Romantic Journeys

By Chalerm Raksnti

Mont St Michel

This abbey-fortress was not conceived as a work of art, but rather, was built solely to the greater glory of God. Buildings have been going up, and up, on this conical, granite island since the 8th century. This sacred isle is three acres in area and towers 230 feet about the tidal sands. Medieval pilgrims came here for centuries, many travelling for weeks and months in order to kneel and pray on Mont St Michel. They rested at the tidal shore, prepared themselves spiritually, were fed and nursed if they were ill by local villagers, and then walked across at low tide to the tiny islet, singing, their crosses and flags defying the wind.

Sacred Isle Mont St Michel

The Benedictine reformers made their islet into an important cultural centre, and defended themselves against pirates, the Normans, and anyone else who cast covetous eyes upon it. Yet, even they could not resist the French Revolution, and the fortress was turned into a prison, storehouse, and junk depository, but fortunately, not into a quarry!

The Second World War passed by it. But one shudders to think what would have happened if the German army had thought to use it as a garrison. The old town of St Malo was declared a fortress in this period, and the result was that during the Allied bombing, not a single building was left standing. On the other hand, the German planes did their best to destroy Canterbury Cathedral because the Archbishop was a vehement opponent of Adolph Hitler. And did not the French, whose jewel in the Channel was spared, destroy Montserrat Monastery in Catalonia under Napoleon? No wonder some people are inclined to view the preservation of St. Michel as a miracle.

The Cloisters

The church’s bell tower seems like an apparition, soaring above the Normandy wheat fields. Walking the long tideland causeway toward the island, the abbey floats in the mist like a mirage. Fast moving currents rush by as passing boats are grounded on the ebbing tide.

Mont St Michel has about 100 permanent residents. Most of these people are involved in some way in administration of the isle or tourism. The buildings include some storerooms, kitchens, refectories, bastions, and one is half-full of pillars - part of the barrel vaulted foundations that support the immense church and battlements.

Pathway to the top

The single street which leads toward the summit of the abbey bustles with activity as the visitor climbs toward the Grand Stairway to St. Michel’s topmost level. At the top, everything is cramped together. And surely there can be no smaller cloister anywhere else in the world, and yet it still has its own little garden in the middle.

From the west terrace the Normandy coastline sweeps before the eyes in an unforgettable panorama. Time to rest a little and contemplate the lives of the monks who spent their lives on this tiny rock, in prayer and meditation.

A Horse lover’s Heaven

by Lesley Warner

I had some time to kill the other day and I remembered the Snake Show I had seen advertised down the Sukhumvit Road, Soi 53. You can’t miss the entrance with its two large painted cobra’s on either side. I was happy I got there with time to look around before the show started; they are on every day on the hour.

Don’t you argue with me!

There are many cages and vivariums with various species of reptiles and snakes, including King Cobra, Rock Python, and a Carpet Python from Australia, Emerald Tree Boa from the Amazon Basin and a Siamese Russell Viper, of which I was told, "You die very quick from this one". They also had a Long Nose Green snake, the same as I found in my garden the other day, and I was relieved to see that it said these snakes were not poisonous, although my Thai colleague did not agree.

There were also budgies and bunnies etc., for the children to look at.

Snakes kept outside in cages

I went in to see the short show, sat at the front and when I looked around I seemed to be alone, as everyone else was at the back! They started off the show with a cobra and I soon realized why I was sitting alone, as it loomed up in front of me looking none too happy to be a ‘star’ performer. But at least the trainer had a tight hold on the tail.

They brought the cobra around after the performance so we were able to feel the skin and it was as smooth as plastic (they did have a very tight grip on it’s head).

What edible can you see?

Then there was a Mangrove Pit Viper, and the trainer was proud to show me how he could squeeze real poison out of its mouth into a glass right under my nose. The show finished with a 4-year-old python that you could have your picture taken with; the narrator assured us that it was not poisonous but just has 52 very sharp teeth.

This is an interesting place to visit if you don’t have too much time and want to go somewhere not too far outside of town.

For more information tel. 038 731 586

Oneworld brings the world to Pattaya

The oneworld alliance, comprising eight airlines, celebrated their working together with a cocktail party held at the Amari Orchid Resort’s Henry J. Bean’s outlet. While the eight principal airlines that comprise the oneworld alliance bring people together from all points of the globe, the party was the focal point in uniting the airlines’ diverse clientele in Thailand, specifically the Eastern Seaboard.

The oneworld alliance group

The host for the evening was David Sae-Chiu, Cathay Pacific’s regional manager for SE Asia, who welcomed representatives from the other four alliance partners in Asia. Amongst those were Boonsong Haruchaiyasak, the commercial manager of Qantas/British Airways and Prajak Burarak, the Thailand sales manager for American Airlines.

David Sae-Chiu, speaking in an interview on the Pattaya Mail Channel said that the oneworld alliance was working well, giving the customer "seamless travel" throughout the world, and had improved customer satisfaction. From the individual airline’s point of view it also meant that there were always "back up" flights and aircraft from an alliance partner if needed at any time.

The eight members of the alliance: Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Lan Chile and Qantas cover the world and have made travel to whatever destination of the four corners of the earth as accessible and as easy as a phone call away. A video presentation confirmed how it is so.

A feature of the evening was the draw for tickets to some of these destinations, and the lucky recipients were rewarded with tickets to Helsinki, Los Angeles and other exotic destinations of the oneworld network.

There was no question about the impact of the evening and, as we received polo shirts at the exit, we knew we were part of oneworld. Even as the intrepid mariners of yesteryear set out to discover new worlds, now, through the medium of the oneworld alliance, we have access to any part of our world.