At the Louvre
Finally! I flew into Paris Thursday morning, maneuvered my luggage, the train and Metro from deGaulle Airport to Montparnasse and Hotel du Parc, where I was told they were going to let me into my room early because they thought I needed to rest...later that afternoon, I walked - just wanting to get the feel of Montparnasse and some of the adjacent arrondissements - I really like this city!
Yesterday I had a wake-up call for 5:30 a.m. - my transfer arrived at the hotel at 6:30 a.m. to take me to meet the bus tour for Mont St. Michel in Normandy - Incredible! 4 hours to get there, 4 -5 hours there with lunch included and 4 hours to get back - it was perfect for my first full day because the bus ride through the lovely French countryside gave me the time and rest to get acclimated to the time difference from Charleston, SC.
Mont St. Michel, Normandy
I've always been fascinated by Mont St. Michel - ever since I first saw pictures in history books. And there simply is no substitute for the real thing! What a visible testimony to God's Church that it has survived in good condition after 1300 years and was never taken by the enemy because of how and where it is situated - on a solid rock island surrounded by quicksand and extremely fast and high-rising tides.
And yes, we climbed all the way to the Abbey at the top - it's a long way, but certainly worth it to see the Abbey - It was pleasant and timely to find the Abbey played such an important part in preserving the Gospel and other manuscripts through the monk scribes and illuminators, an area I'm currently working with as part of my worship art at my home church, St. Andrews Mt. Pleasant.
Today, Saturday, I braved Les Puces (the flea markets of Paris - the largest in the world, I believe)! It's a lot easier to get around once I grasped the essence of the Metro (thanks to patient and clear instruction from Chantal, who with her husband, Jerome, owns Hotel du Parc. I found the 2 things I had come looking for and then stumbled onto my Big Find - a vintage (1920's -30's) Parisien Hat! And I wasn't even looking - how in the world could I possibly come to Paris and not get a hat? Everybody that knows me knows I'm a hat person...but it can't be just any old hat - it's got to be the right hat. Perhaps a picture tomorrow - I'm planning on wearing it to church...
A tout a l'heure!
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