The hotel was impossible to find. The ville is built around this amazing Cathedral. It is on the top of the hill and the ville clings to the edges with narrow cobblestone streets that are steep. The part, the old town, is a pedestrian only area. The hotel, which is an old abby is about 2 blocks under the Cathedral.
Having just passed my french driving license, I was adverse to driving into this area. The instructions to the hostelerie were specifically to drive right in. I kept getting thwarted and would call the hotel. I found out later that the woman that was trying to help me just started working there and does not drive! I was getting really frustrated. I went round and round the ville, jumped in and ended up in the same place.
Eventually, I dared to drive in...over a bridge, up a one lane cobblestone street. I came to a stop at a bollard that came up in the center of the street to stop cars. The idea was to press a button to call a person to make the bollard go down. OK...that was in the instructions. I was about to get out of the car to deal with it when all of a sudden a big red box ambulance comes roaring up behind me with lights and siren going...OH HELL!..I got back in the car, there was nowhere for me to go...I got out of the car and yelled to the ambulance that I couldn't get the bollard down....as my back was turned , it went down....I jumped in the car and drove up on the sidewalk to get out of the way...but that was where they were going so I kept going. stress!
Eventually I found the hotel...and there was just a tiny bit of light left so I ran up to the church...It is just amazing...more to come on that as I will go up there on Day 2 early. It is under construction like everything else in France . It has areas closed off and scaffolding covered by white sheeting. I wandered through to see the pinkish orange late day light make the massive stained glass windows glow. I needed my tripod.
I had not eaten all day ...typical on a travel day for me. I won't give you all of the reasons but I decided to make it a fast from eating day. I could see the full moon over the new town below. I could imagine what it must have been like to look out from this perch back in the 16th century with nothing but farmland lit by this potent moon. I got into bed early
Hotelerie link below...it's a lovely place, no frills, inexpensive...there are monks walking around bonjouring and bonsoiring you. A bald one filled up my hot water bottle for me. I reminded him to look at the full moon as people often don't see things. http://maison-st-yves.com/fr
Best thing I saw today> 2 things...a bright bright green lawn that led up to a sort of white manor...like a dream...grazing horses on the front lawn...it was just a flash as I drove by but it was so beautiful...and
a news story about a staffordshire terrier that saved a families life by waking them when he sensed there was a carbon monoxide leak. The man rattled on in french . The doggie sat next to him on a couch. He was like a potato, but grey with a big smile. He started the interview looking forward but suddenly he turned around and sat for the rest with his rear and hunched back facing the camera. He wanted his best angle to show, maybe, for his 15 minutes of fame.
Worst thing I saw today> Shanty towns. You know when the wind is blowing hard and it picks up all kinds of flotsam and jetsam and swirls it into a messy pile...well this is what these shanty towns looked like...every piece of junk found all piled up to make makeshift housing.
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