Missy's Blog: Normandy

We just returned from a 3 night stay in Normandy. What a great trip! Rob got here last week (yay!!!) and after a few days spent in Paris we picked up our rental car and headed to Normandy. Rob has always wanted to visit the D-Day beaches and we were all ready for a break from the city.

Our first stop was lunch in Honfleur, a charming port town in northern France. We spent some time wandering and then decided to eat. Mussels must have been in season, as every restaurant was serving them and the pot I got for 10E could have fed 4 people. They were tiny and sweet. The next stop was our hotel in Villers-Bocage. It was more of a manor house bed and breakfast and was surrounded by lovely grounds and farms. We enjoyed our first night unwinding with a picnic dinner outside and watched the kids play badminton.

The next morning after a great continental breakfast, we headed to Bayeux to start our D-Day beach visit. The Museum in Bayeux had a great exhibit and 30 minute movie that gave me and the kids a good introduction. We also watched some of the movie "The Longest Day" before we arrived - which helped a lot in our understanding of events. We then proceeded to walk along Omaha beach and later see the Pointe du Hoc where the American rangers climbed the cliffs. It was so moving and depressing to think about all of the lives lost, especially at the American cemetery. I had to keep reminding myself how much more depressing the alternative would have been.

Driving through the little towns in this area was delightful. Everything is so clean and uncluttered. At one point, we were getting a little hungry and a 'Snack' stand appeared on the side of the road. A typical frenchman (scarf, cigarette hanging out of his mouth) was waiting for his order and was obviously buddies with the owner so we ordered what he was having. It was called 'the Americain' and was basically narrow hamburgers on a baguette with lettuce, tomato, mustard, and french fries on top. Soooo good.

This second day also happened to be Conrad's birthday so of course we had to wrap it up with a little celebration. Our innkeeper, Annie, was kind enough to make us dinner which included aperitifs, salad, an entree of Normandy chicken and potatoes, a cheese course, an apple birthday tart, and a grand finale of her father's homemade Calvados. It was all so delicious and special. We asked Annie how long she owned the manoir and she explained it had always been in her family and she used to summer there as a child. We asked if WWII had caused any damage and she said no, the Germans did move into the house though and stole some of their belongings. The village of Villers-Bocage (less than a mile away) was leveled.

Sadly, we had to leave Annie and the Manoir de la Queue du Renard the following day and head towards Mont Saint-Michel. It is located in lower Normandy and is an island commune that has been a monastery since the 8th Century AD. This was my first time seeing the Mont and it is truly spectacular. I didn't realize there is also a cobbley town surrounding the abbey. Rob kept saying, "This is where Disney got all of his scenes from!"

For this part of the trip we stayed on a farm a short distance from the Mont. It was quiet and relaxing except for the mosquito onslaught that we suffered at bedtime. Did I forget to mention that this day was Bryn's birthday?! Yes my babies are 3 years and 1 day apart. Staying on the farm was the biggest treat for her with all of the chickens, bunnies and Homer ( pronounced Omair) the golden retriever. So we decided to not drag her out for a birthday dinner. Instead, we bought some provisions in town for a picnic dinner and hung out at the farm.

Day four consisted of driving back to Paris. Rob handled the driving expertly (although he did run one red light and got a parking ticket for leaving the car too long in Honfleur). We've already decided to train it to Germany in November. Enjoy the photos!

Scenes from Honfleur