Vacation Memories: Part One

**Another flash from the past.**

As we grow older, our memories inevitably begin to fade. But despite our fading memories, there are always a handful of precious ones that stick with us. My brothers, sister, and I were very lucky to have spent some of our childhood in Europe. Living in Germany allowed our family many opportunities to have extraordinary vacations (and even more mini day trips). Although I cannot recall all the details of these vacations, the memories I do have are worth treasuring.

My family and I had a great time visiting places in France. The memories I have of France are unfortunately all jumbled together. I can’t even remember how many times we were there. Maybe it was just once. My favorite memory of France was our visit to the castle/abbey on Mont St. Michael. Mont St. Michael is a tidal island in Normandy, France. It was once upon a time connected to the mainland by a natural bridge, but since the bridge was always completely covered during high tide it wasn’t very efficient. Thanks to modern advances, visitors can now visit the island by a man-made causeway. Although I remember having fun wandering through the old buildings and castle, the memories of exploring around the island stick out most in my mind. The tides at Mont St. Michael are very fascinating. During low tide visitors can walk around the island’s sandy beach. However, when high tide is coming in, it is time to run. The tides in the area change very quickly and have been described as being as “swift as a galloping horse”. When the tides have completely come in, the island is entirely surrounded by water. I can still hear the worry in my mom’s voice as she told us is was time to leave the beach. I’m pretty sure she didn’t want a bunch of wet kids in her car. If you want to check out Mont St. Michael from the comfort of your own home, check out this youtube link and enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RpIc2aXy7Q

Paris was another great place we visited in France. Looking back, it is funny to think of the things that impressed me the most. When we went to the Louvre, I was more impressed with the outside of the building than the art inside. As we walked by street vendors, I was more impressed with the young artists’ doing pencil drawings than I was of the expensive oil paintings. And as we laid eyes on the Eiffel Tower, I was more impressed by the people who could walk to the top than of the tower itself. Of course now I regret that I was not mature enough to appreciate all the wonders of Paris, but as a child I still had a great time! Notre-Dame was one place in Paris that was magnificent enough to impress children and adults alike. Whether standing inside or outside of the cathedral, the sights are breathtaking. If you are ever in Paris, this is one place you can not miss.

Please feel free to share any great memories of your childhood vacations. I would love to hear them all. Tomorrow I will continue with my memories of our German vacations.

Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion.