Versailles

We left Normandy Sunday morning, stopping for fresh chocolate croissants. They are good everywhere but in France - wow - they are something really special! These were still warm!


We headed east on the toll road toward Paris. Our goal was Versailles, King Louis XIII's former hunting lodge that was transformed and enlarged by his son Louis XIV. Louis XIV installed his court and government there. Perhaps Versailles' most famous resident was Marie-Antoinette.



The weather was not very nice - cold and rainy - which was fine for visiting the palace but not good for the gardens.




The palace was amazing. I really can't describe it and my photos don't even come close to doing it justice. It is filled - every inch - with magnificent artwork. And it is huge! Mom and Dad - take Ludwigsburg times 20. Ann - take Schwetzingen times 50! I'll post a few pictures but if you really want to see Versailles you should visit yourself or look at the book we bought which is filled with professional photos.

Highlights for everyone included the Hall of Mirrors, the Theater and the Chapel.

We tried to visit some of the gardens but it was out of season - nothing was blooming, the trees were leaf-less, the statues were covered. More importantly it was cold, very windy and it really started to rain hard!

We drove home in pouring rain (and saw two car accidents - ugh!). We were glad to be home after a wonderful weekend!

Mont Saint Michel

After the Normandy invasion beaches we continued west and a bit south to Mont Saint Michel. We had heard wonderful things about this place - that it was the second most visited tourist spot in France (second only to the Eiffel Tower). We didn't know what to expect. Of course, a stop for some fresh baguette first was a necessity (we were in France after all!).
Mont Saint Michel appeared in the distance like something that you can't quite describe. This rocky "island" is connected to land during low tide but is an island during high tide (except for a recent human-made dike that keeps it connected 24 hours per day).

As we got closer we realized that this was much more than a church built on a rocky "island" - it was a whole city!

We parked in the lot - noting the signs warning us that if we did not move our car by 6PM it would be covered by the ocean! Trust me - we kept an eye on our watches!

Entering Mont Saint Michel is like entering a magical place. I really can't describe it to you. The streets are so narrow and steep. The buildings are so beautiful and looking out you see the ocean and ever-changing ocean sands. It is amazing!

We walked the crowded, narrow streets - up, up - to the abbey.

Here is a view of the dike that maintains a connection to the mainland all day/night.

Mont Saint Michel is thought to date to 708 AD when a sanctuary was built here by Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, in honor of the Archangel Michael. It quickly became a major destination for pilgrimages. People would dash to the mont during the lowest tide. It was dangerous and some lost their lives. In the 10th century the Benedictines settled in this abbey and the village grew up around the abbey so that by the 14th century the village extended as far as the foot of the rock itself.

The mont not only served a religious purpose but a military one. It resisted all English assaults during the Hundred Years War and, because of this, became a symbol of French national identity.

The Benedictine religious community was dissolved during the French Revolution and until 1863 the abbey was used as a prison. In 1874 it was classified as a historic monument and underwent major restorative work.
This is the abbey church. It was built around 1000 AD on the top of the rock - 80 meters above sea level.

This wheel was added in 1820, around the time when the abbey was used as a prison. It was used to hoist provisions to prisoners.

A small prayer chapel in the abbey church. Pilgrims still come here to pray.

This is one of the supporting pillars in the crypt. It supports the abbey church.

This is where the monks used to eat. Can you picture a roaring fire in this huge fireplace?

There were signs everywhere warning visitors of quicksand - really, quicksand! Can you believe it?

After touring the abbey we walked through the streets of this amazing place once again...

...and enjoyed some fresh waffles covered in powdered sugar!

We made it back to the parking lot before our car was washed away by the tide...

...and watched it fade away into the distance as we drove back to our hotel.