Lens Louvre

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Trudy

Day 12. Thursday, November 11, 2025

I did not know that the Louvre had a satellite museum. It is located in Lens, which is about 25 minutes from Arras. There is free parking and the museum is free to visit. We arrive early afternoon and walk up a tree lined lane to the entrance to the museum.

The first thing we see on entering the museum is this Gothic Bulldozer. It is very intricate and difficult to photograph. Zoom in for a closer look.Downstairs is an exhibit of Ukrainian Icons. Today the term «icon» refers primarily to paintings made with tempera (egg-bound pigments) on a prepared wood panel. Icons are also characterised by the use of gold leaf. Museums around the world are safekeeping artwork from the Uraine until the war ends. The Louvre-Lens has four of Ukraine’s Icon paintings on display. This is The Last Judgement by Theodore Poulakis, 1661.

Alongside this exhibition space is a glass wall that allows visitors to view works in the restoration area of the Museum.The main exhibit at the museum is The Gallery of Time.

The Gallery of Time is an original showcase for a variety of art forms from different civilisations, all of which come together in an open-plan layout covering some 3,000 square metres. Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in the story of more than 5,000 years of human history and artistic creation. The Gallery of Time takes visitors on a chronological journey from the 4th millennium BCE to the 19th century, drawing on the collections of the Musée du Louvre and on other works which combine to tell a story of human creation, from the earliest recorded times to the most recent.

This is the beginning of The Gallery of Time. The first exhibit is the Roc-de-Sers, a stone with a carved horse that was part of a frieze found in a shallow cave in the south west of France. It is from 18,000 BC.

Some views of more than 250 pieces of art on display in this huge gallery.

And here, in no particular order, are a few of the pieces that we found especially interesting.

Francois Rude, Christ on the Cross. Rude started this marble sculpture in 1885 but died before it was completed. His student and nephew Jean Baptiste Paul Cabet completed it. I found it very moving, and marvelled at being able to carve the crown of thorns in marble!

The Martyrdom of Saint Hippolyte, Cathedral of Sant-Denis, France, c. 1225-1250, My first thought seeing this was what would it feel like to be pulled apart by horses? Egyptian Tomb Portrait of a Woman c. 150 AD. I love these tomb paintings. We saw several of them years ago when we visited Egypt. Pieter Boel, c.1669-1671 Triple study of an Ostrich.

Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, Paris 1714-1785, The Child and the Cage and The Girl with a Bird and an Apple. I fell in love with this two cherubic statues. The dimples and folds in their skin were so incredibly life-like.

Élisabeth-Sophie Chéron, (1648-1711), 1672 Self Portrait. This is the oldest self portrait of a French female artist in the possession of a Museum.

The Marching Player, 1063 AD. This statue is a replica of a Greek bronze original created around 440-400 BC. I love the detail in his feet and toes.

Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Milan, c. 1527-1593. We have seen other work by this artist…it is pretty distinctive. This is Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

Rembrandt van Eijn, 1640-1660, Venus et L’Amour

Mourner’s Mask, New Caledonia c.1850

This was the last piece in the Gallery of Time. A painting by Paul Delaroche, 1885, The Young Martyr. A painting of a young woman who was killed for refusing to renounce her Christian faith.

We have a much needed tea break. I asked how big the tea was and was assured that it was very big…well, this rather ‘very large” cup of tea was €5.50! Bob finds a spot to read and I go back to the gallery to do some sketching. They aren’t the best sketches but I had such an enjoyable time doing them. Two people asked if they could take a photo…people are always interested in what I am drawing.

We stay until the museum closes at six and we are surprised to see it is raining outside. The Louvre -Lens is a very modern building, so different than the Louvre in Paris. We really enjoyed the Gallery In Time”. It was interesting, and not as overwhelming as the Louvre.

The Boves, World War I Cemeteries and Vimy Ridge Memorial

Posted on September 10, 2025 by Trudy

Day 11. Wednesday, September 10, 2025

This is a bit of a long post…it was a very full day.

On our walk to Arras City Hall this morning we pass a ‘Bloquons Tout’ (Bock Everything) protest march. This march is much calm, but people are very angry with the government’s austerity budget.

It is not just young people who are upset and protesting. There are people of all ages in this protest march that is blocking the streets for more than three blocks.

We are going on a guided tour of the Boves this morning. The Boves are the tunnels and caves that were excavated under the city of Arras and the surrounding countryside. The stones for building the churches, City Hall and other large buildings were excavated from these caves and tunnels. We are given hardhats to wear, but Sue is content to sit on my shoulder for the tour.

This is the entrance to the Boves.

It is damp down here, 80% humidity and about 12° Celsius. Some of the tunnels have moss growing on the walls.

In places these very narrow spiral staircases are used to go between levels of tunnels. There are three levels, one at 4 metres, one at 8 metres and one at 12 metres.

Graffiti covers many of the walls, both modern day graffiti and graffiti from the days of the First World War. The fleur-de-lys and the French Crest, which once had 2 lions on it are very old, the rest unfortunately are from recent tourists who visit these tunnels.

One of the many staircases on the tour.

Many of the staircases and tunnels are now blocked off for security reasons.

There are some informative posters in one of the caves. During World War I more tunnels were built to connect the caves. This gave Allied troops a way to move underground very close to the German front so that a surprise attack was possible. There are over 20 km of caves and tunnels and 24,000 soldiers gathered in these tunnels and caves for a week in order to attack the Germans. The Arras Attack was a diversion tactic for the more important battle at Vimy Ridge. This map shows the caves and tunnels used in the attack. The dark line on the right side is the German front. We enjoy our tour but it does feel good to be back outside in the sunshine. I can’t imagine having to stay underground here for a week like the soldiers in WWI.After our underground tour and lunch at our bnb we drive about half an hour to La Nécropole National de Notre Dame de Lorette. Bob says we have to visit this site first. I have no idea what is behind this big black wall.

We pass through the entrance, this is what I see, and I start to cry.

This memorial was inaugurated on November 11, 214. This World War I monument gives those who fell in battle in this area a place of remembrance…a place where their names ( Allied and German) are preserved, commemorated and honoured.

This is about 1/4 of the Ring of Remembrance…579,606 names. It is overwhelming. All these young men dead. Sons, brothers, husbands, fathers…a whole generation of men that were no more. It is an incredibly powerful memorial.

We walk over to the cemetery and there are thousands and thousands of crosses of fallen French soldiers, as far as the eye can see.

A photos is not able to show the size of this cemetery. It is enormous and covers 25 hectares and holds over 40,000 bodies, half of which are in individual graves and the other half are in seven different ossuaries. More than 150 battlefield cemeteries were moved to this location.There is a basilica onsite…

with more names of the dead inscribed on the walls.

I realize that I didn’t take a photo of the lantern Tower. It is 52 meters tall and has a chapel in its base that contains the remains of over 6,000 unknown soldiers. At night there is a light that shines and rotates from the top of the tower.There is a small museum the Lantern Tower with personal items, photos and excerpts form diaries. They are upsetting to see. I can not imagine having to live through these experiences.

There were several photos showing the horror of war…gathering their dead comrades for burial.

We drive from this cemetery to Vimy Ridge which was an important Canadian battle in the First World War, where we tour the underground tunnels and trenches. This was on the wall of the memorial building, which is staffed by young Canadians.

It is unfortunate that no one seems to have listened to his words. By this time I am feeling quite overwhelmed and I only took two photos here. Tunnels were dug thirty feet deep under Vimy Ridge so that soldiers could place explosive devices under enemy lines. This is a replica of one of those tunnels being dug.In some places the front lines of The Canadians and the Germans were only 20 meters apart. This is the view from one of the German trenches towards the Canadian trenches beside the Canadian flag. The soldiers were able to hear each other talking, they were so close together.

“”The battle began at 5:30 am on April 9, with the first wave of around 15,000 men advancing under the creeping barrage of almost 1000 heavy guns. Most objectives were taken on schedule, and by afternoon most of the ridge was captured, with the notable exception of The Pimple, a high point at the North end of the ridge, where defenders held out until April 12.

By April 12, the Canadians had taken all of their objectives, as well as 4,000 prisoners. The Canadians held Vimy Ridge. This victory came at a high cost as 3,598 Canadians lost their lives, and 7,000 were wounded during the four-day battle. April 9, 1917 is still the bloodiest day in Canadian military history.” ~ The VImy Foundation

We drive a short distance to the Vimy Memorial. It overlooks the Douai Plain from the highest point of Vimy Ridge and was designed by the Canadian sculptor Wallace S. Allward.We didn’t see the front walk so took the long way around to the back of the memorial.Climbing the steps we see more names of the dead. So many names! The name engraved here are of the 11, 285 missing Canadians who died in France during the Great War.

The monument looks over the surrounding valley. Even the back of the sculpted figure on the ledge looks sorrowful.

As we leave the monument three police pass us on their rounds. The three policemen are barely visible on the left side of the monument as we head back to our car and head home. it has been a heavy duty day.

Arras, France

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Trudy

Day 10 Tuesday. September 9, 2025

Bob went for a walk this morning and I had a much needed sleep in. After lunch we go for a little walk to checkout the two big squares near our bnb. As we walk along the side of the Grand’Place we read that during WWI the buildings on the right side were destroyed by bombs. After the war this area was identically reconstructed. We see some of the original columns with shrapnel marks and the smooth newer columns .

The Grand’Place was laid out to accommodate huge markets and was the site of one of the largest grain markets in France. The wheat sheaves sculpted on the buildings facades are an indication of this.

The UNESCO listed Belfry soars high above the town hall at one end of the Place des Heros. The square is bordered on three sides with Flemish-Baroque buildings. Unfortunately the elevator to visit the Belfry is broken so we aren’t able to climb to the top for what must be a fantastic view.

Many of the streets and sidewalks are cobblestones…they are picturesque but can make walking a bit difficult.

This beautiful door must be at least four meters tall! French doors are amazing.

We walk along the streets and get a bit lost but all roads seem to lead back to the Town Hall with its majestic Belfry. It isn’t often that we see an old building actually being torn down. Seems to us that they are usually eventually renovated instead. This one is definitely coming down. I love the ivy growing up the side of the neighbouring building. It is already starting to turn red….I suppose autumn is not far away.

The back of the town hall is pretty impressive as well.

We saw this gentleman walking around with his cat on his shoulders earlier. We sit beside him on the bench and I ask if I can take his photo. He tells us that he loves cats and he loves Canadians…in that order!

There are lots of interesting people, and I love people watching. We see this young man and his dog, both dressed in Hawaiian shirts.

People here seem to like Teddy bears. We have seen several of them either sitting on chairs or hanging out of windows.

We go back to our bnb for a bit of a rest and then head back to the Place de Heros to try some of Arras’s signature fries for dinner at 9:00. Many of the restaurants and bars don’t open in the evening until 8:00. Does Bob look happy?

The Belfry looks spectacular all lit up…

and there are lots of people enjoying the evening.

The Trois Lappars is the oldest house on the Grand Place, it was reconstructed in 1467 and its facade has what is known as a stepped gable. Our bnb is only a couple of blocks from these two squares and all the shops and restaurants.

Driving to Arras

Posted on September 8, 2025 by Trudy

Day 9. Monday, September 8, 2025

Arras is only185 km from Paris but we like to stop and see sights along the way. I am navigating and I see this beside our road on Google maps. I have no idea what it is!

When I zoom in, I realize that this is a gigantic car park! A bit of Googling and we discover it is a carpark covering more than 28 hectares and containing more than 22,000 new vehicles!

We arrive at Beauvais to visit its Cathedral but the first order of business is finding a bathroom…not always an easy task. Then we walk through a huge square towards a carousel. European carousels always remind me of a trip we made 46 years ago when our oldest daughter was only four years old. We stopped for rides at every carousel we saw! Travelling with Sue is similar, she squeaked and squawked until we let her have a ride!

The Beauvais Cathedral was completed in 1272.

The cathedral was damaged during the Second World War but remained standing and was restored after the war. The inside soars high above our heads and the light streams through the stained glass windows.Many of the pillars are still decorated with intricate painting.

The centre of the church is under renovation so we are only allowed to walk around the aisles and ambulatory behind the altar. Bob is dwarfed by the tall pillars.

I take a photo of the altar by putting my phone through the grating in the above photo.Bob took this photo with this light shining through the stained glass windows into this side chapel.

This “clock was built between 1865 and 1868 by Auguste-Lucien Vérité. It is 12 metres high, and 6 metres wide. The 52 dials display the times of the rising and setting sun and moon, the position of the planets, the current time in 18 cities around the world, and the tidal times.” ~Wikipedia We wait for it to turn 3:00 but not a lot happened other than three chimes and a few areas of the clock lighting up.

“In the 1990s, the choir started to become very unstable. In some places, the pillars had moved more than 30cm. The north transept had four large wood-and-steel lateral trusses at different heights, installed to keep it from collapsing.

Since 2000, scaffolding has been continually put up around the cathedral to overcome these problems. Also, the main floor of the transept is punctuated by a much larger brace that juts out of the floor at a 45-degree angle. It was placed as an emergency measure to give additional support to the pillars in an effort to stave off any further movement. Presently, Columbia University is performing a study on a three-dimensional model using laser scans of the building in an attempt to pinpoint where the weaknesses are greatest to see what further can be done to shore up the building.” ~Frenchmoments.ca

We take the smaller highways from Beauvais to Arras instead of the toll highway and see this Sommes cemetery. This is the information plaque. It is hard to comprehend that over a million soldiers were killed here. I think that ghosts must walk these fields.

The headstones seem to stretch forever and so many of these young men were never able to be identified. They are only “Known Unto God”.

I think it is important to visit these cemeteries and honour those who have died but they are difficult and emotional visits.

We continue our drive and arrive in Arras at 6:00 to meet our host for our Airbnb.

Metier Museum, Picasso Museum, and Life Drawing

Posted on September 7, 2025 by Trudy

Day 8. Sunday, September 7, 2025

We picked up our car this morning, a Ford Hybrid with a nice big trunk. Driving back from Gare de Lyon to our bnb went well, and our host let us park in his yard for the night which we really appreciated. There are next to no parking spots on the streets in this neighbourhood.

I left for drawing in Montmartre, which was an hour away. I arrived just in time for the session, and the organizer, Deni, remembered me from the last time I was here, two years ago!

Aurora, five 2 minute poses, 1 5min pose

Two 5 minute poses, three 10 minute poses

One very challenging foreshortened 25 minute pose.

Before catching the metro home I stop to watch four very muscular handsome young men performing for donations, while I eat a yummy crepe sucré avec banane for my dinner.

There were a lot of steps on this metro trip so I decided to count them on the way home. Including these 104 spiral steps I went up and down 456 steps!! So, going and coming from drawing I climbed up and down a total of 912 steps. No wonder French people are so healthy! I was rather proud of myself climbing these spiral steps and passing a group of people much younger than I am huffing and puffing as they rested on one of the landings!

Short skirts are in fashion…very very short skirts!

While I was at drawing Bob visited two museums. The Musée des Arts et Métiers is a museum of technological innovation that exhibits over 2,400 inventions. This is the first battery that was invented in 1799 by Volta.

This first sewing machine was invented in 1830. Dozens of these machines were destroyed by 200 tailors in 1831 who feared for their jobs.

The first steam driven vehicle was invented in 1770.

Leon Gaumont’s Sonophone combines image and sound for the first time in the history of cinema in 1900.

Bob spent a lot of time at the Picasso Museum…he texted me that he wasn’t sure what the exit door looks like! The very large L’Aubade (1942) painting of two figures symbolized the violence of the war years. Baiser, or the Kiss was painted in 1969. There was an interesting wall of portraits and a room with many of his sculptures. These are only a few of the 5,000 pieces of art at this museum.

This early Picasso portrait of Gustave Coquot is from 1901. Picasso’s started painting when he was eight years old and didn’t start cubism until his thirties.

Bob took a photo of this Modigliani just for me, because he knows that I love Modigliani’s paintings. It was in the Picasso museum because both artists were influenced by African art and Picasso admired Modigliani’s work. We drive to Arras tomorrow so tonight we pack and tidy up. It was great being able to attend three life drawing sessions in three days but it was a bit tiring too. I don’t think I will find many more life drawing groups for a while.

Académie de la Grande Chaumière, Jardin de Luxembourg and Jardin des Plantes.

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Trudy

Day 7 Saturday, September 6, 2025

Today I catch the metro about 12:30 to go drawing at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and Bob stays home a bit longer before going exploring on his own. He caught the metro to the Gare du Nord and then walked all the way south to the Jardin de Luxembourg to sit and read for a bit.

Sadly the studios of the Académie are no longer in the same historic building. These three photos are from previous trips and visits to draw in the 121 year old studios where so many artists have been before me.

On the way to the new location which is only a couple of blocks from the old studios I see these flowers that had been placed on a window ledge….I wonder what iis the story behind these roses?

Here is the new studio. It seems rather sterile and bare, but at least the life drawing sessions are still in operation. I believe that they are trying to find a better studio but the lady who talked about all this spoke very quickly and I only caught part of what she was saying. My French has improved, but not enough to understand the whole conversation. You can see my spot in the foreground of the photo, with my sketchbook on the stool and my red bag on the floor.

The model was tall and my drawings weren’t great today, but it is all a learning experience. Four 5 minute poses.

a 10 and a 15 minute pose

A 30n and a 35 minute pose.

After drawing I walked to the Jardin de Luxembourg to meet Bob. Thank heavens for cell phones and texting or I would never have found him. The gardens were very busy today.The Medici Fountain is a monumental fountain in the Jardin de Luxembourg that was built in 1630.

We walk toward the Jardin de Plantes, a botanical garden about 45 minutes away. We pass the Pantheon, which is a mausoleum containing the graves of many famous people including Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, Voltaire, Louis Braille, and Alexandre Dumas. It is closed and I don’t think we will have time to visit this trip…guess we need to return to Paris at least one more time! I do not miss eating out in Paris. Sitting check by jowl beside smokers is not my idea of fun. I much prefer the meals we prepare at home in our bnb’s.

As we enter the Jardin des Plantes we see this huge Plantane tree which was planted in 1785 and is now classified as an ‘Arbre Historique et Remarquables’. It amazes me that someone knows exactly when this tree was planted… 240 years ago!

These little orchids are growing at the base of the tree. We have the same ones growing back home in Alberta. Sue loved this interesting flower and wanted a closer look.

Another huge old tree. Can you tell I love trees.

We couldn’t find Sue but then Bob spotted her checking out this rather strange creature.

The Botanical garden was a bit of a disappointment, we had just started to explore some of the more interesting areas when we were told to leave as the park was closing, a half hour before it actually closed.

Everyday on our walk to the metro near our bnb we pass these beautiful Passion flowers.

We got home about 8:30, another full day.

Eiffel Tower, Bourdelle Museum and Drink and Draw

Posted on September 5, 2025 by Trudy

Day 6, Friday, September 5, 2025

It always takes me awhile to feel comfortable drawing when we are on holidays, and as I hadn’t done any drawing for almost a month before we left, I really had a hard time getting started. While we were sitting in Notre Dame during Vespers yesterday I finally took the plunge.

Then riding home the metro I did these quick sketches.Friday we managed to start our day at noon. Soon we were at the Eiffel Tower. Somehow it doesn’t seem right to be in Paris and not visit this iconic landmark, even though we have visited it several times already including climbing to the second level. We will try and book a visit on our return to Paris at the end of our trip to go all the way to the very top level! These tickets book up weeks ahead.Two years ago we picnicked on the grass near here, but there were not nearly as many people as there are today.

We found a bench in the shade away from the crowds to eat our lunch and watched as seven military personnel complete with machine guns approach on the path in front of us. I held up my phone to take photo and the leader signalled towards me with his finger…then one of the men following him came over to tell us that we were not allowed to take photos. I wonder if they do not want photos of their faces published anywhere…so after they passed and we were walking behind them I snapped this one. France is on high alert right now, but these are the first fully armed military we have seen this trip.

One more view of the Eiffel Tower, looking towards the bridge across Seine behind it. There are people everywhere, enjoying the sunshine. The first time we visited we could walk right under the four massive legs but now this area is all closed off behind glass panels and everyone who wants to get close has to go through a security checkpoint which includes bag checks and full body scan, just like at the airports.

It is a 45 minute walk from the Eiffel Tower to the Bourdelle Museum. On the way we pass the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. You can still see the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

Just a bit further we pass this hotel that has trees and shrubs growing all over it. I wonder what happens when they outgrow their planters?

There are all sorts of interesting building in Paris. As we near the museum we pass this car park, completely panelled in brilliant colours.

The museum dedicated to Antoine Bourdelle is free. We first find the cafe and have some tea and cookies. It felt good to just sit and relax for a while. Bourdelle was a student of Rodin and after Rodin’s death Bourdelle dominated the field of monumental sculpture. We see many examples of these monumental sculptures. The museum is at the site of Bourdelles original studio. As he became successful he added more rooms and gardens until it appeared much as it does today.

One of the studios has this huge study for a hand.

Bourdelle was 50 years old when he finally became successful thanks to his Hercules the Archer statue. It represents the Greek hero wielding his bow to shoot down the Stymphalian birds. Copies of this sculpture were created in three versions and are in numerous museums in France and abroad.

There is a room full of magnificent sculptures…

and there are more sculptures in the gardens and courtyards. Can you see Sue? (short for souris which means mouse in French). Since this little green mouse stowed away in our luggage she insists on coming along with us on our travels.

Sue is very curious and likes to check thing out for herself.

There are two of these huge horse sculptures at the museum.

Bob sits in one of the gardens to read for a bit and I sketch one of the sculptures close by named Penelope, a larger than life size bronze of one of the wives of Odysseus, who waited faithfully for her husband to return. Bourdelle used the features of two women who loved him, he generous curves of his first wife, Stéphanie Van Parys, and the posture of his student, Cléopâtre Sevastos, the muse who would become his second wife.

After our visit to the museum. I went to a Drink and Draw session nearby and Bob headed for home. Here are the drawings from my first life drawing session this trip.

2 minute poses and one 5 minute pose…

two more 5 minute poses…

two 5 minute and one 10 minute pose…and a 15, a 10 and a 25 minute pose.

Ada is our model tonight, and I am sure that I recognize her from a previous life drawing session in Paris. She thinks that she recognizes me too! but we are unable to figure out where I might have drawn her before. I will have to check my other holiday sketchbooks when I get home. I take the metro and get home at 10:00. Bob meets me at our metro stop and carries my art stuff home for me…I am pooped…it was a ten hour 15,000 steps day!

A Frustrating Day

Posted on September 3, 2025 by Trudy

Day 4, Wednesday, September 3, 2025

We are still jet lagged, me more so than Bob. After a quiet morning we decide to find an Orange store to buy a SIM card for Bob’s phone. Not so easy, We walked about twenty minutes to the first store, only to discover that it was an Orange office building, no sales! Next we take the metro to another Orange store in a big shopping centre, only to discover that they do not sell SIM cards (go figure!) and they send us to a Tabac store in the mall. They only have one kind of SIM, and it isn’t one that will work for us…so we Google the location of another Orange store closer to the centre of Paris, take the metro again and surprise! They don’t sell SIMS either! Turns out we have to download an E-SIM. We sat down in the store to do that, thinking that if we have problems we could at least get some help, only to find that our Koodo roaming plan isn’t working again! AARGH! Enough…we quit and decided to go find a patisserie and buy some pastries .

We pass a world Heritage site, the Tour Saint-Jacques, a tenth century tower that is all that remains of the Saint-Jacques de la Boucherie Church. It always amazes me to see that something so ancient has managed to survive in the middle of a city.

We pass this interesting fellow dancing in the street, and he smiles after Continue reading →

We Are Home…More Blog Posts to Come

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Trudy

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

We are home after a long 24 hour travel day. We had a fantastic time in France for three months but we were ready to come home. Now we just need to recover from a 24 hour travel day and a 8 hour time difference. We are both rather jet-lagged…and waking up at 3:30 in the morning! It usually takes at least a week or so to adjust to the time difference.

I love looking out the window when flying.

Approaching Calgary. We flew to Calgary in a Dreamliner. It is a huge plane that holds 320 passengers and the plane was full.

I am horribly behind on my blog, partly because it takes quite a while to do each post and partly because I was not feeling all that great after getting Covid the beginning of November. I will finish blogging about the last three weeks of our trip, but it may take a while. December is a busy time getting ready for Christmas celebrations.

Mont St. Michel, France

Posted on September 19, 2023 by Trudy

Day 22, Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Here we are walking out to Mont St. Michel. It is a three kilometre walk from the car park to this UNESCO World heritage site. Be warned, this is a photo heavy post.

The sheep under the bridge attract a lot of attention. I wish I had time to sit and draw them, but Mont St. Michel beckons…

Almost there!

We climb the ramparts right after the entrance gates while the sun is shining. There is a chance of rain this afternoon. The Abbey church dominates the skyline.

The streets below are crowded and more people are arriving by the minute. The group with the white hats are pilgrims from Southern France. I spoke to one of the ladies later in the day who sat by us while we were having lunch.

I love the little conical roof over the dormer window.

The streets are narrow and they fill up quickly. We are told that in high season you can barely walk through the streets as there are so many people.

Soon we are among the hordes of people climbing the tall narrow 319 steps to the Abbey.

We bought our tickets online so we get to walk right past a long line of people waiting to buy tickets.

This model of the abbey shows the back side which is only visible if you walk on the sands at low tide or travel by boat.There are usually 5 monks and 7 nuns who live at the abbey and there are only 25-30 people who actually live on Mont Saint Michel. We sat and listened to part of the mass, from the side of the church. The singing was really lovely and I found it interesting that the nuns and the priest sat on the floor of the church during the service.

Next we walk through the cloister with its many narrow columns and a view of the church tower.

The Host’s room has two enormous fireplaces. Here I am standing in one and the little round circle is looking up the chimney towards the sky. This is where food was prepared and where the Abbot received important visitors. The bottom photo is the Refectory where the monks ate their meals.

Another view of the Host’s room with its beautiful arched ceiling.
There are so many interesting doors in this abbey.

The Crypt des Gros Pillars (Big Pillars’ Crypt) with its ten huge pillars was built to support the choir in the abbey above.There are so many smaller rooms and interesting spaces to be explored. This one is off the side of the crypt.When the Abbey was used solely as a prison in the 1800’s, this huge wheel was was used to haul supplies up to the abbey. Prisoners walking inside the wheel were able to raise and lower a cart along a stone ladder inclined along the rock wall.

Here you can see where the cart was hauled up the side of the abbey.

The Salle des Chevliers or Knight’s room was most likely used by the monks as a place of meditation and for copying and illustrating manuscripts.

When we walk out into the gardens we see that the ocean is now at low tide and the sand bars are visible all around Mont St. Michel.We hear shrieks and peals of laughter and realize that is is coming from the people out walking on the sands now that the tide is out. Some of them are thigh deep in the water! There are a lot of people out there, some of them way off in the distance. Thanks, but I am happy to pass walking in mud and cold water.

We stop at this little art gallery and I have chat with the artist. She has a variety of different styles and media, and I found her work very appealing.

It starts to rain so we duck into the Parish Church of St. Peter for a well needed sit down. I draw the statue on the wall while Bob rests and then goes for a little walk about so that I have time finish my drawing.

I forgot to see if there was plaque saying who the sculpture was.Bob took interesting photos of the inside and outside view of these two stained glass windows.

People are still coming and going…lots of people!

This photo of the bell tower just barely shows the golden statue of St. Michael threatening a dragon, who represents evil, with his sword. St. Michael is perched 156 metres high, is 4.5 metres tall and weighs 520 kg. The statue is made of gilded copper and serves as a lightning rod.