Notre Petite Escapade

Well we have returned to Bellac after a four day escapade away. Last Friday we drove up to Chartres not only to visit the cathedral, but to meet up with our friends, Sharon and Dennis. After rolling through the bus lanes at the train station to pick them up, we were off. Its great to travel and even better meeting up with friends to share the adventure. Sharon wanted to walk the labyrinth in the Chartres Cathedral, so that was our goal. In dealing with old buildings such as the cathedral, you always run the chance that they will be under repair, just like the leaky condos back home. Well that was the case for the cathedral. They were nearing the end of a lengthy cleaning and repairing of the stain glass, the walls and the ceilings. This meant the the floor of the nave where the labyrinth is embedded was covered to protect it from the construction. If you are interested in the labyrinth, I have provided a link and a picture.

Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth 

Chartres Labyrinth

After visiting the cathedral, we wandered around the charming town before heading back to our hotel located on the motorway on the outskirts of town. We were lucky there was a seafood chain restaurant right next door, so we enjoyed a lovely dinner with more mussels in one plate than I have ever seen. After a quiet night, we were up and out the next morning heading to the Brittany/Normandy coast for our next adventure at Mt. St. Michel.

I had seen pictures of the abbey on the island mountain, but never really knew much about it. ( as I am writing, the bread truck has honked, and is seeking bread and croissants along our street, just another cute aspect of our village). Getting back to Mt. St. Michel, there are a few hotels on the actual "island" but most of us tourists stay on the mainland. Our Le Pommeray hotel was about 10 km from the parking lot/shuttle station. After parking, you board a shuttle bus to take you across the causeway to the island. If you can time your visits right, you can witness the fastest and largest tide range in Europe. Occasionally on very high tides, the island is totally cut off from the mainland. 

Mt. St. Michel at high tide (not when we visited)

Once on the island, you walk up through the village to the abbey which is precariously perched on the top of the island,  almost defying gravity. It is a testimony to Medieval architecture. The village consists of restaurants, souvenir shops and private museums. The tour takes you right to the top of the abbey, and then you decend down through the magnificent structure. Some of the highlights were the west terrace with incredible views of the coast line and the English Channel, the cloisters, the Visitors' Hall and the Knights' Hall. The large feather sculpture in the Monks' Refectory added a lightness to the hard stone and wood room. It was a mystic place, a cross between an amusement park, and a church.

Feather Sculpture in the Monks' Refectory