Day 2 - Normandy

Now, our body clocks were tuned to the French. We woke up about 7am to prepare for our day trip to Le Mont-Saint-Michel. According to Emma's French colleague, Le Mont-Saint-Michel is one of the iconic must-visit place in France. That got me excited and was looking forward to visiting it.

Breakfast was wonderful. I had omelette and a very rich coffee latte to perk up the morning. The bus ride to Le Mont-Saint-Michel was about one half hour and we just capitalised on the ride to catch some rest.

As we arrived, we were greeted by the majestic - towering with its unwavering presence - Le Mont-Saint-Michel. When I alighted from the bus, carrying Benji, he cried due to the biting wind that blew against his tiny body. I had to run to seek shelter because the distance between where the bus alighted and Le Mont-Saint-Michel was approximately 100m.

Before we reached the Abbey proper within Le Mont-Saint-Michel, we visited various shops that flanked both sides of the path. They were mostly souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes. We also had lunch at a restaurant - chicken fillet, vegetable soup and desserts were what we had.

The real adventure began. To reach the interior of the Abbey, we had to overcome some very steep and long flights of stairs. While Emma carried Benji, I carried the stroller up the stairs. The strong wind against the perspiration on the body definitely didn't feel like a good mix. But it was pretty worth it. When we reached the pinnacle, there before our eyes was the view of the vastness that surrounds Le Mont-Saint-Michel. It wasn't practical to soak in the picturesque view for too long lest the wind would abuse us harshly. Quickly, we moved on with the help of signs that guided us out of the labyrinth roads, marked with some narrow and winding stairs along the way. The areas within the Abbey commemorated some very significant events in history and our only regret was the lack of understanding of what each areas meant.

We took a break and had coffee at one of the cafes while waiting for the bus. The time was only 3pm and the bus was appointed to come at 515pm. After coffee, we patronised some souvenir shops again to while our time away and also, to avoid exposure to the harsh wind.

I remembered the way back to the bus was a challenging one. Remember the 100m between Le Mont-Saint-Michel and where the bus waited? I was pushing the stroller and I could literally feel myself braving against the wind. At one point, the stroller which I was pushing almost got blown away. Emma carried Benji and this time, he was asleep, oblivious to the challenge that we had. It was such a relief when we boarded the bus. Thank God that we didn't miss it because that was the last bus for the day.

At about 730pm plus, under the recommendation of the hotel staff, we went for dinner at La Taverne De La Marine Restaurant, which turned out to be an awesome experience. I had cod fish and it melted in your mouth. Indeed, an unforgettable dining experience.

We walked back to the hotel. Though it was 9pm plus, the sky was still bright. It didn't feel like 9pm plus at all and it felt safe walking along the streets, considering that we were in a foreign land.

It was a long but fruitful day. After putting Benji to bed, we slept at about 1030pm plus.