A weekend of Favorites...
I know I know, I have been saying for weeks that this thing or that is my new favorite thing in Paris or that 
I have had the best day so far, but this time I really mean it. This weekend was straight out of a Fairytale.
True to form, it started with a viewing of "Pan" a quaint little tale of Peter Pan complete with flying, which took place in a darling little theatre in Paris. Half the songs were in French, and half in english but we all felt very fancy even if we didn't quite understand it all as we were seated, for only 10 euro mind you, on red velvet seats in a box. Quite decadent if I do say so.
The next morning being thursday we loaded buses at 7 am and began our excursion.
First stop, Bayeux. Home to the longest tapestry, which is actually an embroidery, this lovely little medieval town has a beautiful cathedral and sits in the middle of Normandy. The tapestry was amazing! About 70 meters long, it tells the story of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It was fabulously interesting and having the help of an audio guide really illuminated this important historical event.
Second-The American WW2 cemetery at Omaha beach. What a sacred place. Perfectly quite the white crosses which represent thousands of brave men over looks the beautiful ocean on a lush, green cliff. Olivia and I walked through the rows of crosses reading names and imagining the lives they must have represented. The weather was rainy and windy but it felt very apropos. There was a lovely little visitors center which felt like a little corner of America, complete with drinking fountains! We were very excited.
From there we traveled to the beaches where we wandered among bomb craters and bunkers
and barbed wire. Such a place, one can hardly imagine the inhumanity which could take place in such a beautiful place.
Friday- After a beautiful day in Normandy one could hardly expect to top it, that is, until I saw Mont St. Michel looming in the distance as we made our way there by bus. Mont St. Michel is one of the 7 modern wonders of the world. Hard to explain, but seriously one of my favorite places in the world. A huge mount surrounded by a bay
which becomes quicksand at low tide, it is home to a little village that feels like Lord of the Rings meets Tangled. Amazing to say the least. We ate galettes (buckwheat savory crepes), wandered the narrow streets for hours and spent an hour wandered the quicksand (which you could walk on) and the hills that surround it. One the best memories I will hold dear for my entire life.
Spent the night in Le Mans, small city, lovely, ate a quick dinner and listened to a little concert in the town square.
Saturday- Drove early to the lovely town of Blois, home to a chateau and very charming people. The Chateau was erected by Francis the first and has medieval, early and late renaissance and neoclassical influences which is very cool. Walked around the castle and loved every minute of it, but then we walked into the town and the most charming little market was taking place, where I bought a lovely little amber ring for myself and ate the best thing ever...a fresh baguette sandwich filled with fresh grilled sausage, prosciutto grilled veggies, fresh tomatoes and an amazing sauce. It was so amazing i simply cannot describe it fully.
After Blois we headed to Chambord, a very beautiful chateau which served as the kings hunting lodge and currently sits on the largest national park in France. It is an amazing example of Renaissance architecture, often referred to as a fortress on the bottom topped by a chess game gone mad-a reference to all of the chimney pieces on the top. Lovely castle, the grounds were fabulous, all seen from the seat of a pedal cart, which we rented for an hour, it was meant for 4 adults but a modern miracle allowed us to fit 7...haha.
We headed home after a fun-filled weekend, punctuated by history and art. So much to see and experience. Spent last night sitting by the Seine and after church walked around Sacre Coeur listeing to amazing music and taking in the views. Paris is lovely, but I do believe that the French countryside has captured m
y heart,there is just a joie de vivre and a love of humanity that was visible in every charming person I met, a bit different than my everyday interaction with Parisians...
I have had the best day so far, but this time I really mean it. This weekend was straight out of a Fairytale.True to form, it started with a viewing of "Pan" a quaint little tale of Peter Pan complete with flying, which took place in a darling little theatre in Paris. Half the songs were in French, and half in english but we all felt very fancy even if we didn't quite understand it all as we were seated, for only 10 euro mind you, on red velvet seats in a box. Quite decadent if I do say so.
The next morning being thursday we loaded buses at 7 am and began our excursion.
First stop, Bayeux. Home to the longest tapestry, which is actually an embroidery, this lovely little medieval town has a beautiful cathedral and sits in the middle of Normandy. The tapestry was amazing! About 70 meters long, it tells the story of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It was fabulously interesting and having the help of an audio guide really illuminated this important historical event.
Second-The American WW2 cemetery at Omaha beach. What a sacred place. Perfectly quite the white crosses which represent thousands of brave men over looks the beautiful ocean on a lush, green cliff. Olivia and I walked through the rows of crosses reading names and imagining the lives they must have represented. The weather was rainy and windy but it felt very apropos. There was a lovely little visitors center which felt like a little corner of America, complete with drinking fountains! We were very excited.
From there we traveled to the beaches where we wandered among bomb craters and bunkers
and barbed wire. Such a place, one can hardly imagine the inhumanity which could take place in such a beautiful place.Friday- After a beautiful day in Normandy one could hardly expect to top it, that is, until I saw Mont St. Michel looming in the distance as we made our way there by bus. Mont St. Michel is one of the 7 modern wonders of the world. Hard to explain, but seriously one of my favorite places in the world. A huge mount surrounded by a bay
which becomes quicksand at low tide, it is home to a little village that feels like Lord of the Rings meets Tangled. Amazing to say the least. We ate galettes (buckwheat savory crepes), wandered the narrow streets for hours and spent an hour wandered the quicksand (which you could walk on) and the hills that surround it. One the best memories I will hold dear for my entire life.Spent the night in Le Mans, small city, lovely, ate a quick dinner and listened to a little concert in the town square.
Saturday- Drove early to the lovely town of Blois, home to a chateau and very charming people. The Chateau was erected by Francis the first and has medieval, early and late renaissance and neoclassical influences which is very cool. Walked around the castle and loved every minute of it, but then we walked into the town and the most charming little market was taking place, where I bought a lovely little amber ring for myself and ate the best thing ever...a fresh baguette sandwich filled with fresh grilled sausage, prosciutto grilled veggies, fresh tomatoes and an amazing sauce. It was so amazing i simply cannot describe it fully.
After Blois we headed to Chambord, a very beautiful chateau which served as the kings hunting lodge and currently sits on the largest national park in France. It is an amazing example of Renaissance architecture, often referred to as a fortress on the bottom topped by a chess game gone mad-a reference to all of the chimney pieces on the top. Lovely castle, the grounds were fabulous, all seen from the seat of a pedal cart, which we rented for an hour, it was meant for 4 adults but a modern miracle allowed us to fit 7...haha.
We headed home after a fun-filled weekend, punctuated by history and art. So much to see and experience. Spent last night sitting by the Seine and after church walked around Sacre Coeur listeing to amazing music and taking in the views. Paris is lovely, but I do believe that the French countryside has captured m
y heart,there is just a joie de vivre and a love of humanity that was visible in every charming person I met, a bit different than my everyday interaction with Parisians...
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