DAY3. Mt St Michel and Honfleur

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0><script type="text/javascript" src="http://hb.lycos.com/hb.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://ratings.lycos.com/ratings/lycosRating.js.php"></script> <script type="text/javascript"><![CDATA[//><!]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://scripts.lycos.com/catman/init.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-start.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-middle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-end.js"></script> <noscript> <img src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/img/common/ot_noscript.gif?rand=423342" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  <iframe frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="728" height="90" src="http://ad.yieldmanager.com/st?ad_type=iframe&ad_size=728x90&section=209094"></iframe>  </noscript> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#9999FF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04076ba3.gif"> <div> <B><U>The highlights of the Itinerary:</U></b></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Mt St Michel:</U></b></div> <bR> <div> <B>Abbey</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Bay</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>Eglise Notre Dame de Pontorson</b></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Honfleur:</U></b></div> <bR> <div> <B>Quai</b></div> <div> <B>St Catherine</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>Musee Eugene Boudin</b></div> <bR> <div> <B>Chapel Notre Dame de Grace</b></div> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#99CCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04176bc1egdyqn.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Arial" ><B>TRAVEL IN FRANCE</b></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000CC" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>   |  </b></FONT><B> </b><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TRAVEL IN FRANCE"><U><B>home</b></U></A><B>   </b><A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="My Content"><U><B>contents</b></U></A><B>  </b><A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mt St Michel Pics"><U><B>MT ST MICHEL PICS</b></U></A><B>    </b><A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DAY 1: GIVERNY and ROUEN"><U><B>DAY 1</b></U></A><B>   </b><A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DAY 2. From Caen to MT ST MICHEL"><U><B> DAY 2</b></U></A><B>  </b><A HREF="mailto:a_elbert@yahoo.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:a_elbert@yahoo.com"><U><B>e-mail us</b></U></A><B>    </b><A HREF="http://www.normandieweb.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.normandieweb.org/"><U><B>Normandy Site</b></U></A><B>   </b><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="id28_m.htm#recommendations_of_books_______________" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="DAY3. Mt St Michel and Honfleur"><U><B><U>Books</U></b></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <B>DAY 3.  MT ST MICHEL AND HONFLEUR</b></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=390 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#99CCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04176ba3.gif"> <div> <B><U>DAY3. Mt St Michel and Honfleur</U></b></div> <bR> <div> Good morning!!!</div> <bR> <div> Today you have enough time to complete the entire program. So, you can sleep a bit more than in two previous days.  </div> <bR> <div> Today we will make some walk in Mt St Michel. Also, I recommend you to rest few hours near the sea. This day you don't have to run. Especially, if you don't have  the will or the possibility to visit Honfleur.</div> <bR> <div> To plan the day, ask in the tourist office the bus timetable. You have the buses to Pontorson at: 9:00, ..., 13:30, 14:35 and 16:00. If you don't take the morning trains to Paris at something close to 10:00, than the next trains you have depart at 15:18 and at 16:59 to Caen. For more detailed information click on the link to SNCF. </div> <bR> <div> Before you begin your new climbing to the Abbey, buy some bagget. Most of them cost 3 Euros. </div> <bR> <div> The Abbey opens at 9:30 (9:00 - May-September). The fee - 6 Euros. I recommend you to wait for the guide: they make it at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 and so on. But if you want to present at the mass, know that it begins at 12:00 (or 12:15) and the latecomers can't enter.</div> <bR> <div> The building of the Abbey had begun in VIII century by Aubert of Avranches. It was devoted to Archangel Michael. Almost 3 centuries later (966) the Abbey was transferred to Benedictines by the Duke of Normandy. Then the Abbey was converted into military fortress. It stayed strong against the English blockades and attacks of 100 years' war. The construction program had lasted until XVI century. So, the Abbey combines different architectural styles. During the French revolution the Abbey was converted into the prison (until 1863). Till now it's a government property. </div> <bR> <div> The modest style of the Abbey is owed to Benedictine doctrine. It combines the Norman Romanesque and Gothic styles. The simple beauty of the cloister captures everybody.</div> <bR> <div> In the Middle Ages the Abbey was one of the four holiest places (others - Jerusalem, Rome and some place in Spain). As we said earlier, the Abbey is devoted to Archangel Michael. The Archangel has 3 main tasks: weighing the souls to separate them into the elect and damn, protection against the demons and the guardance of the Paradise's gates. That's why the chapels with peaks close to heaven are consecrated to him.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> After you enter the Guardroom the Ceremonial staircases take you into the abbey's church. The real Marvel is a Gothic monastery. It was constructed after the fire of 1204.  Don't miss the extremely beautiful in their elegance and simplicity colonnades of the cloister - intimate place where monks prayed. The colonnades were made of the Caen stone.</div> <bR> <div> After you have finished the visit of the Abbey (the guided tour lasts some 1+ hour) go to the service. If it's not for you, walk all over the island. Visit its tiny cemetery, narrow streets, watch over the bay from the ancient walls of the Abbey. Remember that the bay is very dangerous. At the high tide (especially in October evenings) the sea covers the whole bay. It takes only 20 minutes to cover. So, if you want to make the car trip on the bay, take compass. Otherwise, you can lose the right direction. I heard, the sea killed some tourists. So, be careful.</div> <bR> <div> After you have visited the walls, come back to the main street. In the souvenir shops you can buy some good not expensive gifts.</div> <bR> <div> Also, you can visit 3 museums: <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Archeoscope</b></FONT>, <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Musee Grevin</b></FONT> (wax) and the <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Maritime museum</b></FONT>. The fee for combined ticket - 75 FF. But many tourists prefer to keep themselves from its visit.</div> <bR> <div> If it's not too cold, you can take off your shoes and to walk on the bay around the island (some 1.5-km).   </div> <bR> <div> If you don't have a car, than leave the island so you have enough time to visit one little church in the Pontorson - <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Eglise Notre Dame</b></FONT>. This one is an ancient too (XII century). On your way from the Gare to the church you'll find some nice streets and a pretty square commemorating the French soldiers of WWI and WWII.</div> <bR> <div> If you have a car, make a trip to <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Honfleur</b></FONT>.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://www.normandy-tourism.org/gb/02ville/indexm.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.normandy-tourism.org/gb/02vil"><U><IMG SRC="0990fa00.jpg" border=0 width="271" height="160" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div>  <I><B>CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO VISIT NORMANDIAN TOURIST OFFICE</b></I></div> <div> The city exists more than the millenium. Previously it was one of the most important harbours of Normandy. The goods streamed through the place, especially after the Williams' conquest and America's discovery. In XIX century a lot of impressionists went their after Eugene Boudin (who was born in Honfleur). Those are Renoir, Monet, Dufy, Manet and so on. </div> <bR> <div> Today Honfleur is a very nice little village. Many French visit it on weekends, because the place is only 200 km far from Paris. Make a walk through the narrow streets of the city. Visit picturesque harbors of the city. Don't miss nice fish restaurants along the <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Quai St Catherine</b></FONT>.</div> <bR> <div> Be careful to visit the <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Musee Eugene Boudin</b></FONT>, which hosts the works of most of the important impressionist painters who had visited the city. The museum open from March to September 10:00-12:00, 14:30-17:00 (except Tuesday). The rest of the year the museum is open only at 14:30-17:00. The combined ticket costs 5 Euros. This ticket lets you to visit the <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Clocher St Catherine in Eglise St Catherine</b></FONT>. The church was built in XV-XVI centuries. It was built of wood. Open hours are the same as like as of the museum.</div> <bR> <div> Climb up on the XVII century <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Chapel  Notre Dame de Grace</b></FONT> to have a look over the city. </div> <bR> <div> If you still have enough time and force, visit <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Musee de la Marine and Musee d'Ethnographie et d'Art Populaire Normand</b></FONT>. Open March-October 10:00-12:00, 14:00-18:00. Combined ticket - 4 Euros.</div> <bR> <div> Now your trip was completed. You can say your friends that you had visited Normandy. Find the right way to Paris and prepare yourself for another itineraries.</div> <bR> <div> Bonsoir et bonne nuit.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://voyages.sncf.fr/horaires_seuls?url_action=affiche_form_saisie_od_date_heure&langue=GB&ecran=-1&code_pays=FRTCX" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://voyages.sncf.fr/horaires_seuls?ur"><U><B><U>CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE THE TRAINS' TIMETABLES</U></b></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>GO  TO  MT  ST  MICHEL  PICS</b></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DAY 1: GIVERNY and ROUEN"><U><B>GO  TO  DAY  1</b></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DAY 2. From Caen to MT ST MICHEL"><U><B>GO  TO  DAY  2</b></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" > <A NAME="recommendations_of_books_______________"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></FONT><B><U>Recommendations of Books</U></b>  </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393318036/travelinfrance0d">Blue Guide Paris & Versailles (9th Ed)</A>  </U></b><B>    The world-best guide book about France. Lonely Planet's books will take you safely to every place.</b></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679005544/travelinfrance0d">Fodor's 2001 France (Fodor's France)</A>    </b><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#6633CC" FACE="Arial" ><B>No matter what your budget or whether it's your first trip or fifteenth, Fodor's Gold Guides get you where you want to go.</b></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000033" FACE="Arial" > <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/3791313657/travelinfrance0d">The Bayeux Tapestry : Monument to a...</A>    </FONT><B>The story of the Tapestries and of the Norman conquest of Britain.</b><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#3300FF" FACE="Arial" ><B> </b></FONT><B>The writing is clear and fluid, drawing you into the mystery of this era and its decisive battle. An adult will love the essays, and a child will enjoy the pictures. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in timeless stories.</b></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>