On Wednesday, May 12, 2010 Rich met us at ISB, Elisabeth's school. From ISB we drove our little silver C4 Citroen to Bazouges La Perouse, near Le Mont St. Michel in France. I drove while Rich worked on his blackberry and participated in conference calls. Elisabeth & Kate were helpful and stayed quiet during the conference calls (they were tired from playing on the playground!). Shortly after crossing over the border into France, we stopped at the same "Potterybarnish" truck stop as in February for dinner. Great food and comfy atmosphere on the road!
As we drove to Bazouges La Perouse, the picturesque Normandy countryside unfolded: the cows, sheep and horses grazing, the green grass swaying in the wind, and the pink sun setting in the distance. While the sun was setting I drove over the Pont de Normandie, a cable-stayed road bridge that spans the river Seine linking Le Havre to Honfleur in Normandy. There was no other place we
wanted to be in the world. It was a wonderful start to our adventure!Bazouges La Perouse, France
We arrived at our rental house in Bazouges La Perouse late that evening in France. Rich carried the girls inside. While I put them to bed Rich unpacked the car. The house was so charming. It reminded me of my grandmother's in St. Anthony, Oh
io: an old turn of the century house with large windows and old-fashioned shutters. On the inside it had hardwood floors, an old farm table with chairs, and cozy couches surrounding a fireplace.
On Thursday morning we awoke to the church bells ringing in the distance. The girls were playing quietly in Kate's room. The owners had converted the fireplace to a "barn" with animals, fences, and farm equipment. What a surprise for the girls to have such wonderful toys! And, what a treat for us to catch up on our sleep and reading while they played! Rich made breakfast in the cozy kitchen and we enjoyed a delightful breakfast. We had planned to leave by 8:00am to visit Le Mont St. Michel that morning, but we didn't leave the house until 9:30am.
Bazouges la Perouse
http://www.bazouges.com/versionanglaise/information/information.htm
Le Mont St. Michel
We drove through the countryside in Normandy to Le Mont St. Michel, a rocky tidal island. During the Hundred Years' War the English made repeated assaults on the island, but were unable to seize it due to the abbey's improved fortifications. Le Mont Saint-Michel was previously connected to the mainland via a thin natural land bridge which is now a man-made causeway with expanded parking.
We arrived at low tide, parked the car, explored the beach and walked through the city gates. We strolled through the narrow streets ascending to the the monastery of Le Mont-Saint-Michel. The narrow streets were crowded. After touring the monastery we walked down to the city gates. We ate lunch at La Mere Poulard. La Mere Poulard is known for delicious omelets. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed watching the chefs in the old-fashioned kitchen making the omelets.
We returned to Bazouges La Perouse for a quiet afternoon at home. Elisabeth and Kate played with the toys in their room and in the yard. They pretended to be chefs at a restaurant. After a quick snack at the house, we drove to the beach at Cancale. As walked along the pier, collected seashells, skipped stones, and rode the merry-go-round. We ate dinner at a restaurant on the pier and watched the the tide.
Omaha Beach, Bayeux and Rouen
On Friday we enjoyed a lovely breakfast. Rich took the girls for a walk to the local boulangerie while I finished packing. Tarte au citron s'il vous plait. What delicious pastries! We will miss them! After savoring the pastries we drove to Omaha Beach. We walked along the peer, read about WWII and the American troops at Omaha Beach, and rode the merry-go-round. It was a beautiful day so we bought lunch and sat along the waterfront for lunch. Unfortunately, there were long lines for the museum at Omaha Beach so we did not go into the museum (tough with a 4 year old!).
After lunch we drove to Bayeux, France, a lovely medieval town. Bayeux was the first city in France to be liberated during the Battle of Normandy. The buildings in Bayeux were virtually untouched during the Battle of Normandy (the German forces were fully involved in defending Caen from the Allies). We parked the car and walked to the Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde Museum to see the Bayeux tapestry, listed as a “Memory of the World” by UNESCO. It is an embroidery, 70 metres long, made in the 11th century. The Bayeux Tapestry celebrates the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy. The linen canvas was embroidered by monks in the south of England after the Battle of Hastings on October 14th, 1066. Legendary animals, ships, Vikings, Norman and Saxon cavalries illustrate the exploits of William and his opponent Harold, another pretender to the throne of England.
Elisabeth and Kate were quite impressed with their first audioguide at a museum! Rich and I listened to the adult version. After the tour we all agreed that it was a worth it! After viewing the tapestry, we walked to the Bayeux Cathedral. Elisabeth and Kate liked the Romanesque Church underneath the cathedral. The stars on the ceiling reminded the girls of St. Peters in Rome.
We drove from Bayeux to Rouen, we checked into our hotel and walked along the Seine to the main square where Joan of Arc was executed. We enjoyed dinner on the square around 5pm. Unfortunately, La Coronne, a restaurant recommended by Julia Child, did not open until 7pm. After dinner we walked to the cathedral in Rouen. Monet painted it often and we felt that it was important to see before visiting Monet's house and garden the following day.
Giverny, France & Monet's Garden
On Saturday we enjoyed a lovely breakfast at our hotel in Rouen. After breakfast we walked with the girls along the Seine to a play ground on the river. We played at the park and enjoyed the morning along the Seine in Rouen. Later that morning we drove to Giverny. After walking through Giverny we toured the Musee des Inmpresionistes. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed their audio guides. We ate lunch at the museum's cafe.
After lunch we walked to the Monet House and Garden. Elisabeth and Kate sat on benches under lilac bushes and sketched flowers and bridges. They imitated the other artists painting in the gardens. Everything was in bloom. The girls enjoyed the Japanese bridges and the butterflies.
We first read about Monet's Garden in Linnea in Monet's Garden at the Mary Riley Stiles Library in Falls Church, Virginia. Linnea and her elderly friend Mr. Bloom travel to Paris and visit Monet's home in Giverny. The book is filled with airy, light-filled watercolors showing Linnea in Monet's house in Giverny. I think Elisabeth and Kate felt like Linnea that Saturday in Giverny. Next time they want to bring their easels and watercolors!
After a final leisurely stroll through Monet's garden, we left around 4:30pm and drove home to Brussels. We stopped at McDonald's outside of Paris. After dinner the girls fell asleep in the car and we arrived home later that evening.
