It is about 5± hours from Brussels to Courseulles-sur-Mer, the tiny coastal town where we stayed, so we stopped off on the way for lunch and a stroll through the cliffside village of Étretat. It was a super cute little town, albeit very quiet in that funny hollow way that seaside places get during the off-season.
Troy outside the cute restaurant where we lunched, a meal that included a really fabulous local, warm, herbed camembert demi-lune served over salad. De-li-ci-ous!
A bol de cidre ("bowl" of cider) -- apples and apple products are a Norman specialty.
The cliffs were especially dramatic (and quite bright and breezy as you can see from the funny expression on my face).
From Étretat, we made the quick hop over to Courseulles-sur-Mer to our lovely 18th century farmhouse bed and breakfast.
View over the Norman countryside. The geography was crazy -- these lovely green fields are literally only ±1/2 mile away from the ocean!
The entrance path to our B&B.
Although the primary draw, for us, was to visit the many heritage sites related to the Normandy Campaign and the D-Day Invasion, there were several other interesting things to do in the region. One such place is Bayeux, a pretty little town with cute shops, a gorgeous cathedral, and also the home of the 70 meter long, 11th century embroidery known as the Tapisserie de Bayeux/Bayeux Tapestry. This 'tapestry' is an incredible pictorial accounting of the Norman Conquest -- incredible in its fabrication and in the fact that such a fragile textile has survived for nearly a thousand years! For those of you who slept through your history courses in college (as opposed to eating them up the way I did! Nerd, I know), this was that whole event in 1066 with the Battle of Hastings and the Normans beating up on the English and where Guillaume de Normandie became William the Conqueror.
Bayeux Cathedral just after sunset.
The interior masonry was amazing and super detailed.
Masonry masks close-up.
Troy outside the Bayeux Tapestry Museum.
This pâtisserie and salon de thé was the cutest thing ever!
All decorated for Easter.
On our way to Bayeux we stopped off at a neat bio cidery, an organic farm and orchard that produces calvados (the famous Norman apple brandy), plus pommeau, cidre, juice, compotes, and other apple products. The owner was a quirky older man who seemed to enjoy the tastings as much as his clients did (tee hee), but he was also very welcoming and even let us peek in the cave. Needless to say, we left with a couple of the local specialties.
Les Vergers de Ducy, organic cidery.
Troy in the cave.
All of this was great, but even so the big regional attraction for me was Mont-St-Michel. With its spectacular setting on a rocky outcropping in the middle of a bay, the architectural drama of this place has called out to me since I was a child. (I was about 12 when I first learned about Mont-St-Michel, and I have wanted to visit it ever since.) So, one day we made the trek practically into Brittany to see the Mont. We climbed the paths to the very top of the rock, toured the abbey, and watched an incredible thunderstorm roll in across the bay.
Visually speaking, this was a highlight of the trip for me. In fact, it is one of the most stunning things that I have ever seen in my whole life. However (SPOILER alert for anyone who, like me, has harbored a lifelong romantic notion of Mont-St-Michel and doesn't want their fantasy shattered) the town that lies at the base of the rock, below the abbey, was one of the chintziest, tackiest, most tourist-riddled, neon-signed, expensive places anywhere. And...the food was terrible. That is like an insult to the entire nation of France! We didn't actually eat on the island -- everything looked so utterly unappetizing or outrageously expensive (I'm talking 90 euro for a lobster omelet expensive) that instead we found a grocery story on the 'mainland' and had a little picnic at a roadside pull-out with a view of the Mont.
This was our first view of Mont-St-Michel, approaching from the south.
As with much of our trip, it rained off and on this day. It kind of sucked, but it was kind of cool because it added that extra bit of drama to an already exceedingly dramatic place.
The whole place is encased in massive stone walls.
The tide was out when we arrived.
Inside the abbey cloisters
What a cool shot, if I do say so myself -- everywhere you looked was beauty and drama.
The storm approaches!
Despite my utter disappointment with the town, Mont-St-Michel was still really, really cool and a must-see for anyone with even a slight interest in architecture. Our Normandy trip was surprising in many ways and so chock-full of interesting sites, tragic and heart-warming stories, and multiple layers of history, that five days felt like weeks. But, you know, in a good way.
La Côte Normande Photo Album - Click Here
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great recap. I think you are exactly where you should be right now.
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