Mont Saint Michel

The last time we tried visiting Mont Saint Michel, we arrived after dark. This time, we were determined to see it during the day.

Mont Saint Michel is an abbey and town built on Mont Tombe (Tomb Mountain), a rocky outcropping on the Brittany coast. The tides are pretty extreme here. At high tide, Mont Saint Michel is surrounded by water, and at low tide, it is surrounded by sandy flats. First settled in the 8th century, Mont Saint Michel has a huge medieval abbey which nearly doubles the height of the island. In the 19th century, the abbey was used as a prison.

The views are spectacular, particularly from the abbey and ramparts. It's also quite a climb to the top of the hill. The main street is full of trinket peddlers these days, but if you step off the main street, you can still get a sense of how Mont Saint Michel felt in ye olden dayes.

After visiting Mont Saint Michel, we went to Avranches, a nearby town, for dinner. Of course, Avranches was also darling, with an old castle and walls on a hill. We stopped at the ramparts and watched the sun set over Mont Saint Michel and the English Channel.

Sunset view of Mont Saint Michel from Avranches. 

Sheep and Mont Saint Michel. 

Doreen by the drawbridge at the bottom of Mont Saint Michel. 

Doreen looking over the ramparts at low tide. At high tide, all the sand you see is covered by water. 

Paul in the abbey of Mont St Michel. 

Doreen by Monet's house and garden in Giverny. 

Doreen by some giant tulips in front of Monet's house. 

Water lillies in Monet's pond. 

Cleaning Monet's pond. 

The (top of) the cathedral in Rouen. 

Tiptoe through the tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils

I know - it’s a little cliché, but how can you resist. Spring finally arrived in Holland and we set off to Lisse for an entire day of tiptoeing through one of Holland’s most famous attractions. Keukenhof Gardens is the world's largest flower garden. It is open for only eight weeks each year - from late March to May - during which nearly a million people tour the 32-hectare park. When you see the results, you will understand why only eight weeks – the remainder of the year must be spent in planning and prep.

We don’t have any stories, just an abundance of pictures. And these aren't even all of them. I went a little crazy.

Fields of tulips next to the canal at Keukenhof Gardens

The entrance to Keukenhof Gardens

Ripples of blue hyacinths amidst the tulips.

A stream of blue hyacinths leading into the woods

Paul showing how large the hyacinths are. Wish we had a scratch and sniff blog. The fragrance was heavenly.

A white peacock wandering the park.

I stood still forever waiting for this shot!

Tulips in the foreground

Doreen trying to get artsy

Paul standing by some giant tulips

Tulips as far as the eye can see

Queen's Day tulips!

Paul walking on water...almost.

and more.

more tulips