Paris - Journey's End

Thursday 29 August - Sunday 1 September

Thursday
We woke early to grey skies but didn't really have time to contemplate the weather as we were on the train by 8 am and heading for Gardemoen Airport.  A hassle free trip and by 1 pm we were on the ground at Charles de Gaulle.  Despite being warned about dodgy drivers at the airport, we took our chances, sharing with a young couple (Eastern European?), and were whisked into the city centre in a very flash and comfortable maxi van/people mover and deposited at the Novotel Les Halles by a very obliging driver.  It is much better travelling into Paris outside of peak hour.   I was glad to have splurged on a car as the whole of the Forum at Les Halles is undergoing massive renovations which are going to continue for another couple of years.  Some of the entrances to the RER and Metro are closed and it is quite a mission to get to the stations, especially with luggage to haul.  The wheels on Jessica's bag are nearing collapse so I think we will need to go suitcase shopping tomorrow.  The good old bag has travelled around the world a few times so  retirement looms.
Annoyingly we had to wait to get access to our room even though it was after 2 pm but the staff were very nice and provided orange juice.
After a week of socialising in Norway Jess was pretty whacked so declined all offers of outings for tonight.  We walked over to the Rue Montorgeuil and were fortunate to find an outside table in one of the many restaurants that line this great little street.  Sadly the food was not fantastic - but we enjoyed the ambience.  The evening was still light so we strolled down to the river and to the Pont Neuf to see the lights of the left bank and the Eiffel Tower.  Lots of people out and about as it was warm and balmy after a sunny day.  Back to the hotel and happy to have an earlyish night.

Paris lights from the Pont Neuf

Friday
Jess has many plans for her last days in Paris, but first on the agenda was breakfast at the Café Paris Beauborg by the Pompidou Centre and then a trip to BHV department store to purchase a new suitcase.  Without too much trouble and a hefty tax refund we were soon back at the hotel with new luggage.  When I inquired about the disposal of the old bag the housemaid asked if she could have it!  I explained about the wheels but "pas de problem"  - she seemed happy with her acquisition.

Paris breakfast 

Lunch time and on the Rue Coquillere we found a restaurant specialising in dishes from the Auvergne region.  The salads were ok, nothing special, but the accompanying  big chunk of Cantal cheese was quite delicious.  Another warm sunny day in Paris and Jess was off to spend the afternoon in the Jardin du Luxembourg with her friend Jonas.  I headed for the Rue de Rivoli and had a few happy hours browsing in the stores and actually buying a couple of tops at Mango (much cheaper here than in Australia).
Caught up with Jess again at the hotel - she was changing for a big night out with her ex Bond Uni Paris mates, Baptiste and Stan, and some of their friends.  She will be staying the night at Stan's home in beautiful Passy on the other side of Paris.  I think Stan's maman is accustomed to having overnighters - apparently they have a very large apartment.  I walked to the Metro with Jess, had a bite in the hotel restaurant and then was happy to relax with a book- the Novotel is surprisingly quiet despite being in such a busy location.

Saturday
Hard to believe that I am flying home tomorrow after two wonderful months in France and a great little side trip to Norway.  Jess arrived back from Stan's and we packed up our bags for the 12 noon checkout.  (A wonderful night out says she).  We left our bags at reception and headed out for a bite of lunch in the Chatelet district which was crowded with Saturday shoppers (it seems that the last Saturday of the month is always particularly busy as it follows payday!).  A final lunch of ham and cheese crepe with salad for me and croquet monsieur for Jess and then we did a little last minute shopping.   I said goodbye to Jess back at the hotel as she was going to stay with Jonas until leaving for London tomorrow afternoon.  I decided to take one last stroll around Paris before getting a cab to the Novotel at Charles de Gaulle where I would be staying the night.  It was very pleasant to amble through the streets between Place de la Concorde and Les Halles, including the Rue St Honore with its designer stores, chauffeur driven limos and paparazzi ( no celebs apparent this afternoon).  I spent a little time in the peaceful Jardin du Palais Royal where the summer flowers are still in full bloom and arrived back at the hotel in time for my pre-ordered cab.

Jardin du Palais Royal

The driver was a very chatty Cambodian fellow who has lived in Paris for thirty something years.  Another chance to practice my language skills and to have a couple of grammar lessons along the way!.   The Novotel is near Terminal 3 but the CDGVAL train stops right outside so it is easy to access all parts of the airport.  It is just as good as the Sheraton and half the price (including breakfast) so no complaints.  I went over to Terminal 2 to collect our stored bag from the Consignment Depot - what a good service - and then it was back to the hotel for an omelette and a sleep.  Glad to hear that Jess is all good and enjoying the hospitality of the lovely Jonas. Hope she has a successful week in London.

Jardin du Palais Royal

Sunday
A leisurely breakfast and then an easy transfer by CDGVAL to Terminal 1 to check in for my 12 noon flight.  Check-in was very quick so I had plenty of time to relax in the lounge before boarding - upstairs in the A380 with really comfortable flatbeds.   As I was originally travelling with Jess I had an empty seat alongside - so nice.  Always enjoy flying with Malaysian and fortunately only a short layover at KLIA. 
Looking forward to arriving home but equally thinking about returning to France next year - I guess I am addicted!  We have been blessed with superb weather and a fantastic trip through many wonderful regions of France - now where have I not been in this beautiful country?  Hmmmm - 2014 road trip anyone?

Not Your Usual Trip to the Farm! (in rural Norway)

Monday 26 August and Tuesday 27 August

Monday

We were all excited at the prospect of a road trip today to visit Synne's family home in Rauland - Jess and I would be seeing new sights and Synne was happy to have the opportunity to visit her parents, brother and grandma.  We only needed an overnight bag and it was just a few blocks to the Avis depot where we collected our sweet little almost brand new Fiat 500.  The girls were delighted -they thought the car was sooooo cute - and Synne was happy to drive which was great for me - I could sit back and enjoy the view.


Road trip anyone?

Our route took us on a motorway southwest of Oslo and to the port city of Drammen where we turned off to head west, through a long tunnel in the hills and then on to the old silver mining town of Kongsberg.  There is a mighty river here that roars over rapids through the centre of town.

River at Kongsberg

We stopped off for coffee at a pretty bakery which was being very well patronised this morning.  It was very cosy with a sunny courtyard at the back.  By now we had driven an hour and a half and we were almost half way.  We passed by farms with delightful red, white or mustard coloured wooden farmhouses and the hills began to get higher. 

Into the hills - farms and forests

Soon after Kongsberg the road narrowed and we were really in the woods and climbing towards the mountains of the Telemark region of Norway.  All along the roadside were lovely silver birch trees and further up were hundreds of kilometres of conifer forest covering even the steepest rocky slopes of the mountains.

Mountain road - heading for Rauland

What a sight and so many lakes and streams.  There must be thousands of lakes, big and small, in this part of Norway.  Many waterways are used for hydro-electricity production.
It was a long steady climb up through the mountains with occasional descents into pretty valleys and the higher we went the more lakes we encountered. 

The road skirts around so many lakes

Strangely enough there did not seem to be any waterfowl and although there were plenty of signs warning of moose crossing the roads we did not see any.  Synne says that they are more likely to emerge into clearings at dusk.  The final 16 kilometres was very steep and winding and the road was pretty bumpy - it freezes in the winter which causes undulations in the surface.

First view of Lake Totak

At last we reached the small town of Amot and then a little beyond that turned onto another road and the most spectacular sight lay before our eyes.  There was the Seltveit farm overlooking a huge lake (Lake Totak) - a stunning location with mountains in the distance. With not a breath of wind the water was like glass.

 Top spot - Seltveit farmhouses, Nesland, Rauland

 Synne's mother, Berit, was at home as she doesn't work on Mondays and she had a delicious lunch ready for us which we ate on the sunny deck overlooking the lake.  Synne, her brother, Sveinung, and two older sisters grew up here as her dad inherited the farm and unsurprisingly have very happy memories of their younger days in this blissful place.

Lunch at the farm

  The family lives in a restored farmhouse, part of which is very old and part is a newer extension.  Synne's grandma lives in another house on the property which was built for her - but in the same style as the original house.  Inside the house is modern except for the large living room which has been kept in the traditional Norwegian style with rosemaling paintings on the door frames and the original split log walls, as well as some furniture from the 16th century.  It is decorated in the typical shades of cream, dark red and green and is quite lovely.

Original furniture with rosemaling in the living room

 Berit and Knut both work and these days do not run any animals on the farm as they don't have the time.  Only part of the farm is here by the lake, the rest being higher in the mountains, where Knut has built a cabin.  Probably the most eyecatching thing about the houses in this area is that the roofs are covered with grass and wildflowers.  These planted roofs last around 25 years before they have to be replaced with new soil and seeds.  Maintenance is very easy - just the occasional rogue sapling to be removed apparently.

Grass roofs - Grandma's house and storehouses at the farm

After lunch and a bit of a siesta Synne drove us to the very mysterious sounding "Sherpa Steps"  - quite a landmark in the area.  We drove along the lake shore and then took a very bumpy narrow road to a high plateau north of  Rauland.  After about 10 kilometres we had emerged from the conifer forest to a wild landscape of low growing trees, grasslands, more lakes and a feeling of absolute remoteness.  We came to a small car park and there before us, leading up through the scrubby trees was a  path built of pale grey flat rocks.  It is very new, having been built by a group of sherpas from Nepal (with the aid of a helicopter) over a period of 7 weeks last year.

Sherpa Steps Trail

  The path and the steps form a 3 kilometre walk that rises to a height of 1096 metres and a high ridge called Falkenuten (falcon hunting place).  This is where falcons were trapped and then sold to the local gentry as far back as the middle ages.  We set off through the trees and noticed how boggy the ground is - and how many little brooks are tumbling down the slopes.  Standing on the thick grass, one sinks in to the ground and it is quite squelchy underfoot.  Most of the way the incline is not too steep and where it is there are steps.  We soon left the little trees and emerged into open terrain consisting of tussock type grasses, heathers and rocks.



Almost there - nearing the summit on the Sherpa Steps



  And the view!  We could see across the plateaus and lakes to far mountains with only the occasional sign of human habitation in the form of cabins and in the distance some power pylons.  At the summit where there is a small stone cairn and 360 degree views of this magnificent country, much of it encompassing the Hardangervidda National Park.  At the top it was cool and windy so we didn't linger.

Summit view - Falkenuten



Coming down the path we encountered some curious and quite friendly sheep - local farmers are allowed to graze their sheep up here during the summer months.

 Summer pastures for friendly sheep

By the time we returned to the farm it was close to 8 pm and we had very healthy appetites.  Just as well because Berit had cooked a wonderful meal  - mooseburgers with ligonberries and brown sauce, freshly dug potatoes and broccoli.  The mooseburgers were very good - not at all gamey - and the ligonberries (cowberries) were a delicious accompaniment.  After two helpings each we had a special treat - cloudberry cream.  Wow!  Cloudberries look like large pale orange raspberries and only grow wild in the arctic regions of the world - Scandanavia, Russia, Canada mostly.  They cannot be grown commercially because they require very specialised conditions to bear fruit and ripen.   

Cloudberries

Norwegians like Berit and Knut know where to locate them and apparently families have their "secret" places where they are most likely to find them growing.  Berit said that this has been a good year for cloudberries and she has plenty in her freezer for Christmas and other celebrations.  Some years there are very few to be found.  The popular way to serve them is stirred into a bowl full of whipped cream.  They are absolutely delicious and we felt very fortunate to have had this gastronomic experience.  The berries grow on little stunted bushes on the alpine meadows and are apparently very, very nutritious (not sure about all the cream though!).
Well after all this fresh mountain air and wonderful food we will surely sleep well tonight. It is so fantastic to be warmly welcomed into the home of the Seltveit family and to enjoy some Norwegian traditions and to learn about the life and culture in this lovely land.  Fortunately for us everyone seems to speak English quite fluently so no trouble communicating.  And what a fantastic place to have spent one's childhood!

 Synne and Jess on the Sherpa Steps trail

 Jess and Ann- a bit of a rest, halfway up the Sherpa Steps Trail

Tuesday

Another day of cloudless skies and stupendous scenery!  Even the bathroom has views to die for.

Bathroom window view!



  Synne made us a delicious breakfast with Berit's homemade bread, rolls and jam as well as a new treat for us - Norwegian brown cheese.  Sounds not so good and looks a bit funny but it is truly yummy.  It has a sweet, nutty flavour.   We had a plan for the day so it was into our little Fiat and off to our first stop, the middle school at Amot, a small town just fifteen minutes away.  Berit is a  counsellor at the school and she wanted to show us around the brand new school building which had only opened the week before.  Middle school encompasses the years 6 - 10 in Norway and the 150 students at Berit's school certainly do have a wonderful facility that has been carefully designed to maximise the learning and teaching experience.  It was mid break morning so we got to chat with some lovely, very tall young Norwegians who were keen to practice their English skills. We also met some of Berit's adult Norwegian language students - refugees from Africa who are being integrated into this small town with great success.  What a pleasure it would be to teach in such a lovely environment

Berit's uber-modern school

We made arrangements to have dinner with Berit later on and took a high mountain route to the town of Dalen, location of the high school for the area.  Sveinung has a 40 minute bus ride to school each day but we took a longer route in order to see an old stave church (dating from 1250) in the small village of Eidsborg which nestles in a lovely green valley.

 Eidsborg stave church

Beside the church is a small museum and a café, just the spot for a bite of lunch.  The church sits on a hilltop overlooking the valley and is very imposing - a dark wooden structure with very distinctive architecture and one of the best preserved of its kind.  Unfortunately it was locked so we were not able to see the interior, but we enjoyed strolling around the outside in the sunshine.  I especially liked the field of wild flowers below the church - tall purple coloured flowers that we have seen growing everywhere on the road sides.  Behind the church are some old medieval farm buildings - they stand at the edge of the forest and have a timeless feeling about them.  The silence of the place, interrupted only by birdsong, is wonderful. 

Ancient farm buildings at Eidsborg



We drove on through the mountains and forests, more lakes and lovely farmhouses and then made a very steep, hair-raising descent to Dalen which is located at the top of Lake Bandak, a large lake that looks very fjord-like  - in fact this part of the lake is apparently called Bandakfjord.

Bandakfjord - the road down  to Dalen

 Dalen is large for these parts with 800 residents and has a stunning and quite renowned bight yellow hotel on the lake shore.  We had a stroll through the beautiful old reception rooms and admired the lakeside gardens.  It seemed to be a real throwback to a bygone era - today it is popular for weekend getaways for stressed city people, although Norway is such a calm and gentle place, I cannot imagine the population being overly stressed.

 The old and rather curious Dalen Hotel

\Synne showed us the high school that she attended and the apartment where she lived from the age of 16 while she completed three years education in Dalen.  I cannot imagine many Aussie kids coping with apartment living while studying in senior school but it is not unusual in rural Norway.
As the day was getting on and we still had to drive back to Oslo it was time to return to the farm, pack up and then meet Berit and Sveinung at a little restaurant in Rauland village for dinner (Knut had to work late so he couldn't be there).  The Raulandstoga Cafe is small and cosy and serves the most delicious food using locally sourced ingredients so everything is fresh and very tasty.  Jess and Synne were over the moon to discover that cloudberry cream was on the desert menu today - obviously the owner has been out berry picking!

Raulkand Stoga Café



Just after six we said goodbye to Berit and Sveinung and set off for Oslo - an uneventful trip and downhill most of the way.

 Goodbye to the mountains, forests, farms and lakes of the Telemark region

It has been a marvellous two days and Jessica and I have loved our visit to the farm.  Norway is a beautiful country and the people we have met are gracious, hospitable and fun.  Thank you Synne and family!

Looking across Lake Totak to the Seltveit Farm

Oslo

Saturday 24 August. Sunday 24 August and Wednesday 28 August

Saturday
This morning was overcast and Parisian grey - a sign perhaps?  After a quick breakfast and sadly  goodbye to Maree and Melanie (leaving for Australia this afternoon) we were shuttled to Terminal 2 by a very cheery driver, then caught the CDGVAL to Terminal 1 for our flight to Oslo.  It was only 2 hours in the air and we arrived to sunshine and a warm welcome from Jessica's friend, Synne who was to be our guide and interpreter for the week.  It was lovely to see her again and of course Jess was over the moon to be catching up with her uni flatmate.  As with France, there are heaps of ex-Bondies in Oslo so some rocking reunions are planned.


Our Oslo studio

We encountered Scandanavian design and efficiency right away with the extra smooth, high tech fast train from Gardemoen Airport  to Oslo Central and then with our uber-modern studio apartment just off the main shopping street, Karl Johans Gate, only a ten minute walk from the station.  "My City Home" looked rather ordinary from the outside but once inside we decided that the photos on the website did not do it justice.  We have a lobby with closets and an entrance to a swish bathroom (shower stall and heated towel rail - yay!), a large living room with kitchenette and bright orange sofas, French windows and a little balcony and off to one side in the L shape a stylish bedroom area with 2 comfortable beds and a slightly over-the-top orange wall. Wonderfully spacious and comfortable - we will be very happy here.
 By now it was late afternoon and we were in need of a meal  so we headed for a Thai restaurant recommended by the hotel receptionist - what a good choice.  The pad thai and curries were delicious and the price was reasonable by Oslo standards (although not by Aussie ones - but we knew that Oslo would be hard on the wallet).  Feeling rejuvenated we paid a visit to the supermarket for a few essentials as tomorrow the shops are closed.  Oslo was humming with people enjoying Saturday afternoon shopping and sightseeing.

Karl Johans Gate -early morning before the crowds

Jess and Synne were exited about a night out with friends and soon said goodnight and left for Synne's apartment, a bus ride away.  I was feeling like an early night so it was nice to chill out and enjoy the lovely surroundings.  With the windows open the noises of the city floated up to the 4th floor - mostly the rattle of trams and music and laughter from the little café/bar down the street.  Fortunately the double glazing reduced the volume to sleepable level with the windows closed.

Sunday

Breakfast was good - Norwegian seed bread, sweet juicy tomatoes and Norwegian cheese - delicious and another sunny day.  Jess and Synne arrived only moderately shattered from their night out and we decided on a day of culture and city sight seeing.  Synne, clever girl, had booked a rental car through her connections (she works at a hotel in between film assignments) for our trip to her parent's place tomorrow. She is very keen to take us there and her mum and dad have kindly invited us to stay.
We wandered along the Karl Johans Gate admiring the distinctive architecture of many of the buildings, including the Parliament.  Lots of activity around this area as Norway has general elections in two weeks time -  a ton of political parties all with booths and candidates trying to get their message across to the passing parade.

Sunday on the Karl Johans Gate

 We walked as far as the palace but with road works kind of messing up the approach we decided not to proceed but to take a bus to the other side of the harbour and visit a couple of museums.  The bus took us through attractive suburbs, the streets lined with shady trees, and we caught glimpses of the water here and there.  Oslo is not a large city and we actually ventured into the countryside before looping back to some more harbourside suburbs. Our first stop was to visit the Viking Ship Museum.  I was not sure what to expect but must admit to being blown away by the exhibits. The first ship, the Oseberg ship was built in 820 and in 834 was pulled ashore and used as a burial ship for two prosperous women.

Oseberg viking ship

 It was buried in a mound along with many artifacts and remained in this blue clay environment until 1903 when it was discovered by a farmer.  It is the most perfectly preserved of any Viking ship, as are items it contained which are also on display at the museum - they include a cart with wooden wheels, a couple of large sleighs and various household items.  The skeletons of the two women were also intact.

 Wonderfully preserved cart from the Oseberg ship

There are two other ships in the museum, the Tune ship which had partly decayed because it was exposed to the elements for some time, and the mostly complete Gokstad ship, both of which date from the mid 800's and were also used as burial ships.  The museum is fascinating and it is a wonder how these great vessels were built so long ago without the kind of tools we have today.

 Viking Ship Museum, Oslo

When we had seen all that was on offer in this museum we walked about a kilometre to the Kon-Tiki Museum which is beside the harbour and located next to the Flam Museum (Arctic expeditions).  It is a hilly area and quite affluent - beautiful white timber houses in large gardens, many with stunning harbour views.

 Oslo Harbour - beside the Kon-tiki Museum

The story of Thor Heyerdahl and his voyages has enthralled many over the years and it is amazing to see his reed and balsa wood rafts so beautifully displayed in this museum.  How brave these men were to sail the oceans in such flimsy looking vessels. 

Reed raft, Ra 11 which sailed the Atlantic in 1970 crossing from Morocco to Barbados



The story of the Kon-tiki and the lives of Heyerdahl and his crew are told in a mural around the walls of the museum, with photographs and display cases of items used on board.  It makes fascinating reading and in the final glass case is the Oscar that Heyerdahl won in 1951 for his documentary film about the Kon-tiki expedition.

 The Kon-tiki - expedition of 1947

After our visit to this wonderful museum we decided to catch the ferry back to the city and arrived at the docks in front of the city hall and the Nobel Peace Centre.

Nobel Peace Centre



  This is a pedestrianized area with lots of restaurants, boats coming and going and people out and about enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon. 

Harbour view from City Hall



We had ice cream and then walked home as Jess and Synne had another night of catching up with friends planned and we also wanted to leave for Telemark early in the morning.  It was a wonderful day of learning about the history of Norway and enjoying the city which hugs the lovely Oslo fjord.

 Oslo Fjord - opposite the city center

Wednesday

Skip two days and we are back in Oslo after having had a fabulous time in the Telemark region.  Today we had a bit of a slow start and decided to go to the National Art Gallery to see the special exhibition that is on from May to October this year to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the painter Edvard Munch - of "Scream" fame.  I didn't know much about Munch but have now learned how prolific he was as an artist, as well as how diverse in style.   On arrival at the gallery we toured the ground floor which has some wonderful works by Norwegian artists as well as some by painters such as Monet, Cezanne, Picasso and the like who influenced local painters.  There are certainly some magnificent and very appealing works on display.

Some of my favourites from the Norwegian painters

No photos permitted in the Munch exhibition



 The upper floor is devoted to Munch's work up until 1903 - the later works are on display at the Munch Gallery on the other side of the city. Some of the work is on loan from various sources for the duration of the exhibition. The works are displayed in a series of themes, some of them quite dark, in different rooms which have been painted in vibrant colours.  Whoever designed this exhibition certainly has a great eye - it is quite stunning.  We came away with a good appreciation of Munch, his life and his work. 
Jess had her eye on some black jeans so we did a little shopping and then jumped on a tram and went to an area of the city which Synne frequents (away from the tourist hotspots) to have lunch.  Plenty of restaurants surrounding a small park and a good choice of food.  Norwegian food is fresh and very tasty, although 20 euros for a glass of chardonnay is pushing it a bit!  This afternoon we were feeling the effects of late nights and all the travelling of the past couple of days so we went back to the hotel for a rest.  Last night in Norway so there was another big night out arranged for the girls.  I was more than happy to relax with a book and a toasted sandwich - early start for the airport tomorrow.  It has been marvellous to have the opportunity to visit Norway and to have been so well taken care of by Synne and her family. 

A Touch of Normandy

Thursday 22 August and Friday 23 August

Thursday

Not too much of a rush this morning as we said goodbye to Rowena and Chris, such lovely friendly people, and packed ourselves into the car for the second to last time.  This morning was extra squeezy as we had to deliver Tiste and his bag to the Quimper station - only twenty minutes of agony! Sunny and very warm was the forecast for our travels.   Our route took us east and then a bit north for an hour and a half to our planned lunch stop, medieval Josselin on the banks of the Nantes-Brest Canal and still in Brittany (Morbihan department). Great recommendation from Ken - it is lovely.  We parked by the canal which is overlooked by a totally pretty little chateau. 

 Josselin  - chateau, canal and flowers

Tubs of flowers everywhere and some brightly coloured canoes on the canal.  There was a hotel by the canal offering a lunch menu but things were rather quiet in this part of town so we walked up the  hill path beside the chateau to the centre.  What a charming place, with colombage buildings painted many different colours, cobbled lanes and a sunny main square lined with restaurants. 

Main square, Josselin

  We found a nice table on the terrace of one restaurant that had a wide variety of dishes on the menu and a shady awning.  In addition, the waiter was extra pleasant and helpful and the whole place had a really happy vibe.  Lunch was delicious and the salads were just-picked fresh.  We were well satisfied with Josselin - a lovely place for a break in the journey and a jolly good lunch.

Medieval Josselin

The day was really warming up to the predicted 30 plus degrees as we set off for Normandy, via Rennes and then heading north to Le Mont Saint Michel, another hour and a half on the motorway.
The car park was park was predictably very full but we thought it was worth having a look at this iconic French landmark as we were passing in the vicinity.  We walked to the beginning of the causeway and the girls decided that the view from a distance was enough to satisfy them.  The heat, crowds and prospect of  a  steep climb up to the abbey all combined to deter any enthusiasm for a closer inspection.  Le Mont St Michel is a stunning and interesting  place but several hours are needed to do it justice.  It was great to see it on a bright sunny day and to get an appreciation of the setting amongst the farms and tidal flats of the bay.

Mont St Michel

The last couple of hours of our journey to Honfleur on the Normandy coast were very scenic.  The autoroute climbs quite high as it crosses the base of the Cherbourg (or Cotentin) Peninsula and affords magnificent views of the countryside for many kilometres. The pastures are lush, the cows enormous and the tractors monstrous! The landscape is  a maze of fields, woods, villages and rolling hills.  The only snag of the day was a tedious traffic jam on the ring road around the city of Caen but we eventually cut loose and in no time arrived at our hotel just one block from the harbour at Honfleur. A lucky find was a car park right outside the hotel (Ibis Styles) and we settled into the colourful modern rooms quickly, then headed out for a walk around the crowded harbour.  Honfleur was bustling as usual and looked enchanting in the evening light.  
 

Evening, Honfleur Harbour

Maree and Melanie wandered off for some retail therapy (last minute gifts) and Jess and I found a good table at a restaurant right beside the harbour.  The prices are exorbitant in this location but what the heck -  last night of our travels and all.  Maree and Mel found us and we had a lovely dinner - food ok, wine excellent, location spot on.  After dinner, and by this time it was dark, we strolled back to the hotel admiring the lights twinkling on the water and the full moon coming up over the river.  A fitting end to a really enjoyable day.

 View from the restaurant, Honfleur Harbour

Friday
We had plenty of time this morning to enjoy breakfast at the hotel, to explore Honfleur, to do a little last minute shopping and to have lunch near the harbour (easier on the wallet) before driving to our hotel at Charles de Gaulle Airport.  Splendid weather again for the final day of our amazing tour of France.  Honfleur is a lovely place to spend a morning.

Jess - Honfleur harbour

 Jess and I were quite taken by a number of little dogs sitting in the doorways of their owner's shops - very cute indeed.  Little friendly guard dogs.

 Love the shop dogs of Honfleur

 Honfleur is very photogenic and the weather was perfect this morning

 Lunch anyone?

So, only a brief look at Normandy but well worth the detour en route to Paris.
The drive to the airport, past Rouen on the autoroute and then across country to link up with a northern by-pass of Paris was hampered by a lengthy hold up in Vernon (roadworks) but was otherwise straightforward and we rolled up to the Peugeot drop off depot on time. Our route took us  through Giverny and we stopped to peek over the fence of Monet's garden - crowds of people visiting even though it was late in the afternoon. The road meandered along a pretty valley before reaching a not too busy motorway that took us all the way to Charles de Gaulle without any hassles - must remember this route away from Paris - very easy access to and from the airport. I have enjoyed driving the 308 station wagon around France - comfortable, spacious and economical (diesel).  Highly recommended. Jess and I had no trouble delivering the car and then taking our extra bag to spend the week at the baggage store in Terminal 2 (so we don't have to take it to Norway). The hotel (Radisson Blu)  was nothing to write home about - overpriced food, smelly room, pathetic Internet connection - but no drama - only a place to sleep for the night and it did have a shuttle service to the airport.  Tomorrow a new adventure!