Happy Birthday To Me

So, after a quick and uneventful train ride, I wound up in the lovely town of Rennes, France. I found the airbnb quickly enough, but my host wasn't going to be around for a few hours when she got off work. So she hid a key for me, and walked past a guy on a 3-storey unicycle on my way into her apartment complex. I didn't even take a picture I was so shocked. But then I dropped my stuff off in the apartment, and headed out to find the tourist office. Because I'd seen signs pointing towards it, and that's always a good place to start in a town. If only because they will give you a map, and that is so helpful.

 And the walk to the tourist office was nice, over the river, past nice buildings, but at some point the signs ran out, and it's hart to find a tourist office without the signs, because you go to the tourist office to get a map, and if you can't find the tourist office to get the map, it's just bad. So I wandered around for a while, and eventually found the sign trail again, and it directed me to this church

 which was very pretty

 But not, in fact

 a tourist office.

 However, I followed the signs inside the church, and they led me to the back of the building, where I DID find the tourist office. Thank goodness.

They were very nice in the tourist office and I got a 20cent map of the center of the city that also had a nice little suggested tourist circuit, and then a free timetable for the busses to Mont Saint Michel, which was where I had decided to go for my birthday.

So I took the map, and decided, "ya know what, I'm gonna do the tourist thing today"

 and so I did.

Because I really didn't have a lot of time in Rennes, since I would be in Mont Saint Michel all day the 23rd, and then the 24th I left very early.

 But I had a few hours that first day, and so I used them.

 So this is the cathedral in Rennes, and I almost didn't go in it.

 But it was open

 and you know I have a cathedral problem

 BUT I'm so glad I did go in it

 because it was my second cathedral of the day

 and they could not have been more different.

 That one was all high clean stone and... Gothic I suppose

 But this felt more Baroque

 or maybe a Eastern Orthodox/Byzantine influence

 It was gorgeous.

 Like, look at those chairs. I think that's some kind of metal, actually.

 And it was... I don't even know

 like no other cathedral I've visited.

 It did have stained-glass

 But even that was drastically different in style.

 But I loved it.

 So then I continued to this very old gate in the city walls.

 and I did the touristy thing

 on both sides of the gate!

  Which was actually pretty dang cool.

 So, Rennes is a very old city, and it has a lot of very old houses

 which I think just look super cool

 Because

 1) I like old things

 and

 2) they had really cool designs

 So this is an old townhouse in the city

 Not like, those other houses old

 but a little bit grander.

 *laughs* I look like a small woodland creature. *facepalm*

 But the townhouse was nice.

 Also, like most European cities, there were a lot of churches.

 I just love these old houses.

 Like, I wouldn't want to live in one.

 because they are so crooked, it's insane, but they look cool. They make me want to yodel.

 I love the boulevards of France. Like, the wide pedestrian streets are the bomb diggity.

 This is a government building,

 the coolest part of which is undoubtably their clock.

 That's an old monastery

 which was lovely inside.

 And had more beautiful stained glass

 But just a generally nice aesthetic.

 Though very different from both other churches I saw that day.

 It also had really spectacular, really French gardens behind it

 And I had a great time just being there.

 Because walking through gardens is nice

 especially when they've got all the flowers

 and the organization that this one had.

 And I just got to sit and read for a little bit

 because this was a good place to do it.

 I think I came at a good time of year, really.

 Everywhere I turned there was some little corner that was just lovely.

 They also had a more botanical gardens section

 In addition to just the pretty flowers section.

 And some nice trails

 Though parts were closed since they were setting up for a festival.

 But I still got to see the waterfall.

 So I was happy

 I left the park, eventually, and continued on my tourist route

 past a historic

 and very beautiful

 swimming pool.

 and on to another government building

 and its BEAUTIFUL flowers.

 This is now a high school, but the Dreyfus affair, a famous series of trials and general insanity in the French justice system happened there back in the 1800s.

So after that I went back to the apartment and chilled for a bit and met my host, who seemed very nice. To be honest, I didn't see a lot of her. She went out, and I headed to dinner. I went to this Asian (Vietnamese really) restaurant, which was very tasty, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But the best part was the music. They played these very thinly disguised "asian" versions of like, famous songs from America. It all started when I got in there and they were playing "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina." I'm not even kidding. As I ate my spring rolls they moved on to "I Will Always Love You" and then when my dumplings arrived I got to listen to "My Way" and "The Winner Takes It All." As I was paying the check, they were halfway through "Stairway to Heaven." I was so confused. But thoroughly amused.

So then I went back to the apartment, and my host hadn't returned, so I took a shower, and when I got out she and her boyfriend were back. I was REALLY tired after dinner, so I said hi to them, and pretty much hit the hay.

The next day I woke up, and it was my birthday.

But more importantly, I was going to Mont Saint Michel. So I woke up, and headed to the bus station. I bought my ticket, and then went and grabbed a couple of pastries, because it was my birthday. I deserved an apricot croissant.

So I then took about an hour and a half bus ride through the French countryside

 which is dominated by that yellow flower.

I don't know what it is, but it's EVERYWHERE. According to the google it is used for making Canola Oil.

 There was also a windmill. I was gripped by a sudden urge to go jousting.

So we arrived at the visitor's station of Mont Saint Michel, and from there I caught a free shuttle out to the mountain itself.

 It was really cool to see it just sort of rising out in front of me.

 It's just got a nice shape.

 Very dramatic.

 I was very excited.

 It was even sort of cloudy and rainy, just for my birthday.

 Looking up at the abbey.

 and the walls.

 And the cliffs.

 There was a lot to look up at. But I went in, and headed to visitor information, and got a map

 then decided that selfie with a cannon was the next logical step.

 This might be my favorite accidental picture I've taken of myself. This is what happens when I forget to switch my phone off selfie mode. But the results are usually not this amusing.

 That's what I was actually trying to take a picture of.

 So, yeah, I went through the gates and walked up the main street.

 Correction: first, I selfied.

 THEN I walked down the main street.

 Which was a little crazy, even on a wet weekday in April.

 But, I see why.

 It was a cool place to be.

 And so at the top of main street, I headed out to the ramparts

 because that's always fun.

 This is at low tide, because the school group is out there.

 And seeing these people walking out there gave me an idea. An awful idea. A wonderful AWFUL idea.

 and it was not actually to take pictures of the abbey

 though, that was admittedly my first instinct

 I mean, that's why I was there.

 So, I walked down the ramparts back towards the gate.

 Which was really cool.

 And it had some pretty awesome views.

 from

 all

 angles

 It's just such a photogenic place.

 So, I walked along the ramparts trying to get down to the bay

 But I wasn't entirely sure where to go

 so I just followed the ramparts around

 there were some nice gardens along the way

 down there below the cliffs

 looking out over the town and the bay

 and I climbed some steep stairs.

 I really loved this place in the rain

 I thought the damp really brought out the greens.

 And that's never not going to be impressive.

Right, so I finally figured out how to get down to the bay. You had to go around to the side, and down, and through a little vestibule part of the city, but it was possible, and when you did, it was so worth it.

 Like, there's this little chapel outside of the city

 and there were a bunch of French tourists coming down from it. Including a guide, who informed me that climbing up to it was dangerous

 But I did it anyway.

 Because I believe in doing things

 ya know, getting your feet dirty.

 And taking pictures like that.

 Or even that.

 I kind of couldn't believe what I was doing, to be honest

 but I was having fun,

 and I didn't die,

 So all's well that ends well

 Right?

 Because I totally could have died.

 But more on that later.

 So I continued on with my trek around the island

 and I looked up at the ramparts instead of down from them

 And my feet got dirtier

 The places I was standing, for the most part, were covered by water when high tide came.

 I look like I'm walking out of this picture.

  But I was probably just falling

 It was slippery.

 But so worth it.

 I was trying to selfie with the wall, but between the mud and the wind, I didn't really get a "good one"

 Though I'm pretty happy with those.

 I'm pretty happy in those.

 The final damage.

 And now, back to the world of social acceptability.

 They actually had a sort of foot washing station right inside one of the gates.

 Because there were school groups out there.

 Because that's exactly the kind of thing that middle schoolers would enjoy

 Probably more than the ramparts and abbeys

 Which I also enjoyed.

 I like taking pictures of all the ways I could have died. But didn't. It's in French, but I'll just let you know that it ranges from drowning to electrocution to quicksand.

 And I wasn't supposed to go out without a guide. Whoops. I actually didn't see that one til after I came back. The others I saw before. But I figured my biggest risk was that the tide would come in fast, and I'd get stuck, so I kept an eye on the school groups, to make sure that it was still safe to be out.

 I'm risky, not dumb.

 So back to town, and up to the abbey.

 via the foot washing station.

 Catholic countries have statues of Mary everywhere.

 But yeah, so I went back and climbed the ramparts some more.

 Because it was fun

 and there were views I hadn't seen yet.

 and it was taking me up to the abbey

 past another little church, actually.

 But, I did get there eventually,

 and I headed up into the most famous part of the island.

 The abbey.

 So I went in and bought my ticket, and headed in

 It was really cool.

 Also, slightly under restoration works.

 But it's OK, because I want to be able to come back

 and take these kinds of pictures another time

 and not worry about falling into the sea

 or having that spire fall on top of me.

 And I can focus on that view.

 and the lovely architecture.

 So I walked around through the first parts of the abbey

 and the patio that looked out over the sea

 and really everything else

 it was quite a large patio

 with a nice view of the spire as well.

 Also, the tide had come in

 Like, I was walking there an hour and a half before I took that picture.

 But the abbey felt very abbey like.

 The spire, by the way, is crowned with a golden statue of the Archangel Michael, who supposedly appeared to... somebody on top of this mountain like a thousand years ago. And so they named the mountain after him.

 And built an abbey

 Obviously.

 Church architecture always makes me feel small

 But, in the chapel the ends of mass were taking place, so I didn't take many pictures. But it was a simple chapel, but very nice.

 And then I went to

 THE CLOISTER

 which was lovely

 of course

 but I loved the way they did the arches

 and the green space was nice too.

 There are things I like, and they include cloisters

 and gardens

 and churches, of course. The buildings. Not always the institutions. I'm not making blanket statements there.

 So I continued on through the cloister

 which also had stained-glass windows

 and arches

 It was love.

 But in all seriousness,

 I had a great time.

 If only because it was lovely

 So this was the refectory

 where the monks used to eat

 and it had some nice windows too.

 and a place for a monk to read while the others ate.

 also, you couldn't see the windows from the entrance. it was cool.

 reconstructed statues.

 I'm going to try to demonstrate how large this fireplace was

 That's me, on my toes, touching the top of the fireplace.

 So it was big.

 Because this is the hall where royalty and important people stayed

 when they showed up.

 Because it's always been a popular place to come

 Even for the fancy-shmancy folk.

 I mean,

 how do you think they got the money to build all this

 This was the basement

 and it was really cool

 but very hard to capture

 because the scale was so vast

 But I tried.

 So we went to another part of the basement

 I mean, they built this church smack dab on top of a mountain

 Like, on the peak

 they had to put SOMETHING under there

 so the whole thing didn't collapse upon itself

 because that would be really bad.

 though, they did have some towers go all the way down to the ground of the mountain

 it was dizzying

 They also had this giant wheel in the basement

 It was in the room where they used to keep the monk's bones

 I didn't even plan it, but that face is just the perfect reaction. I'm such a dork. I'm dying laughing at a joke I didn't even plan on making.

 So yeah, the tide had come in

 And that wheel really was huge

 I think it was used to move things

 but I don't quite remember.

 So then, I continued through the basement.

 And there was another chapel

 which isn't surprising, because it's an abbey.

 That staircase looks so ominous.

 not so much with me in front of it.

 and I did make it to the top.

 So this was another hall where they would entertain knights

 and I would entertain myself.

 but it was nice

 all those arches and such

 and it was built right into the mountain. Like, there's stone, and then there's cliff.

 passageways underneath abbeys can be remarkably creepy sometimes.

 but the halls can be nice.

 It looks so warm

 but it was actually cold

 because I was in a stone hall

 on top of a mountain

 half underground

 and it was a chilly day already

 *throws off cloak*

 the cold never bothered me anyway.

 The Archangel Michael thinks you need to watch Frozen if you didn't get that reference.

 So I left the abbey and went out into the gardens below

 and looked back up at the abbey

 which is surprisingly tall from its base.

 It was such a lovely rainy day.

 I'm being totally serious when I say that.

 It may not have been as

 striking in the rain

 but I'm glad it was raining, because that was the right way for it to be.

 That's the little chapel I went to on my walk around the city.

 and that's the base of the abbey behind me.

 It's a cool place.

 So I walked back to the main path along the walls of the abbey

 which are their own kind of cool.

 and there are battlements everywhere.

 and back to the town.

 *sings* On the road, again.

 But not too far.

 So yeah, I wandered around for a bit.

 found a very

 VERY small street

 followedit

 found that church again

 and the lovely old charm of main street.

 JEANNE LA PUCELLE! (Joan of Arc)

 I think that's Saint George. He's always fighting that dang dragon.

 And Mary is always holding the Christ Child.

 But the stained glass tends to be different.

 and the main altar was nice

 It looks like an illustration.

 and then I left the charming little church

 and headed out.

 Instead of the shuttle, I opted to walk back

 because I like walking

 and I had music

 and it was fun to take pictures of the mountain

 as it receded into the distance

 also, it started raining properly

 so I got out my umbrella

 which is sort of broken

 but it still works enough to keep me mostly dry

 so I could continue to take pictures of the mountain

 as I walk away

 So sad

 but the power of zoom returned it to me.

 This is the view from the dam that I stopped at on the way to the visitor's center.

 and that's the last I've got of Mont Saint Michel.

I headed back to the visitor's center, and waited for the bus to pick me up and take me back to Rennes. It arrived on time, and I had a nice, though uneventful ride back to the city. I then decided that instead of going back to the apartment, I would go ahead and try to find a place for dinner. I was really hungry, and it was almost time for dinner anyway.

I decided on the bus, that I was going to go for Indian Food for my birthday, because I like it, and that's what I wanted. And I had seen Indian food on my walk around Rennes the day before. There was one street with like 5 Indian restaurants. The only problem was, I walked over a lot of Rennes the day before. And I didn't remember WHICH street that was.

So I wound up walking around Rennes for like 45 minutes in the hardest rain of the day, trying to find this street based on the route I'd taken the day before. I even knew which direction the street ran, just... not which part of town it was in.

Also, as I was walking around, I almost accidentally walked out in front of a bus. Almost. So I'm gonna be more careful about that. But I'm also a little amused, because I did a fair amount of risky stuff April 23rd, but the closest I came to death was me forgetting what I learned in Kindergarten about looking right and left when crossing the street. HOWEVER, my birthday present to you all is that I made it through the whole day without dying. You're welcome.

But, I did find an Indian restaurant eventually, and I had a nice, calm dinner of exactly the kind of food I wanted. And I went back to the apartment, and showered, and headed to bed.

But when I left the restaurant, the rain cleared up just as I was passing the quays, and I got this last picture of Rennes.

Happy birthday to me.