After considering several spots we decided to make Caen, France our base for exploring Northern France and the WWII sights. We checked into a great budget traveler's lodge and found some french food. It was delicious. We also found the WWII memorial and scheduled a tour for the next day.
We started our day early exploring the memorial and then went to the D-Day beaches and other sights. It was the best history lesson. There were 3 American paratroopers stationed in Germany that were on our tour, which added an interesting element to everything we saw and talked about.
That night we ate kabap (our new favorite food) Patrick called our nephew, Hunter, for his birthday, and we went to an internet cafe. You can talk to Patrick about his "love" for the French keyboard. Oh, and we both loathed the radio choices in France.
The next day we drove to Mt. Saint Michele. It was amazing! All of a sudden it just popped out of nothing into the sky-line. It was magnificent!
Patrick was in the middle of reading Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet, so he was very into the architecture of the monastery and cathedral.
We stopped in Bayeaux for lunch and a visit with the largest tapestry and another magnificent cathedral.
And another stop at a WWII memorial not on our tour.
I was a totally safe driver as we observed the hedgerows remaining from the war.
We also stopped at this church that is notable because it is where one of the paratroopers got stuck on the steeple and the towns people helped him down and took him in. They keep a parachute up on the church roof to remember the sacrifice the troops made for their freedom. Pretty cool.
We stayed that night in Caen, then we left for a one night stay in Rouen, France on our way to Paris. Cute town with good food. We were old pros at driving into a town with no place to stay and finding perfectly adequate and inexpensive lodging. We saw their Notre Dame,
We stayed that night in Caen, then we left for a one night stay in Rouen, France on our way to Paris. Cute town with good food. We were old pros at driving into a town with no place to stay and finding perfectly adequate and inexpensive lodging. We saw their Notre Dame,
and this really pretty McDonald's
and the Joan of Arc square, with a church built at the sight where she was burned alive.
and the Joan of Arc square, with a church built at the sight where she was burned alive.
All very cool. Also noteworthy, we did our last load of laundry for the trip.
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