Sunday, 4 September 2011

Mont St Michel - Sept 1

 I love the sea.  There’s something about it; the way it looks, the way it smells, the way the wind feels coming off the waves; that has always appeared magical to me.  Understandably, Mont St Michel, the ancient fairytale castle on the ocean, ranked very high on my Wish List of Things to See and Do in France.  I got the chance to visit this 1000-year-old landmark last Wednesday, along with fellow ES (exchange student) Cassandra, her host sister Stephanie, and my host brother Alessandro.

I will say this: the view did not disappoint.  From within the castle walls, it was difficult to tell where the ocean ended and the sky began; everything was just breathtakingly blue.  The gardens within the Mont St Michel, bursting full of flowers, statues and fountains that looked like they hadn’t been touched since the castle was built in the 700’s, were also very beautiful.
However, it sharing the experience with Stephanie, Cassandra and Alessandro that really made the trip for me.  We visited a busy morning market together, sampled various cheeses and meats, shot goofy pictures of one another and bought galettes et saucisses ( sausages wrapped up in a kind of black-flour crepe; they are delicious) for lunch.  And despite the 2 and a half hour car ride there and back, I was never bored - we passed the time laughing at the language gap between us and singing loudly (and largely off-key) to Lady Gaga and Britney Spears.  (“Pokerface” has been playing on repeat in my head since then.)
It was a great day, but it was not so much the event as it was the people I shared it with that made it special.  It doesn’t really matter upon the setting - for a good time, all you really need is good company!  

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