On my way back from Westminister Abbey the Tube line I needed to take was down, and I was running a little late. Luckily another one was close by and I was able to make it to St. Pancras for my ride to Paris.
I consider myself a decent navigator so I plotted out how to get from the train station to my apartment once in Paris. It was a nightmare! The streets on Google maps did not match the streets around the train station. I fired up my cellular data to try and get around but that just made it worse. Finally I called my host to give me directions. I learned a lesson, always ask a local for directions to their house even if you are a miss smarty pants that can figure it out for yourself! The street is so small it isn’t labeled on the public street maps. Once safely inside I made a cup of coffee and ventured out to get my bearings. The first order was to get to a bank. I then needed to pick up some groceries and find the closest Metro. Even though I had groceries I was too tired to cook so I ate out at a local cafe. I wanted to sit outside but didn’t know how to ask in French, so I asked the waiter if spoke English. He insisted on giving me the English menu and when he took my order he said he would try to understand me. I have a feeling he was totally messing with me 🙂
After dinner I headed back ‘home’ as I needed to get up at 5:30 ( which is 4:30 UK time) and catch a train to see Le Mont St. Michel in Normandy. This church was built on a large rock starting back around 400 AD. Gradually it became an abbey that housed monks and a village grew up around it. Le Mont used to become an island at high tide, though a dam built has left large sediment deposits building up the land around it. They are working on building a new bridge /road and a new dam to restore its natural island nature. The streets are very narrow and full of shops and restaurants. A unique thing to see. The abbey itself is awesome and I was able to witness a mass, which they hold every day. The views are breathtaking!
Le Mont St. Michel
On my third day in Paris I slept in, caught up on posts, will do some laundry and go to the Louvre later as it’s open until almost 10 tonight.