Mont Saint-Michel Magic

A few people had recommended going to Mont Saint-Michel, but no one was entirely able to explain why it was a "must see." I trust the judgment of everyone who had said it, my curiosity was piqued, and so I knew I had to go.

Yet another one of the Americans here went too. We took an early train from Paris to Rennes, then got on the bus from Rennes to the base of the St. Michel causeway, then took a shuttle to the hotel before continuing on to the Mont.

It's really quite a sight to behold. We picked up tourist maps and continued along the narrow and winding street. A man at the Maritime Museum got our attention and we bought the 4 museum pass. The maritime museum contained mostly model ships from various centuries.  It was a quick walk through before we exited on the walkway of the outer wall. We were surprised to see so many people walking along the silt and sand--especially since there was a warning sign for quicksand.

Up next on the museum tour was the Archeoscope. We were told the next showing would begin in 10 minutes so we browsed gift shops until we were let in. The Archeoscope is a sound/light/visual presentation about the history of Mont St Michel. The way it started, I thought it was going to be the lamest thing I'd ever seen. However, there were some really cool effects (like the fact that the floor of the "stage" was actually a pool and a model of the mont rose from its depth during the presentation) and I enjoyed it MUCH more than I expected.

Continuing on along the narrow streets and up the outer wall (and lots and lots of stairs) we went to the history museum next. It, too, was a quick visit, but had some interesting things. The French seem to be really into using creepy mannequins for their prison displays. The Mont has a long and interesting history, but it didn't seem that much of it could be adequately displayed.

We were hungry and in Bretagne, so naturally, I suggested crepes. We went to La Sirene for lunch. Best crepes I'll probably ever have here, since I got them at the source. I went for my standard galette--ham, cheese, and mushroom--and finished with a banana and homemade salted butter caramel crepe for dessert. It almost goes without saying that we had a pitcher of cider, too.

We went to the abbey next. It was a bit of a wait to get tickets, but it was worth it. The abbey was built in four major stages and seems much larger than you would think by just looking at the map. Nothing in particular really struck me side aside from the view from the cloister garden. (Of course, I don't have a picture of it because it was the focal point of every tourist's photo.)

We had talked about going to MSM a few weeks prior, but put it off to properly arrange it to be longer than a day trip for the sole purpose of seeing the tide come in. During periods of high tide, Mont Saint Michel becomes an island. We finished touring the entirety of the abbey (and gift shop of course) around 16h15, so we went to the gardens to watch the tide come in. There's no good way to explain what we saw, but it nearly felt as though the island was sinking instead of the water rising around it. I keep thinking of the scene from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang where they think the car is going to get stuck until it changes just in time...so, watch that to understand what I mean :)

The Abbey at Mont St Michel reminded me a lot of the monasteries at Meteora, Greece. Isolated and high atop mysterious rock formations, somehow frozen in time. The whole experience is rather difficult to put into words. Mont St Michel almost seems like another world entirely, as though reality has been suspended while you wander the fortress. The phenomenon of the rising tide is simply magical and adds to the mystique of the experience.

After watching the tide for about an hour we set out for the last museum--Tiphaine's house. The only reason I really cared about seeing this (other than getting my money's worth) was because one of the prized possessions of the museum is a chastity belt.  (Side note--I went through the whole museum and still have no earthly idea who Tiphaine is.) We headed towards the entrance of the island, picked up some treats at La Mere Poulard Boutique, and tried to go back the way we came. However, the wooden walkway was underwater, so we found a "secret" exit and headed back to the hotel. We stopped at the supermarket and bought some salted butter caramels (oh my goodness so delicious) and some salted butter caramel bon-bons (like Werther's Originals but infinitely better) before we went to the most filling four-course dinner at the resto across the street.

The next morning we took the bus back to Rennes to explore Bretagne's capital before our evening train home to Paris. We ate at an organic restaurant before heading to Les Champs Libres. Les Champs Libres contained a library, the Museum of Brittany, and the Science Museum & Planetarium. Two engineers--we bought tickets to the Planetarium and science museum. The planetarium show was really cool! I even understood most of the presentation which was entirely in French! The rest of the museum was geared towards younger children, but we enjoyed practicing our French and playing with the hands-on displays anyway.

Rennes is pretty forgettable (and backwards...everything opens at 14h), but the day at Mont Saint Michel was worth the entire trip!

My Heart Belongs in Oslo

This past weekend I went to Oslo with one of the other girls in the program here. We left work to head straight to the airport. There’s not much point in detailing every aspect of our transportation (it’s dull and there’s so much more to write about from the actual trip), but I must say that security was a breeze. The agent was actually JOVIAL. It’s rare enough that someone in Paris smiles or laughs (and speaks English, no less), but this man did that in addition to being the equivalent of a TSA agent. Mind blown.

We arrived in Oslo around 11 PM (23h for the Euros reading this) and got on the airport express train into the city. We accidentally got on the wrong train, but remedied the problem by taking a taxi the rest of the way to Cochs Pensjonat, our hostel. After checking in and getting situated in the room, I left to visit my friend who lives in Oslo. I only visited for a short while (I was exhausted and he had an early train the next morning), but he gave me some great suggestions of things to do and see over the weekend.

The next morning we thought we would start our day around 9:30. Unfortunately for us, Oslo likes to sleep in and nothing opens until 10. We strolled the block until the nearby coffee shop opened and we had a delicious breakfast and jolt of caffeine to fuel our walk to Frognerparken.

Inside the sprawling park are dozens and dozens (200+) of sculptures by artist Gustav Vigeland. Bronze statues flank either side of the bridge leading from the park’s main entrance and granite works surround the famous monolith. Usually modern art is a hit or miss for me, and some of the statues were—in my honest and humble opinion—ugly. However, all of them have a theme of family and love. And sometimes, neither may be pretty. (Admittedly, some of the statues of children had really disturbing/quasi-demonic faces which were unsettling.)  Walking around the park and looking at all the statues brought on a pang of homesickness, but thinking of silly poses with the statues helped keep it at bay.

Vigeland Sculpture Park

We walked to Majorstuen to take the metro up to Holmenkollen Ski Jump. My friend recommended going to the top to see all of Oslo and maybe we’d catch some cross country skiing too. The metro was JAM PACKED with people going to Holmenkollen for a cross country skiing championship. (It’s a month after the Olympics--is there really a need for a world championship this soon?!)  We were somewhat herded towards the skiing spectacle, not realizing there was a turn for the jump, so we wandered a bit trying to figure out what to do. We decided to head back down towards the restaurant we’d passed to figure things out (crossing our fingers for free wifi). It started raining, then pouring, then hailing. We warmed up by the restaurant’s fireplace and had a drink while we regrouped. Once the rain cleared we tried for a second time to get up to the jump. We looked up to the top of the jump and realized the flag couldn’t be seen...which meant there wouldn’t be any visibility. Back to the metro!

view from the bottom of Holmenkollen Ski Jump

Lauren found an odd museum in our guide that decided to find next. We explored a little bit of Karl Johan’s gate and headed to the Mini Bottle Gallery. This little gem deserves a post all its own, but it’s an experience I’m bursting to share with everyone!

Molecule Models - Noble Peace Center

We left the Mini Bottle Gallery and headed to Aker Brygge to visit the Nobel Peace Center. The center had a thought-provoking exhibit featuring European photographers on the ground floor. Upstairs, the center displayed an exhibit detailing the work of the latest Nobel Peace Laureate, the OPCW. I honestly didn’t know anything about the organization before it was awarded the prize, so it was interesting to learn about their work. My favorite part of the center, though, was the Nobel Field. It’s difficult to explain (so see the picture below), but it’s neat to walk amongst the displays and read more about the laureates.

Nobel Field - Nobel Peace Center

We continued on walking around Aker Brygge trying to find a restaurant that served a Norwegian specialty--reindeer. Unfortunately, we only found a TGIFriday’s and a handful of French restaurants. (I did NOT travel all the way to Oslo to eat more French food.) We finally found Sake, a resto catering to our second choice of fare, sushi. What a great second choice. It was the BEST sushi I have ever had (and may ever have) in my entire life. We got a tasting menu and literally everything on the plate was incredible. The fish was the freshest I’ve ever eaten, the rice was cooked perfectly, and the rolls were delicious.

Our AMAZING Sushi Presentation

After sushi, we headed back to the hostel for a nap. Which then turned into sleeping for the night...almost. We had a couple (trio?) next door having some fun of their own and once they stopped the bar downstairs pumped up the music. Oh well, c’est la vie, non?!

Wandering Karl Johan's Gate

The next morning we woke up very early, packed, and set out for breakfast. Like I mentioned earlier, Oslo likes to sleep in, especially on a Sunday. We wandered Karl Johan’s Gate for quite some time before settling on a sketchy McDonald’s. After eating and chatting for a while (aka wasting time), we continued wandering and waited in a small park for the National Gallery to open. We explored the twenty-something rooms of the National Gallery, not far behind a tour group. The museum is relatively small, but had some impressive pieces considering. Because France (and more specifically, Paris) was/is the center of the art world and because Norway didn’t have an Institute of Fine Arts for quite some time, many of the Norwegian artists studied technique in Paris and returned to Norway to paint their homeland. The collection included a few pieces from Degas (my favorite), Monet, Manet, Rodin, and Picasso.

Claude Monet - Spring by the Seine - National Gallery

Of course, the highlight of the museum is Edvard Munch’s The Scream. He made four versions, the supposed first of which hangs in the National Gallery. Two subsequent are located in the Munch Museum in the east of the city and the final was sold at auction last year.  We’d caught up to the tour at this point and we listened as the guide explained the story of the painting. Munch had been walking and noticed that the nature around him seemed to be screaming. Overwhelmed by such intensity, Munch began screaming himself. The painting is the representation of his experience.

Edvard Munch - The Scream - National Gallery

Unsure of how to spend our remaining few hours in Oslo, we walked along Bogstadveien--one of the most expensive streets in Europe--and admired the shops (which were all closed). Realizing we were close to Majorstuen and the weather seemed to be cooperating, we decided to sprint to the finish of our time in Oslo and head back to Holmenkollen Ski Jump. It was quite a hike up to the museum and jump, but we made it! We skipped the museum (thankfully...because I have no interest in the evolution of the ski and its associated paraphernalia) and got on the lift to the top. We climbed the last flight of stairs to reach the VERY top of the ski jump and WOW. I was so overwhelmed. That view alone made the entire trip worth it. The fjords, the water, the mountains, the city below. Just incredible. 360 degrees of pure Norway and I soaked in every second of it. I am eternally grateful that my friend told me that it was a “can’t miss experience” because I hadn’t come across it in any of my pre-trip research. The pictures just can’t do it justice, though I took plenty in an attempt to try.

View from the top of Holmenkollen

View from the top of Holmenkollen

Panoramic of Oslo from the top of Holmenkollen Ski Jump

From the Ski Jump level of Holmenkollen

We spent a pretty good amount of time admiring the views before we started our sprint (yes, sprint) to the airport. A route through the gift shop before the downhill trot/jog/run to the metro which we nearly missed. A hurried walk from Majorstuen to the hostel to get our bags and a power walk through Slottsparken to the Nationaltheateret station. A quick chance to catch our breath before hurrying through the metro/train station complex to buy Flytoget tickets and finally we were on the last leg to the airport. We made it through security rather easily, grabbed some quick food, and boarded our plane home to Paris. It was a tight time schedule, but definitely worth it. I must say, Oslo has my heart for sure.

Saturday Stroll

I've walked around Paris plenty, seen most of the highlights.  From the outside.  I hadn't really explored any singular place in depth until Saturday when I decided to change that.

Lunch:  at Page 35.  I've passed this place plenty of times and figured I could find something on one of the more-than-several formule menus (prix-fixe) posted outside.  I chose a plat + entree, starting with risotto, followed by bavette (skirt steak).  The risotto had a French twist, including charcuterie meat on top of the dish.  The bavette...well the first piece was cooked perfectly to my requested "medium."  The second piece, however, was rare at best.  Luckily I was full by the time I cut into the second piece so it wasn't much of a loss.

Shopping:  per the recommendation of Paris:  Made by Hand, I headed to rue du Pont Louis Philippe to check out the paper stores.  I'm always looking for journals (I'm really picky) and paper and cards and such.  The shops did not disappoint, and I found a slim journal that would suit my needs.  One shop had a large selection of 3D cut-out scenes of Paris, so I know I'll be going back.

Exploring:

I crossed the Seine to Île de la Cité and headed to Notre Dame.  I had been here my first weekend, but today I had the goal of seeing the inside, and specifically, the famous stained glass windows.  The line to enter seemed a bit long, but it moved quickly.  While Notre Dame does look large from the exterior, it seems utterly massive once you step inside.

view of the altar from the main "entrance" of the cathedral

Each nook on either side of the main sanctuary is small chapel, named after a saint and usually including the patron saint's likeness.  The stained glass window in each chapel is beautiful.  However, once you move closer towards the altar, you are able to see on either side the gorgeous rose windows.

From the South, you can look across the cathedral to the North Rose Window, installed around 1250.    The opposite is true once you walk behind the altar to reach the North side.  The South Rose Window is more famous than its counterpart as it was a gift from the king and tells the stories of the New Testament.

North Rose Window

North Rose Window (thankful for a camera with good zoom!)

Because of the time of day that I visited (and because--surprisingly!--the sun was shining), the pictures I have of the south window are not nearly as clear as the ones I took of the north.  I guess this means I'll have to come back another day at another time.  Poor me, right?

South Rose Window

After  exploring Notre Dame I walked around the plaza and saw a staircase leading down to the Archaeological Crypts of Notre Dame.  Intrigued, I went inside, paid my 3 Euros and walked around.  While the crypt doesn't seem like much, it is a quick tour around the original buildings that stood on the island during Roman and Medieval times.  You can see where the Seine used to run (50 m closer than it does now) and where the Romans installed thermal baths.  My favorite part, though, was an interactive, touchscreen display that showed the 4 stages of the building of the cathedral.  You could pan and zoom around the entirety to see what the cathedral looked like during the hundred years it took to erect.  Pretty cool!

I headed across the river to the 5th to see Shakespeare & Company.  I will do another post in the future solely dedicated to this gem, I promise!  I imagine I will be a frequent visitor...

The small dose of hearing English energized me and I walked back to Cité to see the Conciergerie.  The ticket teller was not entirely convinced that I am a resident of the EU, but a mixed look of disappointment, confusion, and slyness won him over and I got my ticket gratuit.  (Note:  Most museums and cultural attractions in France give reduced or free admission to residents of the EU/Schengen Area that are between 18 and 25 years old.  I am in the thick of the bureaucratic process of getting my resident card, so I just present my passport and visa.)

Entrance of the Conciergerie

This is another relatively quick tour.  The building is HUGE but the displayed areas are quite limited.  It was pretty neat to see the room* where Marie Antoinette stayed before she was beheaded.  Technically, she was held in a two-part room, where her "bedroom" was later turned into a chapel and renovations made to alter the room as it was during her imprisonment.  The other part of her quarters now houses the display of her assumed living area.

4+ miles of walking and I was definitely ready to rest my feet.  All in all, an amazing day with plenty of future plans made for further exploration!

This, Madame, is Versailles.

This is ridiculous.
This, Madame, is Versailles.
quote from Marie Antoinette (2006)

Last Saturday Lauren and I decided to venture out to Versailles to see the Chateau.  Upon recommendation from our American friends, the off-season is the best time to walk around the chateau (and other buildings on site) because it gets so insanely crowded during tourism season (which, is also when the gardens are in full bloom).

The chateau is huge and immaculate, just as one would imagine.  I always find it difficult to walk through places like this though.  I know that the curators and historians have put a great deal of effort to decorate the rooms in styles similar to its original design, and I also know that there must have been some intense restoration efforts (in the past and ongoing) to enliven the art and the details throughout.  None of those efforts are in vain (in my humble opinion), but...I'm a little less interested in the perfect presentation and much more interested in everything that isn't on the normal tour.  I may or may not have an adventurous streak (exploring some "iffy" areas at Ostia Antica in Italy, bungee jumping in Greece)  What's on the actual tour at Versailles pales in comparison to what is actually there--I know it does.  I want to crawl through the secret passageways and see the servant's quarters and explore every single room.  Again, the Chateau is phenomenal.  The paintings, the Hall of Mirrors, the Hall of Battles.  Incredible.  Just makes you wonder what other treasures hide in the rooms off the tour...

Hall of Mirrors

We ventured from the Chateau down the main avenue of the gardens to the Petit Trianon, part of Marie Antoinette's estate.  I think this may have been my favorite part of our visit.  Marie Antoinette had a small bedroom (still larger than my Parisian apartment!).  Just off of the bedroom was her boudoir, which acted as a sitting room with two windows.  But, Marie Antoinette requested that panels to cover the windows rise from the floors to ensure privacy.  You can see the mechanism on the ground floor where the king's staircase used to be (before Marie Antoinette had it ripped out).  The upstairs also had a grand room that doubled as a dining room with a table that could rise from the floor.  I'm not sure if it was actually ever used in this manner, as the kitchen was not fully finished for this.

Marie Antoinette's Boudoir, with the panel partially covering the windows

We continued on to the Grand Trianon afterward.  The pink marble is really beautiful and covers most of the exterior.  Inside, we found it rather odd that the bedrooms were all very much open to the hallways (unlike some of the quarters in the Chateau and definitely unlike the Petit Trianon).

Peristyle with view of the Right Wing

Lauren and I saw the Queen's Hamlet on the map and ventured back towards the Petit Trianon.  However, I failed to notice that the entrance we were looking for is only open during high season, so we walked quite a ways to be denied entry.  We started the big hike back to the Chateau to exit as close to the train station as possible.  In total, we walked over 6.5 miles at Versailles...not including walking inside the Palace.  We were pretty wiped out by the time we nearly reached the train station, so we decided to recharge at the local creperie.

We each had a savory galette (buckwheat crepe)--mine was mushrooms and cheese--and then we split a crepe amandine (roasted apples and almonds).  So yummy!  The short break gave us enough power to get to the train station for the 45 minute ride back into the city.  Overall, a very successful day!

Lauren & Me taking Hall of Mirrors selfies :)

Now I can't wait to go back to Versailles once the gardens are in full bloom!!

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

Last weekend I made my way to the Grand Palais for the Cartier Exhibition.  The exhibit closes on the 16th and I wanted to be sure I had a chance to see the famous Parisian jewelry house's most famous pieces.

I stepped out of the Metro at Concorde so I could see Place de la Concorde before continuing on to the museum.  The Grand Palais is just that...Grand.  In reading The Devil in the White City (highly recommend!), it was difficult to imagine just how grandiose the World Exposition buildings had to be in order to house such extravagant exhibitions--mini worlds contained inside.  But once you see the Grand Palais towering over you, such that you can't even see its iconic domed glass roof from the surrounding sidewalks, you begin to understand the magnificence of the World Expositions.

I walked the entire perimeter of the palace before finding the correct entrance and a staff person managing the entrance informed me that it would be a 2 hour wait.  Ugh...two hours?!  But the exhibit closed on the 16th and I had (at the time) been planning to be out of town this weekend, so I decided to suck it up so I could see the exhibit.  Unfortunately, I had decided against bringing my Kindle--a mistake I will not make again while I'm here!

The exhibit was crowded.  I know, Captain Obvious.  But really, I've never been in a museum exhibit that was THAT PACKED before...ever.  So many people!  But immediately understandable since the first thing you see when you walk in is a rotating display of dazzling tiaras.

Photos can't do the tiaras justice, but OH MY GOSH.  I was practically drooling.  And so many of the items in the exhibit (not just some of the tiaras) had descriptions that said the item was found at auction (usually at Christie's in London) in horrible disrepair and the item barely survived.  It baffles me how someone could let something so beautiful and so expensive turn into a piece of junk.

Speaking of tiaras, the tiara that Kate Middleton wore for her wedding to Prince William was also on display.  I stared.  For a very long time.  (Sorry, no photos were allowed for that one!)  I'm kind of really into all things Duchess Kate, so it was pretty freaking awesome for me.

There were plenty more amazing pieces of jewelry--rings, necklaces, brooches, bracelets--but there were also plenty of other pieces like the Cartier mystery clocks, figurines, stationary, photos, and a few dresses.  The exhibit also showcased the famous women who loved their Cartier pieces.  Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Grace of Monaco (Grace Kelly), Barbara Hutton, Marjorie Merriweather Post, Maria Felix.  Some of their jewelry and accessories were included in the display with photos of them wearing their Cartier.  Princess Grace's TEN CARAT engagement ring and a pearl and diamond tiara were included.  My jaw nearly dropped to the floor!

All in all, a stunning exhibit where the jewels dazzled!  I'm quite glad I got a chance to see this incredible collection before the exhibition ended!