Getting Inspired

I sat down to my computer this morning and took a moment to look back at the last month. It was a big, shiny, happy, and full month.

I finally had some time to sit down and really tackle the Versailles guide with extra tenacity. That means the second rough draft is done and I've sent it off to some test readers! I'm pretty excited that the light is at the end of the tunnel now. I want to get this out into the world and share a new way to take a tour.

I also finished my first post for the "Get Inspired" section of the website. It's all about the charming Côte d'Azur town of Villefranche-sur-Mer. There are pictures, restaurant reviews, recommendations for things to do, where to stay, and how to get there--the things that hopefully spark your imagination and get you fired up maybe taking a trip (there or anywhere). We're swinging into the height of travel season, after-all!

This is just the beginning for the Get Inspired section. I have more towns, villages, and cities--most of them in France and Italy--already planned so stay tuned! 

And finally, my personal life got a bit more exciting. I got engaged in May and we've jumped into wedding planning with joy and gusto and, well, sticker shock! What that also means is that I've started daydreaming about honeymoon destinations. Italy? France? Spain? The Galapagos? Costa Rica? Iceland? There are so many incredible places we could go. So we're dreaming big dreams right now and planning some amazing long and short term adventures. 

So here's to a summer of adventure, yours and mine!

The 70th Anniversary of D-Day

Today marks the 70th anniversary of D-Day. I recommend taking a few moments to check out CBC's D-Day twitter account for a unique look back and a really interesting Canadian perspective. They are tweeting updates, radio addresses, videos, and maps as if D-Day news was breaking now. 

A few years ago I was lucky to visit the beaches with my family and a guide. It was a cold September day and it felt like we had the whole area to ourselves at times. There was a lot of space to think and take everything in. It's hard to put into words the range of emotions those places elicit. If you have never been and ever get a chance to go, please don't pass it up. 

Here are the posts I wrote about our visit:

One Day in Normandy, Part 1: Bayeux (not D-Day related, but the start of the day)

One Day in Normandy, Part 2: Omaha Beach 

One Day in Normandy, Part 3: Pointe du Hoc

One Day in Normandy, Part 4: Gold Beach

One Day in Normandy, Part 5: Juno Beach

One Day in Normandy, Part 6: Le Grand Bunker

 

Daydream Destination: Oceanographic Museum of Monaco (Part II)

Last week I shared some of my favorite pictures from the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco's aquarium, but the aquarium was really just the beginning. 

So today's post is all about the historic collections, temporary exhibit, beautiful rooms and expansive views that awaited us. 

First up is the Prince Albert I Room. It is chock full of artifacts and information from and about Prince Albert I's oceanographic explorations and scientific research between 1885 and 1915. 

At the time of his first voyage, oceanography was a relatively young science and Prince Albert I played an important role in its development. He and his crew studied plant and marine life, taking extremely detailed notes and preserving specimens, some of which are on display. 

In 1906, he created the Oceanographic Institute Foundation Albert I, Prince of Monaco which later became the famed Oceanographic Museum of Monaco we can visit today. It houses the museum and aquarium in Monaco, but also includes a library and world-class Parisian research facility. 

My favorite example of his team's work was their study of the ocean currents. They dropped bottles encased in copper balls into the ocean. Inside each bottle was a note written in 10 different languages, asking whoever found the ball/bottle to report information about their location back to the Prince. 

This allowed for a much deeper and more accurate understanding of the ocean's currents, especially the Gulf Stream.

There's something almost romantic to me about how simple and effective it was. Besides, who doesn't dream of finding a bottle washed up on some shore with a message inside it? For science!

Just outside of the Prince Albert I Room is large hall with more interesting things to look at. Like a replica of the first submarine which was built in the 1700s. 

I want to think that I have enough of an adventuring spirit that I would have climbed right in that thing when it was first built, but I know how I feel about deep, dark water: fear and awe. The bottom line is that I'd probably let another sucker go first at least a few times. 

At the time, Mark Quinn's Self 2011 , a cast of his head in his own frozen blood, was also on display here. I briefly mentioned him last week, but his works were on display throughout the museum as part of an exhibition called "The Littoral Zone."

I'm not sure why my only photo of it is so far away. I stood in front of it for awhile vacillating between contemplation and general heebie jeebies. If art is supposed to make you think, I quickly learned that Marc Quinn definitely does that for me.

At the other end of the hall, across from the Prince Albert I Room is the Whale Room. It comes by its name honestly. The skeleton of an immense rorqual fin whale that, at nearly 60 feet (18 meters), seems to span the whole room and dwarf the other 12 whale skeletons surrounding it. It's hard not to stop and stare for a good, long while.  

The Whale Room also showcases temporary exhibitions alongside all of the other interesting marine specimens around the room. On our visit, of course, it was more of Marc Quinn's work. One of my favorites was the eerily beautiful The Future of the Planet.  My photo is blurry, but there's a clear picture at the link. 

After the Whale Room, we went to the roof. The views were a treat, even on a cloudy and drizzly day. If you ever visit, I highly recommend not skipping out on it. There is also a washroom up there. Two birds, one stone. 

More Marc Quinn pieces and a funny, yellow not-quite-a-submarine boat greeted us.

The whole experience was a great way to spend part of a rainy day, especially in a country that has a reputation for being superficial and touristy. 

If you're interested in going, here is a link to the official website of the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco for all of the updated information you will need, including hours and ticket prices.