My amazing sister-in-law, Diane, let me accompany her to France again.
This specific trip was to sign paperwork bringing the Butcher's dream one step closer to reality.
Chez D's, their retirement home, is coming true piece by piece!
I hope I helped, if merely to just hold her hand, drink some beer, ciders and wine.
We met some amazing people in town which are all gracious to lend an ear or offer suggestions.
I believe they have chosen a great area with good neighborhood support.
Bon Chance!
This specific trip was to sign paperwork bringing the Butcher's dream one step closer to reality.
Chez D's, their retirement home, is coming true piece by piece!
I hope I helped, if merely to just hold her hand, drink some beer, ciders and wine.
We met some amazing people in town which are all gracious to lend an ear or offer suggestions.
I believe they have chosen a great area with good neighborhood support.
Bon Chance!
After the "work" was done we found ourselves exploring the northern edge
of France and skirting through Belgium.
We laughed, we spoke bad French/but tried and saw quite a bit of history.
Hope you enjoy our antics and sites we saw along the way.
_______________________________________________________________________________
of France and skirting through Belgium.
We laughed, we spoke bad French/but tried and saw quite a bit of history.
Hope you enjoy our antics and sites we saw along the way.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Chateau Fontainbleau
~slideshow~
TWO hours of opulence overload and we did not even see all of it or listen to the whole audio guide.
Each room was beautiful, the halls were lovely, the ceilings amazing, the art to die for!
Loads of history in one chateau!
Rode the little train around the outer garden (needs work to match the property's significance)
We ate duck dinner in the hotel garden with fairy lights and light music.
Spoiling ourselves is necessary sometimes!
Each room was beautiful, the halls were lovely, the ceilings amazing, the art to die for!
Loads of history in one chateau!
Rode the little train around the outer garden (needs work to match the property's significance)
We ate duck dinner in the hotel garden with fairy lights and light music.
Spoiling ourselves is necessary sometimes!
A Chateau being renovated in a town we stopped in for a baguette.
Made it into Chef Boutonne!
Working on becoming a local at Hotel Les Voyageurs Bar
By the third day of revisiting here, Diane had the barkeep smiling!
Exploring the nearby town
Niort
Time for Refreshments!
Donjon de Niort |
Chateau de Javarzay (in Chef Boutonne)
Chateau de Breze
We did not take the tour, but did a wine tasting in the shop outside the grounds of the castle.
Drink stop in Jublains, France |
Thermal Baths under the church enhanced in 1991.
There is a light up show in French you listen to, if you could understand the language.
Below is a sidewalk stone leading you through sites in the town founded by Romans.
There is a light up show in French you listen to, if you could understand the language.
Below is a sidewalk stone leading you through sites in the town founded by Romans.
Headed north to see the National Fort up at Saint Malo, France today.
Boy, we underestimated the August vacationers wanting to do the same thing!
Parking was a HUGE nightmare, so we left that area and found a 'made up' parking spot in a lot by the docks.
We walked the boardwalk area and found some salty mussels and salad to eat.
Boy, we underestimated the August vacationers wanting to do the same thing!
Parking was a HUGE nightmare, so we left that area and found a 'made up' parking spot in a lot by the docks.
We walked the boardwalk area and found some salty mussels and salad to eat.
Plage des Rochers Sculptes
This characteristic work of naïve art, created by Abbé Fouré at the end of the 19th century, retraces the legend of the Rothéneuf, a family of Corsairs, pirates and nobles.
You will discover impressive stone sculptures in a garden
overlooking the English Channel.
FYI: I watched Diane like a hawk here!
The water & sky was a beautiful blue. Couldn't have asked for a better day.
Enjoy the slideshow below
Pizza and Wine in hand tonight!
Sunset sneak-peek of Mont Saint-Michel
Plus, if you stick around you will see an interestingly decorated water closet we found at the restaurant...
and...the bonus bathroom shots, cause you gotta!
Bayeux, France
Home of the Bayeux Tapestry
A 69 meter embroidered tapestry depicting William the Conquerors English Invasion
Above is the courtyard to the Bayeux Museum
Entering the museum you get an audio 'phone' which leads you on the journey.
The tapestry is in a horseshoe glass display.
You walk along listening to the story depicted by the numbers above each scene in the tapestry.
Sounds great, right. Not so easy if the crowd does not move on...
So, you are checking out the amazing details and listening to a story you can not pause. Pointless.
Wound up ditching the storyline and enjoying the tapestry for its' loveliness and detail.
I'll buy the book for the story thank you very much.
Maybe in the off season it would be less busy.
What an Awesome piece of work though!
Entering the museum you get an audio 'phone' which leads you on the journey.
The tapestry is in a horseshoe glass display.
You walk along listening to the story depicted by the numbers above each scene in the tapestry.
Sounds great, right. Not so easy if the crowd does not move on...
So, you are checking out the amazing details and listening to a story you can not pause. Pointless.
Wound up ditching the storyline and enjoying the tapestry for its' loveliness and detail.
I'll buy the book for the story thank you very much.
Maybe in the off season it would be less busy.
What an Awesome piece of work though!
We walked the town, perused the cathedral, had lunch and ciders.
Slideshow tell it all below
Slideshow tell it all below
Omaha Beach
Being here gives you a sense of surrealism.
It's difficult to see it simply as a beach for sunbathers and kids' sandcastles.
Falaise, France
Birthplace of William the Conqueror
We happened to catch this town mid-medieval festival!
BONUS!
Purchased a delicious variety of dried meat sausages for Dale
and watched 'the show' of people and sellers of goods.
There is a castle/fort here that we will have to check out another time.
St. Gervais Church
A model in the church displaying the damage the town sustained in 1944.
The castle was too strongly built to be destroyed. The town rebuilt itself with local stones after.
The castle was too strongly built to be destroyed. The town rebuilt itself with local stones after.
The Medieval Marketplace
Market Booths of Goodies
A Little Flag Parade going to the main square to perform
Valleuse d'Etigue
Seriously, Diane and I got a workout getting to and wandering this rock beach.
I caught a peek of the arch outcropping further down the cliffs while
Diane busied herself in finding the perfect stones.
Yes, she had her pockets full like a little kid, um, adorable!
Diane Finding Hearts on the Beach. What a neat idea!
Tons of shells in the stones and the changing of wood in stone process
I'd say we earned some cider tasting after that adventure!!!
A nice Belgian couple helped with translating, but Mr. Fouque was spot on with his English.
B & B of Madame Marie-Cecile Lambert
(lovingly nicknamed: Grandmere Babooshka)
She was an uber sweet & helpful woman.
We spoke with her through our bad french and google translate app on our phones.
She was not offended and patient with the process.
She set an amazing breakfast table and gave us assigned seats as guests arrived.
She gave each group enough breads and goodies for lunches and pointed to the local sites through pictures framed on the breakfast room walls.
No shortage of amazing viewpoints in the Normandy region
Veules-les-Roses
We caught a market in this morning and the rain caught us!
We had the umbrella, but everyone knows how awful that is in a close quarters setting
...so we got wet! The world could use some rain this summer, so let it pour.
Bassin du Vieux Port in Honfleur, France
After driving around a bit and letting the rain pass we settled in for a walk and food break.
Found this little piece of paradise
Dunkirk
A walk along the beach promenade then a delicious dinner at Face de la Mer.
We feasted on better/less salty mussels and prawns. Perfect!
Enjoyed wonderful conversation all night and into the wee hours of the morning.
(as we were reminded of with a knock on the wall to settle in already...oops!)
In the morning, we headed to play in the ocean water!