France 2010

June 7 Mont St Michel, France

I thought I was on a holiday!  Not sure this morning as the alarm went off at 5 am so that I could catch a 7.13 train to Mont St Michael, not far from Pontorson.

Train ride was not too bad!  Arrived at station and had time to check into hotel, it is only a 5 minute walk, book train ticket for next day and then catch the bus the Mont St Michel.  All in 45 minutes!

The bus ride did not take 15 minutes.  

Very close, and damn is it impressive on the drive up to it over the causeway.

This is an Abbey that started construction in about 700 AD and has been added to ever since.  An amazing place.   The Abbey is at the very top, built on a mountain!  Strange as it appears to be 1 of maybe 3 rocks in the area.  And since then a town has built up around the base of the Abbey.  

Very touristy now but the buildings are great!  I was told that it would take me 20 minutes to get to the top!  Again, I amaze myself, took 10 and that is only because of all the people, younger I may add, were stopping on the steps on the way up!  It is a mixture of 11th to 19 century architecture.

This has been added to my list of places everyone must see!

Took way too many pictures!  If you want to see them you will have to ask!

Very busy place, at one point I counted 20 tour buses in the parking lot!  Which is hilarious as in Pontorson, there is hardly any one around!

Could not resist this picture!  Notice the warning!  This has the 2nd highest tides in the world, next to the Bay of Fundy and the car parks do flood, cars have been carried away!

June 6 Caen, France

Caught the bus!  And was #3!  A few people on the  bus off and on over the next 1 hour 10 minutes.  A couple of guys from the US on bus.  Alabama and Texas.  Great to talk to them.  Now I thought I was playing alot by ear but these 2 were more so.  At least I knew where to to to get to Juno Beach.  These 2 were headed to Omaha  beach (the US landing site) but had no idea where it was!  They got of the bus with me and after some wandering around ended up getting a cab the next 20 km that the people at the Juno centre arranged.  Turns out all the staff at the centre are Canadian!  What a great summer job!

While they were waiting for the cab, we headed down to look at the beach where the Canadians landed on June 6, 1944!  Not sure how to explain the feeling other than very overwhelming!  The thought on landing on this beach, fully exposed, and heavy protected - I  can not imagine!

I attended the ceremony honouring the landing.  Was very good.  Last year the PM was here, but this year the Minister of Foreign affairs. 

A Calgary regiment had installed a large gun, so this was dedicated, and this is where the wreaths were laid!

The ceremony lasted about 1 1/2 hours, after which I wandered around the site more.  During the ceremony a few old planes flew over, not sure what kind but one did look like it could have been a bomber of some sort.  

Some remaining bunkers.  Would have been great to have taken a tour, but that was at 11 am and i could not get there in time!

Over all was a great day and I am glad that I went!

Got back to the city about 8.30 and found something to eat.

Got back to the hotel and Skyped Donna and Jim.  

I have to laugh at the technology now compared to that when travelled with Lola 20 years ago!  Phone calls home then cost a fortune and did not happen very often, now can Skype with video for free!  One of the US guys, got on his cell phone to get directions, we would have just kept asking people!  I am travelling with a laptop, uploading digital pictures to a website, and maintaining a blog!  hahhah  The last time I would have had a pen and paper!  Prebooking hotels on line instead of walking in!

But some things do not change!  Still need to have maps, still go to Tourist information, still get lost (maybe I should have got a GPS as well) and still make notes with pen and paper, 

and still travel with the Lonely Planet travel guides!

June 5 Caen, France

The Hotel Pariesen is old and run down, but clean.  And the desk clerk did speak very good English.

Had breakfast 6 euros of bread, butter and jam, bit expensive but very good coffee.

Bought bus ticket, still bus # 20, and headed off for a bit of a walk.  Lots of people heading in one direction, so followed them, does this make me a stalker?

Well ended up in the local market!  Everything you could imagine!  Clothes, shoes, jewelry, and fresh and frozen meat.  Apricots seems very popular!

Most shops seemed to be run by Middle Easterners.  The market was right next to the University of Le Havre, very new looking, and in brick!

Walked a few of the back streets looking for something to eat.  Ended up in a Middle Eastern restaurant.  Lots of really good looking food but nothing small.  Had Couscous Poulet!  Was excellent but sure it could have fed 3 people there was so much!  Large bowl of couscous, then another of vegetables (potatoes, onion, carrots and celery in tomato broth) and then both thighs and legs of a chicken!   Learned that you do not ask for Coke!  You need to ask for Coca Cola!

Was told that it is a very hot day, 25 or 26.

Back to bus depot, and tried to get on the #20 - wrong bus!  I need the next one!  It was #39!  Oh well, a 90 minute ride, for 75 km, and I arrived.

Traveling with the computer made so much easier as I had got smart! and got directions last night!  Only had about a 20 minute walk, and no scenic tours either!

Got to hotel and had a shower and off to find out how to get to Juno Beach tomorrow for the D Day ceremony.  Got 2 sources, both said Bus #3!

This is a pleasant city!  The city centre has a lot of walking streets just for shopping, and plenty of people out and buying!  I think that maybe they only close to cars on Saturdays!

Visited the Ducal (Caen) Castle, which was started in 1066 by William the Conqueror and then added to over the centuries!

Also saw St Pierre Church.  Undergoing restoration.  Originally build in 12 & 13th century.  Roman Gothic.

Wandered plenty up and down the Streets.  Amazing that many of the streets were closed to cars!  All pedestrian traffic and all the shops open until about 0 pm.  There were many streets this way and appears that much is going on to improve the road by laying cobble stones!  Looks great.

Saw the Abbaye aux Hommes. another built in 1066.

I am tired again!  Lots of exercise, so should be ready for the Inca Trail when I get there!

June 4 Le Havre, France

Arrived in Le Havre, Normandy coast of France at 8 am and very tired!

And also very confused.  I thought I was just getting the hang of which way cars would be coming at me as I crossed the street, and now that has changed again!  Confused more....... or is it still?

Walked into the city, about 30 minutes, to the Tourist information.  Got directions and took the 30 minute walk to Hotel which turns out should have taken may 20 minutes!   But when I looked at the walk tour map of the city, turns out I had seen most of it!  This is a quiet city, not really that big.  Interesting though,  Many of the buildings were built in the 1950s as part of a planned architectural design by Perret!  In his favourite medium - concrete.  Does not look that bad.  Rebuilt as it was destroyed during WWII.

Not really much left of the old buildings.  The area is now a World Heritage site.

I had been told that finding someone with English would not be a problem!  Well I need to find out how to get to Caen, by train.  No one at train station could asnwer me but one very nice lady had enough English to know where I wanted to go and that I had to go to the bus station.  oh oh  Well she showed me where it was, just around the corner.  And then the lady there had very little English as well, but able to work out the time for the bus.  Bus #20 (remember this number)

Walked around and saw a few of the sights, the new apartments, the bridge over the canal.  Decided to have lunch.  So went to the local grocery store bought a fresh baguette, cheese, and a small bottle of wine and had a picnic on the beach!  Very nice!  This it the first day I have been out without bringing a jacket, although have been in shorts for a while!.  Was great.

Then headed off to check to see if i knew anyone at Normandy Week.  A sailing regatta for the next 3 days.  Only J80, FAR and J83 (I think).  They were way out of the harbour sailing in some very nice looking wind!

Then continued down the beach.  Great place, although mostly rocks.  Interesting as 100s of little wood shacks on the beach.  Look like people keep their beach stuff there!  Those and of course the various and many bars, restaurants and pubs!

Walked along for about 30 minutes, and turns out that Monet based some of his paintings on this area!

I maybe got a bit too much sun, but the cold beer helped that!