Normandy

We spent a long, 4-day weekend in Normandy during one of Belgium's bank holidays. Normandy, while usually associated with the famous D-Day landing beaches and WWII sites, is as beautiful as it is historic: quaint villages, traditional french farmhouses, bocage (farmland divided by hedgerows & trees), and fields covered with yellow primroses and gorse.

As far as regional specialities go, Normandy is the land of Camembert cheese; a mildly alcoholic cider made from apples or pears; and an apple-flavored brandy called Calvados.

We started our trip in Giverny visiting the gardens planted and painted by Claude Monet. Our first night was spent on a farm close to Rouen, where we walked around through the narrow streets lined with half-timbered houses and had a quick look at the outside of the massive Cathédrale Notre Dame--often painted by Monet. Next, we headed to Bayeux to see the D-Day beaches and the famous Bayeux Tapestry, which tells the story of the Norman invasion of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror. We spent our final day and night on Mont St-Michel, which is a large rock with a gothic abbey at the summet. The interesting thing about this place is that it lies within a bay whose water level is influenced by some impressive tides (every 6 hours). At high tide, the mont is completely surrounded by water and at low tide, sand.

Monet's Gardens in Giverny

Yellow, Yellow Everywhere!
At the beginning of May, Normandy was covered with fields of rapeseed used to make rapeseed oil, otherwise known as canola. Thanks, Peggy, for providing me with this horticultural tid-bit.

Notre chambre à La Ferme du Coquetot

We loved staying at this B&B. It was a traditional French farmhouse on a working farm. We paid 41 Euros (the cheapest we've ever found) and it included a huge breakfast, which extended far beyond the usual continental fare. They even made us some eggs.

I just had to take pictures of our room because it was filled with kitsch. There was definitely a theme. It may seem a bit overdone, but the place really had a charming, rustic feel--It wasn't at all tourist-tacky.

Translation: Here one lies down with the hens

The place was decorated with lots of old camembert labels. These are just a few.

Rouen

Les Plages du Débarquement
(D-Day Landing Beaches)

American Military Cemetary

Omaha Beach: one of the American landing sites

A German Bunker




Pointe du Hoc

This is where the germans had a battery of huge artillery guns. The guns had been transferred elsewhere, but the Americans scaled the 30m cliffs and captured the gun emplacements and the German command post.

This spot is still pockmarked with 3m bomb craters and looks much as it did over half a century ago. I don't think the pictures really capture the enormity and/or amount of these craters. It was mindboggling!

Stopping for a Little Dégustation of Apple Cidre

Our B&B in Bayeux

A Few Shots from the Beautiful City of Bayeux

The Tapestry Museum

Fun at the Saturday Morning Market in Bayeux

Mont St-Michel

We arrived at low-tide and got to walk around on the sand and play in the muddy puddles. We, then, sat in the sun and watched the tide come in. It was a real treat to sleep on the mont because we got to wander around at night after the hordes of tourists had already left. There is a special parking lot for people staying after high-tide. There is a picture of one of the lower parking lots that was filled with cars at one point. Later it was covered with water. In the picture we have, the tide is going back out again.