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| So many baguettes...…….so little time! |
We're staying in Villefranche-sur-Mer which is a small community just a couple of miles outside Nice in one direction and Monaco in the other direction. There will be plenty more on our time in this area in the days to come. While I'm certainly no expert, here are a few tips if you're going to be visiting the Normandy region of France.
Getting there:
You can get there by plane, train, bus or auto. We enjoyed having a car because of the flexibility it provided. The navigating and driving was very easy thanks to the GPS on my I-phone. Most rental cars are manual (stick shift), you'll pay extra if you want an automatic. Gas is expensive! It's currently around the equivalent of $5.50 a gallon. The roads from Paris to the Normandy region were very nice multi-lane highways. They are all toll roads. The toll booths are not manned, you can pay with cash (the machines give change) or credit card. Paying by credit card was fast and easy. The roads around the smaller cities in the region are very nice and easy to navigate (thanks again to the GPS). Unlike some places I've driven around the world, drivers were courteous, although tailgating seems to be the norm.
What to do:
There is so much to do in this region of France, we just scratched the surface. I would recommend at least one full day dedicated to the D-Day invasion sites. If you are a real WWII history buff, you could spend an eternity visiting the sites and museums. One nice thing that we found was that although it has been close to seventy five years since the liberation of France, the citizens of the Normandy region are very grateful for the sacrifices made by American, British and Canadian troops. This gratitude has been passed down from generation to generation and was really special to experience.
Bayeux was a nice city for us to use as a base. It had several interesting sites (Cathedral & Tapestry), plenty of restaurants, and was a good "walking city". The D-Day sites that we visited were all within an hour of Bayeux, with Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery being just 25 minutes away.
Mont Saint-Michel was about an hour and a half from Bayeux and is definitely worth seeing as well. It's a full day adventure, but for us it was something we really enjoyed. If you've followed this blog, you know we like walking and there was plenty of great walks in and around Mont Saint-Michel. If stairs are your thing, there are plenty of those as well!
A day in Etretat is a day well spent! Take time to hike up the cliffs and enjoy the magnificent views!
Honfleur was a really nice place to relax and enjoy. The harbor, public gardens and walk along the River Seine are highlights.
What to eat and drink:
There are plenty of bakeries that sell freshly baked baguettes and pastries. Restaurants tend to serve only at select times of the day. Lunch is from approximately 11:30-2:30 and dinner from 7:00 or 8:00. Your options are going to be limited if you're wanting a meal outside of these hours, although there will be some options near the "tourist sites".
Sandwiches are a good and economical choice, and I'd highly recommend you try the mussels (Normandy Style) and the cider.
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| It's called a buckwheat pancake (galette in French). It had cheese, potatoes, onions and bacon inside. |
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| Crepe with nutella |
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| Lemon Tort |
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| Check out the American (and French) Flag on this sandwich! |
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| Mussels Normandy Style |
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| Omlette…………..it's not just for breakfast |
Our time in the Normandy region passed quickly. It was a great place to visit and somewhere that we will definitely add to our ever expanding "visit again list". There's so much to see, do and eat!
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| There was an article on the University of Florida in the Air France magazine...…….how cool is that? |
