Day 9: The Final Leg

On the morning of day nine, we awoke in what seemed like heaven. No, we did not all die in our sleep, but rather got to stay the night at a luxurious French hotel near the city of Bayeux. In order to consume our exquisite hotel breakfast, we first had to drag ourselves out of the fluffy cloud-like beds we had the privilege of sleeping in. This description may sound like an extreme exaggeration, however, the owner of our AirBNB seemed to have a special preference for extra firm mattresses. Thus, we were all questioning why we weren’t blessed with comfortable hotel beds sooner. After eating the delicious breakfast, we arranged our luggage in the trunk like a game of Tetris, and crammed ourselves into the vehicle similarly to a can of sardines. We then hit the road for our first destination: The Bayeux Tapestry. Thankfully, the museum and tapestry was relatively near to our hotel. The Bayeux Tapestry is best compared to an ancient comic strip. On a 70 meter embroidered cloth, it depicts the victory of William Duke of Normandy over the English at the battle of Hastings. We were assisted by an audio guide to help us navigate through the many scenes. We spent a short amount of time in the gift shop and museum before departing for our next destination. 

Just hanging with William

After cramming back into our beloved white car, we embarked on the two hour journey to Mont St Michel, which is an island complete with an abbey, shops, and much more. A few attempted to nap, others listened to music, but nearly everyone suffered from the dreaded pins and needles that frequently attacked our limbs. Finally, we arrived and painfully peeled ourselves out of the vehicle. I am quite certain that all the other tourists believed it was a clown car considering the amount of people and luggage we managed to fit into something of such a size. We found a bus that carried us out to the island, and in doing so, also saved our legs which were still regaining circulation. We were given three hours to roam the many shops, restaurants, and other buildings on the small island. However, we were not allowed to wander off the island due to the quick sand that often forms at low tide. Hope, Kristiana, Nicole, and Vincenzo set off to explore, while Amy, Janie, and Jonathan did the same elsewhere. There are many, many stairs on Mont St Michel, so I am happy to report that we will all be returning home with nicely toned legs. 

From the Four Amigos' Perspective:

The group of four (Hope, Kristiana, Nicole, and Vincenzo) decided on going to a restaurant with crepes, but only made this choice after much deliberation. We all acquired crepes with Nutella, which I am wholeheartedly convinced is food directly sent from God to the French. After basking in the crepes’ glory, we climbed the seemingly billions of stairs to the abbey at the very top to fulfill Amy’s expectations. Upon arrival, it was discovered that you had to purchase tickets to gain passage, which is an absolute monstrosity. Considering we are broke high school students, we made the executive decision to avoid this ticket purchasing and rather face Amy’s wrath instead (which was never forthcoming, as she agreed that 10€ was too much). Although we were quite decided that we could not afford to purchase tickets into this historical site, we most assuredly had enough money to buy ice cream. This was arguably the most intelligent decision we had made all day. We are not entirely sure what makes French ice cream is far superior but it was indeed stupendous, (it may be the placebo effect, but that is yet to be proven). After finishing our frozen treats, we met up again with Amy, Janie, and Jon. Together, we all set off on an excursion outside the city walls. Although we did not find any quick sand, we did explore the rocky cliffs surrounding the island.

Mont St Michel

Hope enjoying the view out over the bay around Mont St Michel

 When walking back to the parking lot, we experienced the last stretch of freedom our legs would enjoy for hours. I am quite certain that I️ even heard my own legs call out to me in an audible voice asking not to enter that backseat again. However, I ignored this anxious plea and despairingly returned to my doom. We set off, and drove through quaint and picturesque towns and countryside. It would be a monumental understatement to say that Janie was rather ecstatic about the scenery. After two hours, our beloved driver Amy decided to stop for dinner. We exited the stifling car and performed some roadside stretches that most assuredly drew stares of judgement. We ate at a pizzeria in a smaller town  before heading out again. Rain, darkness, and the convoluted Paris motorways made reaching our hotel complex and difficult, so we did not arrive until almost midnight. We are all settled into our rooms where I am sleepily writing this now. 

Although the day was filled with lots of driving, it gave us time to bond and grow closer as a group. The reality that this was our last day before traveling home was saddening, but it was a day well spent. Once we have returned home, I am going to miss the friendships we built (and the Nutella crepes) very dearly.

Signing off from Paris,

Hope