Paris to Normandy via Honfleur, Bayeux and Mont Saint-Michel

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Paris to Normandy

Honfleur and Bayeux

July 14, 2014

We checked out of the Hotel California to begin the trek from Paris to Normandy, about 175 miles.
We took the train to De Gaulle airport to pick up our rental car, a Nissan Juke; a nifty little standard. Emilie did all the driving, I did the navigating, Suzannah did the back seat driving. After initially heading in the wrong direction out of the airport, we eventually headed toward the Normandy coast. We used the car’s GPS, paper maps, and pre-cached maps and directions on the iPad (no internet service on the road for us).

For most of the way from Paris to Normandy we drove small roads get a better feel for the country.

There were many old stone villages often navigated via narrow two-way roads big enough for just one car. After about an hour we made a stop at a small bakery in one of those small villages. Unfortunately, it had just stopped serving sandwiches just minutes before, so we were forced into eating pastries for a snack. A couple hours later we stopped at a highway rest stop restaurant for dinner.

About 100 miles from the airport we stopped in the colorful, scenic harbor town of Honfleur for a couple of hours. It reminded us of a European South Haven, Michigan. Walking around town, we visited a huge all-wood church in the town center, climbed a steep hill to an old cool cult-like church, got awesome crepes from a street vendor, and then headed back into the town center.

We watched a traditional Bastille Day event of young men running up an oiled inclining pole (boat mast) to snatch a flag at the end before slipping into the water below. Most didn’t get as far as the flag before falling. It was very crowded as thousands of people gathered to watch. A very beautiful town, and fun pit stop. Good to partake in a traditional French Independence Day celebration.

 

On to the amazingly beautiful town of Bayeux about 30 minutes away. In this photo we are driving toward the hotel as we enter Bayeux.

We checked in to the Lion d’Or Hotel around 8:00 PM. This was a nice, very old boutique hotel with courtyard parking. The man at the desk brought our suitcases up to the room, as there was no elevator (typical of these boutique hotels).

Once settled in the hotel we checked out the town of Bayeux on foot. Beautiful very old stone village-like town with a cathedral that is gorgeously lit up at night. We got dinner at Pizzeria Fred ‘au Bayeux, a pizza restaurant on a side street. We sat outside and got some advance scoop on visiting Omaha beach from some Americans sitting at the table next to us. After pizza, Sz went to the hotel for the night. Em and I stayed out to discover the town at night. Got in to the lit cathedral, called Notre Dame, just before it closed, and got down into its creepy crypt just as we were kicked out for closing.   What a beautiful cathedral.   We then joined Suzannah back at the hotel for the night.

Normandy Beaches

Omaha Beach (Overlord Tours)

July 15, 2014

We ate breakfast in the quaint, yet elegant restaurant at the hotel. Chocolate croissants again (croissants in France are truly remarkable, and one can NEVER eat enough).

We met up with our half-day tour of Omaha beach with Overlord Tours at 8:30 am about ¼ mile from the hotel. With us was one other couple from Australia, and the tour guide. This was an excellent, informative tour.  The guide drove us to the beach in her Overland Tours jeep. We toured the beach, bunkers, and bomb craters of Omaha beach, and the expansive and somber American soldier cemetery. We also toured Pointe-du-hoc. Suzannah proceeded to not-so-gracefully fall down a bomb crater at Pointe-du-hoc, and hurt her ribs. What a knucklehead! Bomb craters were created along the coastline by allied air forces in a failed attempt to destroy as many bunkers as possible the night before the actual D-day invasion.  These air strikes were remarkably ineffective.

 

 

After the tour we had lunch back in Bayeux at Pourquoi Pas. This was a reasonably priced, very nice little café/restaurant where the only employee we saw was the one very nice young guy who sat us and waited on us. We assumed there was somebody cooking in the kitchen.

We then drove to see the Pegasus Bridge museum on recommendation from our Omaha Beach tour guide. This was an excellent museum focused on British airborne troops securing a bridge on D-day. The battle was featured in the movie The Longest Day. The artifacts in the museum were vast and impressive.

We then drove the coastline and visited the D-day beach fronts from north to south. Drove to Sword Beach which was a hopping, lively beach and got some ice cream. Then we drove to Juno Beach; and then on to Gold Beach. We went onto Gold Beach to get up close to some remnants remaining from the artificial harbor built during the invasion.

Then we went on to have a light dinner and wine on the outdoor terrace of the Hotel de la Marine restaurant overlooking the water in the beautiful little town of Arromanches Les Bains.

We then drove back to Bayeux, about a 20 minute ride. Sz went to the hotel. Em and I went to a late night light show by the cathedral. This included an interesting, artistic modern French history video montage cast against a large sycamore tree next to the cathedral, which was lit up purple.  We ended the night at the only bar still open, the Irish pub on the main street near the hotel.

Bayeux

July 16, 2014

Met up with Christele, our personal tour guide from Discovery Walks at 10:00 am right near the hotel.

We got great insights into the history of this gorgeous town on this outstanding 2-hour walking tour. It was on this tour we learned that during the German occupation of WWII, Bayeux farms were used as landing fields for the allies using small aircraft. We asked our guide why residents didn’t evacuate to England on these planes. She was appalled at the suggestion that loyal French residents would leave their homeland, even under such circumstances. Very enlightening.

We had lunch after the tour in town at a nifty sidewalk cafe, Le Marsala, recommended by Christele. Decent food, and nice to eat outside on this quaint old village street in Bayeux.

 

After lunch, went to tour the Notre Dame cathedral in town since Sz had not seen it the other night, plus Em and I wanted to see it in the daylight.

We then went on to the Bayeux Tapestry Museum to see the famous tapestry a couple of blocks away, on a quiet side street.

It was not easy to find, it seemed like they were still hiding it from the Nazis. We did the audio tour of the tapestry that depicts the Battle of Hastings. Then we toured the small museum housing it. No photos allowed inside, however. This was a highlight of our trip, fascinating history, and just amazing to see such an old and historic relic.
Em then picked up the car from the hotel while Sz and I went on a quest to find one last chocolate croissant before leaving Bayeux at around 2:00 pm.

Utah Beach Normandy

Off to Utah Beach, the last of the D-day beaches for us to see.

It was a beautiful, expansive beach, as are all of the D-day beaches. Em and I waded into the surprisingly warm water, amongst the locals. A French woman approached us to tell us in French how much she loves Americans because they liberated her parents…it was a very touching moment. Fortunately Emilie speaks a bit of French.

Then on to St. Mere-Eglise to see the famous church where an American paratrooper got hung up on the church steeple the night of the D-day invasion, and survived the battle. Also seen in the movie The Longest Day.

We walked around the town, and got some ice cream at a very large candy store & restaurant.

Mont Saint-Michel

Our trip from Paris to Normandy led us to Mont Saint-Michel where our next hotel was awaiting us. Mont Saint-Michel is an imposing granite rock set in a tidal bay in Normandy, wrapped with a medieval city and topped with an abbey. It was used as a prison at the time of the French revolution until 1863.

At around 7:30 pm we arrived at the very comfortable and perfectly located Auberge de la Baie motel, which has a nice view of Mont Saint-Michel across a field of sheep.

We decided we would visit Mont Saint Michel abby that evening.  From the motel, we drove 5 minutes to the parking area for the shuttle bus to get to Mont Saint-Michel. Once inside, we stopped for a light dinner at the unreasonably priced but where else could we eat Mont Saint-Michel cafe. We then proceeded to explore the Abby. This was another highlight of the trip. Words cannot do this place justice, neither can amateur photos. The views of the village below, of the ocean, of the mainland across the water were spectacular.

The Abby was breathtaking. Different halls throughout the vast structure had different musicians playing solos: cello, flute, and a harp…with eerily wonderful acoustics. Upon leaving, the exit/entrance way was flooding with the tide. I jumped across, Sz and Em went around a different way to get out. It became dark while on the island so upon leaving we saw it in its majestic lighting, which was a perfect ending to the visit.

It was a great time to visit it. We originally planned to see it the following morning, but since we had time, we went that evening and avoided the crowds, and saw it in its daylight and moonlight glory. Plus we now had more time the next day to travel to the Loire Valley. This was an event-packed day, and we were beat by the time we got back to the hotel. Paris to Normandy conquered!

Next:  Loire Valley