Mont St. Michel, oh, my....

After a busy ride along the coast of Normandy--twisting through little towns with stone buildings sticking out in the road and getting our first glimpse of the English Channel--yesterday afternoon we stopped at the D-Day Memorial at Omaha Beach. That was a very moving experience, thinking about the thousands of American lives lost in that area during World War II and the families left behind, and seeing all the white crosses lined up along the coast of the Channel. I couldn't help think how fortunate we are--my dad, Robin's dad, and our uncles were in different areas of the world supporting the war, and they came home.

After that stop, we headed straight for Mont St. Michel. This has to be the best place I've ever been. Jutting out in the Channel and mostly surrounded by water at high tide, this centuries-old abbey should be one of the wonders of the world. Our hotel was tucked up against its walls. We arrived at dusk and it was raining. Naively, for some reason, I thought we'd be able to drive up to the front of the hotel and get our luggage in and then go to the parking area. When we got to the area, we called the hotel. They told us to park in the first parking area, that the tide wouldn't be high enough to cover it this weekend. We were also told to walk up to the hotel--"it isn't far," she said. As I said, it was raining and the wind was blowing hard. We rearranged our luggage to downsize for our hike--through the parking lot, down the cobblestone walkway, across a boardwalk, up another cobblestone path to La Mere Poulard, our hotel. The umbrella blew inside out on the way. Our room was on the fourth level--up a winding, steep staircase. (Did I really expect an elevator??)




Today--after the best breakfast that we've had since we arrived in France--we explored and managed to get over half-way to the top. It is just amazing. The wind blew so hard and, because it was Saturday, there were many people. Robin started to go up on his own, and I told him I was going with him,and off we went! I was pleased that we did so well. What a day! I remember studying about this abbey when I was a French major in college and hoping that one day I would get there.



Tonight we're in Tours in the Loire Valley after a long drive through Brittany. The French have wonderful,litter-free roads, and for the most part one can drive about 70 mph on them--even the backroads; however, every time there's a crossroad,there is a beautiful traffic circle with flowers planted in the middle and signs pointing out directions, and you have to stop. While it's a beautiful ride on good roads, it takes forever. Robin is becoming an expert on the roads,just whizzing around those traffic circles.

Tomorrow we'll be off to Limoges, heading south. Catch you next time.