Le Mont St. Michel & D-Day Beaches - Day 6

We got up early for our ascent to the abbey. We were joined by several Japanese tour groups. The weather was cold and wet, but the walk up wasn't as daunting as anticipated. The sight of many quaint-looking houses helped to keep our interest going strong and distract us from what could have been a struggle up the steep slope. Once up there, the view was breath-taking!

We finally arrived at the entrance to the majestic abbey. There was a monk guarding the huge entrance door. The other tourists and us formed a line just outside, waiting to enter.

The central place of worship is a humble sanctuary. See picture below. 

The abbey has overcome many adversities over the years. It has suffered many fires and collapses, and had been rebuilt many times since. Le Mont St. Michel was a popular place of pilgrimage in the mid-century. Today, it's a tourist attraction.

It requires merely 2 to 3 hours for a complete tour of the abbey. We checked out of Hotel Mouton Blanc at around 12pm, and headed back to Paris. We took a detour to the northern beaches of Normandy, via Caen and stopping by Arromanches, one of many historic towns along the D-day beaches.

We had to drive past many remote french villages before arriving at the D-day beaches. The GPS device that we brought along with us to France proved to be a tremendous help. It would have been impossible to navigate the remote outdoors. Arromanches is a tranquil small coastal town with hardly any economic activities visible to us. It is such a far cry from the battlefield scene during D-day that we imagined.

We parked our rented Fiat 500 next to a tank.

One of the many commemorative stone at site. Reportedly more than 100,000 soldiers perished during the D-day.

The abandoned steel platforms used by Ally soldiers to land at the D-day beaches have been left strewn along the beaches, providing a grim reminder of the battlefield day.

Le Mont St. Michel - Day 5

The sight of Le Mont St. Michel looming in the distance was a welcoming relief after a nearly 4 hours drive from Paris in our rented Fiat 500. Situated out of nowhere, atop an island, the abbey offers a unique setting for a short getaway. Controlled by the rhythm of tides throughout the year, the place at times appears like an island surrounding by sea and at other times a hill surrounded by vast tracts of swamp land. Cars and tourist buses are parked along the bridgeway leading to the island entrance, as there's barely space to move once one is within the island walls.

As one nears the entrance door, one is immediately greeted by a medieval looking retractable bridge door.

At the foot of the abbey, within the island walls, a small community of Le Mont St. Michel lives in quaint stonewalled houses and cobbled stones narrow alleys.

Hotel Mouton Blanc is only a short distance walk away from the entrance. One will not miss it as there are only a few hotels on the island. Many tourists will come here for a day trip or stay just outside the island where there are larger and newer hotels. However, nothing beats the experience of staying on the island itself. The picture below shows the facade of Hotel Mouton Blanc, which is one of the oldest hotel at the foot of the abbey.

The hotel reception has a small reception counter with a wall adorned with copper pots and pans. What a cute sight!

Checking-in was a breeze as the hotel was organized and had all our details in advance. We were given a set of keys to Room 103 which is on Level 2. There was no lift in the hotel, as one could easily understand, given that it was built a few hundreds of years ago. Room 103 turned out to be a dream room. It wasn't anything fancy, but the quaint interior decor, reminiscent of an English old cottage home, really set up the mood. It's a room that looked like one lifted out of a Harry Potter film. I squealed in delight!

The picture below shows the view outside the room window.

It was about 4pm by the time we checked in and had a warm shower. The sky was once again cloudy and gloomy like in many winter days in northern France. We were reeling from our long drive, and all we wanted at that time was a good meal and some rest before the climb. The restaurant in Hotel Mouton Blanc could be conveniently accessed from our room, where we needn't step out into the cold. However, dinner would only be served only from 7pm onwards. We took a short nap in our hotel room, with "Mumbai Attack" continuous reporting on CNN - the only English-language channel available.

We were so ready by dinner time. I ordered mussels cooked in cream while Yan went for seafood platter as appetizers. Presentation was generous and the seafood was fresh.

I then had roasted leg of lamb served with french beans and green salad. Yan ordered his usual medium grilled steak. The food was average, but we didn't mind it at all. We were in great holiday mood!

We finished the meal with creme brulee.After dinner, Yan ventured outside the island wall to take a snapshot of a light-filled abbey.  It was an awesome sight. 

Paris - Day 4

Having been to the highlights of Paris, it was time to explore the city itself. The temperature this morning was probably in the low single-digit deg C. It was a little uncomfortable for me, and I found myself wishing for some sunlight. After a heavy breakfast in the hotel, we took a slow stroll around the Invalides neighbourhood. The picture above shows the Golden Dome of the cathedral at Hotel Nationale Invalides. We understand that Napoleon's tomb lies beneath this dome.

A short distance away just across the bridge, we arrived at Avenue des Champs-Elysee. This is the famed tree-lined up-market shopping street in Paris.

Flagship stores of huge international luxury brands are not located exactly on this street itself, but around this area. LV's flagship store is situated at one corner just off Ave Champs-Elysee. See picture below.

It was past noon by the time we reached the upper end of Ave Champs-Elysee. The Arc de Triomph at Place Charles de Gaulle, stood majestically across the busy cross junction.

It was time for lunch, and Laduree (the Avenue Champs-Elysee outlet) seemed a great choice. I've always wanted to try macarons from the originals, and I read somewhere that macarons originated from Laduree.  With a history of over a hundred years, the outlet at Avenue Champs-Elysee retains much of the old charm. 

There was a long queue at the pastry section and photo-taking was forbidden. Somehow, Yan managed to snap a shot of the famous macarons. There were many flavors, and we bought one of each. The restaurant section was also crowded and many lunch-goers were turned away. We were fortunate to be able to find a table.

Table setting was simple but professional. I ordered foei gras (yet again) for appetizer and grilled veal loin for main course, while Yan went for something healthier - baked cod with mashed pumpkin. The food here is decent, but nothing much to shout about. We came primarily for its famous macarons which didn't disappoint.