms of Brittany above it with the motto "Better dead than to be sullied"  Privateer or pirate?  You decide!

Up on the rampart -- which are amazingly wide.  No cannon visible, but you can sure see where they would be!  Read more about this fascinating town by Googling San Malo, Normandy, France.  When I do it switches to Google.fr and I can't figure out how to switch it to English.  Lori, yet another thing you need to teach me!

This beautiful church is at the center of town.  When we got to ground level, we had a terrible time finding it because the buildings were so tall that we couldn't see the spire (and we had lost the town map).  Yes, we were lost again and 15 minutes late getting back to the bus, we were much more careful at the next two stops.

This amazing roof top garden clearly provided all of the greens for the restaurant below.  Looks wonderful!

Check out this amazing backyard!

Town specialties are crepes and galettes.  They didn't offer savory crepes so Sharon had a sausage and egg galette.  The sausage was wonderful.  I ordered an egg, bacon and tomato one -- the tomato was like jam -- delicious!

I just loved this backyard with the ancient door.  Just down the way was a much more modern door, but the ancient one is so intriguing, imagine the stories it has to tell!

This was a wonderful start to celebrate Sharon's birthday.  Will we still need her?  Will we still feed her?  When she's sixty four?  Why yes, we do and yes, we will, and yes she is!

Paris 2017, Day 4

I may or may not write about yesterday, I was exhausted when we returned and just didn't have the energy to write.  Rest assured it was another excellent day, but doesn't hold a candle to today!

Before retiring for the night we both did some much needed laundry.  I lost my mind recently and listened to friends (you KNOW who you are) talk about packing light and wearing a bra for two days.  WHO DOES THAT?  Like I said, I lost my mind and only packed 5 for a 9 day trip.  Seriously after a 10 hour flight and an hour drive into town, the last thing I EVER want to do is get anywhere near that disgusting thing.  So, in four days I'm out.  NOTE TO SELF: Don't listen to other people who do not live in my world -- I "gently glow" .... a great deal when I travel.  My mother used say, "Dear, horses sweat, men perspire and ladies gently glow."  Yeah, I know, TMI.

Alarm sounds at 6 am and Sharon bounds out of bed.  This is noteworthy because she NEVER gets up before me.  I'm up and done with the bathroom while she is still sawing logs and it is typically, part way through my third cup of coffee by the time she makes it to the breakfast room.  But I digress.  Trust me, she bounded.  We did the basic morning routine and were at breakfast by 6:20 -- staff was a bit shocked as we're not typically breathing at that hour.  Back upstairs and finished by 7:45.  We check in with the front desk to ensure we look fabulous and have our picture taken.

 It was time to make our way through two metro trains to Gare Nord (North Train Station).  Many metros stop there and it is a major train station.  The main floor is all domestic trains and we finally found someone who pointed us to the stairs; evidently the Eurostar is an international train headed non-stop to London and it has special boarding--boy, I'll say.  Immigration, customs, the deep meaningful look from the police who was holding my passport hostage ... "Only one day in London?  You're returning to Paris tonight?" with a bit of a sour expression on his face.

"Yes, Sir!"

"Do you live in Paris?"  he asks

"No Sir, I'm on holiday.  I'm in London only for the day to see Phantom of the Opera with my friend."

"Outstanding!" he exclaimed, stamped my passport, actually smiled, and waved me on.

Turns out Sharon got the same guy a few minutes later and when she exclaimed that she was going to see Phantom, he asked if she was traveling with a friend, smiled, stamped her passport and waved her through as well.  We both give good attitude to any and all cops.

I had had several problems months ago trying to purchase two tickets so I did the purchasing separately.  Bad Shon!  Turns out we were on separate coaches but seats that would be next to each other if we were only on the same  coach.  Well, that wasn't happening!

Stopped at the Information Desk to ask for directions and she sent Sharon in one direction and me in another.  Wait, what?  When we explained the problem, she immediately got to work and found us two seats on a different coach -- AWESOME service!  Now we knew we'd have to deal with that on the return trip, but that was for a later time.  It was a "cattle call" boarding, people jockeying for position to get on a train with an assigned seat?????  These are the things that I'll never understand.  Once on board and in a seat we settled in for a lovely and very comfortable ride.

The countryside is beautiful, talk about green space!  Mostly it's rolling hills and farm land with scattered wind turbines along the way.  I'm so impressed with how France is dedicating itself to renewable energy -- tomorrow we continue our hunt for the wind turbine trees that Lori sent us to find.

Anyway, about then Sharon started her nap -- the train had gently rocked her to sleep when it clearly slowed down and we entered the tunnel under the channel.  The overhead screen had indicated that we would be traveling around 180 mph and slow down to 100 when we went through the tunnel which is approximately 65 miles long, which means we would cross the channel in less than 30 minutes.

I remember crossing the channel when I spent the summer in Europe in 1969.  We left from the white cliffs of Dover on a boat.  The water was choppy and to my 18 year old way of thinking we were on the water for a week.  I'm sure it was more like 4-6 hours, but I was queazy (a real rarity for me) and I wanted it to be over.  Sharon missed the entire tunnel and woke just before we arrived in London.  Then the mad dash to de-train was back to people cramming each other to get out of the station faster than anyone else.  Good grief.  We found a sign welcoming us to London and immediately determined it was a photo opportunity!  Another country to check off the list.

Actually I think England will become a destination for us in the future.  So much to see and experience in London.  Maybe I can talk Sharon into visiting Downton Abbey?  We'll see.

We flagged a cab and headed for Haymarket (which, it turns out, is the theater district).  Theaters and restaurants for blocks.  Wonderful!  We found Brumus but we were 30 minutes early and while they were quite willing to seat us, the kitchen doesn't change over for luncheon until noon.  Would we like to wait in the bar?  Silly man!  Show us the way!!

We were shown to the bar to wait (and chat up the bar tender who was from Greece).  Such interesting people!  We sat down to an amazing meal, we shared a beautiful roasted beet and carrot salad and each had an amazing roast pork rib that was out of this world followed by a birthday celebration for Sharon.  When I made the reservation back in January I told the guy on the phone that it was Sharon's birthday hoping that they would have a nice dessert for her and she was so pleased!

The macroon was mint!  Such a nice presentation.

With about 30 minutes remaining we walked a bit to settle the meal and snapped a sweet shot of Her Majesty's Theater which was directly across the street.  20 minutes later it was mobbed.  We entered and were directed to the Royal Circle.  Now how often are we going to "hop over to London" for a play?  We went all out and had the best seats in the house: first balcony, front row, dead center!  Doesn't get better than that.  And the acoustics!  OMG, I could CLEARLY hear and discern every word they sang!  The music was amazing, the singing was FABULOUS!  OG (the Opera Ghost) had an astonishing voice and Christina, well, wow, just WOW!  Brava!

Sharon had been chatting with the people directly behind us -- this was their 12th time seeing Phantom all over the world.  Sharon and the lady were both talking about how they cry when they are moved.  At the final curtain, Sharon put her hand up and the lady plopped a tissue into it -- very sweet.  Girl bonding at its finest :)

Before I noticed several pages holding up ABSOLUTEY NO PHOTOGRAPHY signs ... well, my bad.

Then we had to figure out how to find a cab.  Me?  I'm looking everywhere for the obvious taxi stands, none anywhere.  Sharon?  She leans into the road and holds out her hand.  Individually we are both strong and good at what we do, but together -- we're an unbeatable team!  It took just a few moments before a cabbie pulled up.

Once we got to the correct train station (yes, there are two -- who knew?) we had an hour before boarding and we knew we had to fix the coach problem.  We found a delightful "information" lady who kept saying that she couldn't guarantee anything but she would try.  We had confidence in her and she pulled out a lovely surprise.  Our coach was MUCH nicer than the first one, we could face each other which meant Sharon didn't have to have her back to the travel direction (didn't bother me).  And they served us a light meal which was a delightful surprise.  I knew we could purchase food on the train, but neither of us were particularly hungry.  And it was DELICIOUS!  AND comes with complimentary wine -- who doesn't like that!

And to top our amazing day the couple across the aisle from us were simply delightful.  It was their 10th anniversary celebration.  2 days in Paris, 1 day in London, they were leaving in the morning for Rome and then Venice, and have to be home to their THREE children on Tuesday!  Wow, young people with energy!  We spent the trip chatting with each other, wish I had thought of snapping their picture because they were too cute.

"So what did you do for your BIG celebration?" I ask.

He volunteers, "I arranged for a picture shoot in front of the Eiffel Tower.  I had special glasses engraved with our names and 10th Anniversary, and had champagne and a photographer."

Yes, boys and girls, HE did all the planning and surprised her!  He packed the glasses without her knowledge and talked her into packing a special dress without knowing why.  Seriously, he's quite the catch!  They were darling -- there is hope for the future.

We made it back to our hotel by 10:45 and I'm still wound up (it's 12:45) but this needs to get posted.  Have a great rest of your day.  Many of my Humboldt friends are struggling with this heat -- I hope it breaks for you all soon.  We have been blessed with reasonable weather, it rained like crazy last night about 30 minutes after we were in for the night.  Like I said, we've been lucky.

Tomorrow will be a light day as on Monday (Sharon's actual birthday) we are traveling to Mt St Michel.  We are both very excited.  Stay tuned!