Normandy France ~ our road trip
We recently were in France and decided to get a car and head out of Paris. Not that we don’t love Paris with all the museums, restaurants and people watching but we just needed to see some green hills and country side. My hubby was also very interested in the Calvados region, the potent apple brandy made in Upper Normandy.
We picked up our car, which had a great navigation system in English, off we went. Yes, there were a couple of hiccups going through the toll booth outside of Paris, let them honk, no worries. Once we were out of Paris we took smaller roads to be see the small towns.
Later than we planned, we arrived at our sweet B&B. The host had a warm fire already started for us and a cookie jar full of homemade Scottish Shortbread cookies which was empty when we left 3 days later. We could see Mont St. Michel in the distance down the road, it was enchanting. As evening came the Mont glowed in the warm light of the village that is within it’s walls.
The next morning we were up in time to see about 300+ sheep trotting out to the salt marshes that encircle the Mont. The sheep graze all day long and return to their pens at dusk. This area is famously know for a dish of lamb called “Agneau de pre-sale”. In English- Salt meadow lamb. The Hubs had it for dinner one evening at a cozy restaurant that we walked to down the road and of course, he loved it. Since we were so close to the sea, there are oysters on every menu so I couldn’t pass on those lovelies.
I got sidetracked. Started talking about sheep which lead to cooking and dinner. After we let the sheep go by and were able to drive on the road, we headed to Mont St. Michel. It looked majestic set on the sand in the now empty bay. The tide was out, way out. I kept hoping that we would be there to see the tide race in but timing was not right for us. Since the tide was out and not due in for hours we took a walk around the Mont at the base in the sand. I kept looking up and wondered if we would really be able to make the climb to the top, but once started it was worth it. There are many places to stop and read about a bit of trivia and history or just sit and look at the view.
Be sure not to give up ~ go to the top! It is so worth it! The monk’s cloisters are there and a cathedral. You may be there at a time to hear the monks chanting and nuns singing. On our decent we stopped to checkout a few of the shops and food stalls that we hurried past. We were looking for something to ear and drink after that climb. The shops that are fun to peak in for treats to bring home and share.
Our next destination on this adventure was the region of Pays d`Auge. This is in Upper Normandy and is famous for Calvados and hard cider. We stopped at the information center and picked up a map of the distilleries and off we went. The map made it look much easier to find these little farms than it really was. We drove up valleys and down twisty roads, even stopped along the way to pet some friendly cows by the side of the road. It was beautiful and eventually we found enough establishments and were able to enjoy the difference in each, as one does with wineries. We would have liked to spend a night here but we headed to Honfleur where we had reservations for our last 2 nights before returning home.
Honfleur is a coastal town located where the Seine meets the Sea. It is just beautiful. The town is centered on a protected harbor. There are restaurants lining the wharf so you can just sit and watch the moored boats sway while the sun sets and the little lights turn on. It is magical and romantic. If you are ever in Honfleur be sure to visit their market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, it is huge. We spent the two day here wandering the ancient streets, sitting at a cafe with our coffee and croissant. And eating oysters!
We spent our last night in Honfleur, got up and out early for our 1:00 pm departure flight from Charles DeGaulle airport. It took us a little over 3 hours on a Sunday morning. It was an easy drive and better than staying at an airport hotel.
If this sounds like something you’d like to experience and see a country like a local, please message me. I would love to help you plan your next
Life Adventure!
Lisa
