Farewell Paris - Bon Voyage

Sadly it was time to say goodbye to Paris today for everyone - whether flying home to the US or heading south by TGV train to Barcelona.

In the past week we've eaten some great food, seen spectacular views, learned to accept that some things are just different in Europe (& that's mostly OK!), & made new friends.

Thank you everyone for your patience, good humor & great company.

Hope to see you all in 2015 for an Italian adventure...

Rouen, Giverny & Our Last Night in Paris (Sat, 8/2/14) - NEWLY UPDATED

It was time to return to Paris today, but we broke our journey to make two stops along the way.

First was a stop in the city of Rouen, the largest in Normandy & famous for its connection to Joan of Arc, Claude Monet, & Richard the Lionheart.

We strolled the picturesque main street, Rue du Horloge, then enjoyed free time for lunch, shopping & exploring the area.

From Rouen we continued a short distance to the village of Giverny, where the artist Claude Monet made his home for 43 of his 86 years.

It was at Giverny that he painted many of his greatest paintings, most famously his Waterlilies series. 

Tonight, our last night in France, we enjoyed dinner at a local restaurant before our 'Paris By Night' tour, taking a Seine river cruise before visiting the Eiffel Tower.

From the tower we could make out many of the sights of central Paris.  Although late it was a great 

way to say 'adieu' before we split in the morning to head our different way to Washington D.C or Barcelona!

A Great Day at the D-Day Beaches (Fri, 8/1/14) - NEWLY UPDATED

Today we took another full-day trip from Bayeux, visiting the nearby D-Day Beaches.

Our guide for the day was the colorful Richard, who brought World War II's history to life with his enthusiastic description & encyclopedic knowledge.

At Arromanches many of our group walked out on the sands to get a closer look at the 'mulberries', the concrete 'building blocks' that were made in England & towed across the Channel to construct an artificial harbor for the many ships supplying the troops in the days after the landings.

At Colleville-sur-Mer we visited the American Cemetery, learning more about the young men who took part in the landings & many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice.

Amongst the graves we saw were some of the famous Bedford Boys from central Virginia.

At Pointe du Hoc we learned how the Rangers scaled the cliffs to surprise the Germans troops manning the gun posts that overlooked both Utah & Omaha Beaches.

Amongst a pock-marked moonscape due to the massive bombing campaign the target this area, many of the bunkers are still very much intact, providing a great opportunity to burn of some energy!

Dinner tonight was in the excellent Le Pommier restaurant.

Mont Saint Michel & Our Escargot Encounter! (Thurs, 7/31/14) - NEWLY UPDATED

We departed Bayeux this morning for the drive south to Mont Saint Michel, an iconic abbey & village built atop an island facing the English Channel.

Our guide for a walking tour of the village & abbey was Florence, who engaged the younger members of our group wonderfully well, involving them in her explanations at regular intervals.

From the top of the island, in the abbey, there were superb views across the notoriously dangerous mudflats that pilgrims used to risk their lives to cross.

On our return journey we made a stop for something entirely different - to visit a small, independent escargot farm.  The owner Christine showed us around, opening our eyes to all kinds of unexpected information about the life cycle of the edible snail.

There were other animals to catch our attention too, including this Normandy cow. 

Of course, at the end of our visit there was an opportunity to taste the snails, washed down with some excellent local cider. 

Back in Bayeux we ate dinner at another local restaurant, celebrating a birthday with champagne & table-top pyrotechnics!

After dinner we stopped to see the cathedral, illuminated & open after dark due to a spectacular sound & light at the neighboring 'Liberty Tree'.