Summer Holiday…

Normandy (June/July)

We took the Ferry from Poole to Cherbourg driving down to our gite just outside Arromanches-les-Bains. Here we met up with Marc, Heather and Elise and celebrated Marc’s 60^th.

2^nd day – We explored some of the local beaches (Gold) – here there is physical evidence of the Mulberry harbour on the beach and in the sea.

3^rd day – We drove up the coast to the pretty fishing village of Honfleur at the mouth of the Sienne.

4^th day – We (Minus Marc who had a work commitment) drove down to the fabulous Mont Saint Michel Island village and abbey.

5^th day – Was spent mostly at the gite (inc. playing several board games).

6^th day – Out at the nearby Bayeux where we visited the Commonwealth War Cemetery, D-day Museum, the tapestry, and witnessed a Medieval parade.

7^th day – A short way along the coast is the town of Courseulles-sur-Mer (Juno beach), where we wandered around for a good few hours.

8^th day – Was Sue’s birthday, and today we returned to Bayeux for their amazing Medieval weekend where we saw displays of ancient crafts, stalls selling period appropriate gifts, people dressed in a wide variety of costumes, musical acts playing music on instruments from the past, and also the towering cathedral in the centre of town.

9^th day – Whilst the others stayed around the gite, Sue and I went out to Le Petit Jardin for a lovely lunch and then to the little fishing town of Port-en-Bessin and a nearby cidre farm.

10^th day – Marc treated us all to a celebratory lunch in Bayeux at the Saint-Laurent restaurant. Afterwards Sue and I went on to explore some nearby gardens at Chateau de Brecy, while the others went to an adventure park.

11^th day - Marc, Heather and Elise left for Paris and there were thunderstorms in the morning. Sue and I drove off to avoid the bad weather and visited several towns and beaches on both the southern coast (opposite Jersey) and the northern (Omaha) and Pont du Hoc. We also had a fabulous lunch at Le Petit Nor’Cat (Normandy/Catalan fusion).

12^th day – We drove out to explore the Pays-en-Auge region (fromage - Camembert, Livarot, and Pont-l'Évêque, and cidre villages). On the way we stopped at the grand Chateau Fort De Creully, and Billy’s Cidre Farm. We had lunch at one of the prettiest villages in the region, Beuvron-en-Auge (exposed timber buildings) and continued to the Garden of the Pays d’Auge at Cambrener.

13^th day – We checked out and travelled home via the museum in Arromanches-les-Bains (outside of which there was an American youth band playing for 4^th July), and then (Utah beach). A ferry ride back to Poole and a couple of hours in the car and we were home in the early hours of the next day.