Nantes, Lorient, Mont St-Michel, Fougeres, Bayeux, Giverny, Chantilly and Cambrai. Oh My!!

The last 3 days have gone by in a blur, filled with fun, adventures 

and sometimes very funny situations.

Our last glimpse of Pour L'Amour Du Fill, as we prepared to leave.

But first Randi had one last very important purchase to make.

We had the chance to spend time with Maggie Bonanomi and her hubby Harold.

 What a great couple. Boy did they make us laugh!

Our last dinner in Nantes we shared with them, 

and Randi's 2 bosses from the quilt shop she works in in Oslo.

l love this picture. Our waiter was so good about taking a photo, 

and another and another, that the guys behind decided they would be part of it as well. 

l didn't know this till l loaded the picture to the blog. It gave me a good laugh!!

We also had a chance on our final morning to visit with some other bloggers.

L-R Randi, Val, Bev, Isabeau, Will, Joes, Me, and Fiona.

Then a final goodbye to Mary.

Back in the car we headed to Lorient, on the coast,

 to the Museum of East India Company.

Where we saw these 2 stunning Palampore's

 And this cute elephant wearing his quilt.

Back in the car, we headed for Mont St-Michel, our overnight destination.

This is our first glimpse, across a field of Canola.

As we approached, it just rose up before us.

 We wandered the streets, and climbed more stairs than we care to count.

The views are stunning, and the history even more.

This is our final look, as we headed off the next morning.

Oh, and don't ask about the meal we had!!

 Our first stop for the day was the town Fourgeres 

This was the view when we took the city walk..

 All the way over to the Medieval Stronghold.

We also came upon the market, and saw some interesting things,

Including seaweed for sale. Hmm, must look up a recipe using that ingredient!!

There are always interesting shops near where the town markets are held, 

and they are always interesting to step inside and see whats special today.

 Terrines of all manner.

And delicious looking ready made meals to take home.

Of course, no town in France would be without its fromagerie.

We also paid a visit to Bayeux, and the well known Bayeux Tapestry.

No pictures allowed, but here is a link if you wish to read about it and its history.

The story is fascinating, and the tapestry a true marvel to see in person.

This was our chateau for the evening.

But don't be fooled by appearances. Charming on the outside, no so on the inside. 

There is not one skerrick of its former life left other than the facade.

We tried to book for dinner at the restaurant attached.

 We open at 9pm madam.

So we went for a short drive and stumbled upon this delightful dinner.

Yumm!!

 

This is a whole baked Camembert. But don't worry. l shared with Randi.

Bright and early the next morning, we drove to Giverny.

Home to Monet and his famous garden. 

This is where he lived.

The large window at ground floor is his studio. 

We were able to take  a tour of the house.

The very famous gardens of Giverny!!

And of course, you must have your picture taken on the famous bridge.

These 2 structures caught our eye in a town nearby.

Our final destination for the day was in the town of Chantilly.

Home to the Musee de la Nacre de la Tabletterie

The museum is housed in the original factory where the buttons, 

among other things were made.

l will never take a simple button for granted again, after seeing what goes into making one.

Here you could read ( in french) all about the history of the button factory,

 and take a tour, which l am sure was very informative,

 had we been able to understand French!!

Knew l should have paid more attention in school.

But the exhibits needed no explaining, and its a delightful museum to visit.

Button, Button, who's got the button?

Can you remember playing that game as a child?  l can.

Many hours of entertainment. Do you think this generation would enjoy it? LOL

l can also remember tipping out Mother's button jar,

 and spending ages, sorting them into colors and sizes.

And that brings us to today.
Last night was our last night in France.
We head over the border into Belgium today.
Our first stop, Brugge.
Who knows what wonderful scenery awaits us,
 and what adventures we will have.


If you have made it this far, you deserve a medal.

Thank you for coming along with us.

l hope you have enjoyed taking a tour through France with us.
So for the final time,
Au revoir.

Linda.