FRANCE: Visiting the Beaches of Normandy

It has been several weeks since I sat down at my computer to write my Travel Tips column. I have been out of the country since early October; I feel like a jet setter. I started my travels in France on October 8th, and ended in Cuba on November 17th, with a trip to Israel in between for my daughter’s wedding. It has been a hectic six weeks and I am very happy to be home.

I have not been to France in years, and when I was living in Europe, I never had the opportunity to visit the Normandy area. Also, in all my travels on different type ships, from icebreakers to luxury liners, I have never been on a barge. I combined the two and added a three-day stay in Paris. For the next few weeks I’ll share with you my adventures as we visited the beaches of Normandy and the delightful towns of Honfleur and Mont St. Michele. We then traveled by train to Dijon and boarded the La Litote, our home away from home for six nights as we traveled down the Burgundy Canal, visiting small villages and vineyards. We ended our trip with a three-day stay in Paris---it was all very exciting since we were there with thousands of “Brits” who were in Paris for the Rugby World Cup.

Our trip began in Paris where we boarded our bus for Normandy. Our first stop on the itinerary was Giverny, Claude Monet’s beautiful home and gardens. Claude Monet, an Impressionist painter best known for his beautiful landscapes, lived with his family in the small village of Giverny, 80 miles west of Paris, from 1883 until his death in 1926. After lunch in the village we visited his home and strolled through the colorful gardens, all authentically restored. The lily pond is exquisite as is the Japanese bridge. I was amazed at the numbers of flowers still in bloom in October.

I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Giverny and wished we had more time. If you’re planning a trip to the Normandy area, make sure you plan a stop to see the wonderful village of Giverny, so vividly brought to life in Monet’s paintings.

It was late afternoon by the time we left Giverny and it had started raining, not unusual for France in October. Our destination was the Chateau de Canisy, a thousand year old castle located in the heart of Normandy. By the time we reached the chateau it was cold and still overcast, but the rain had stopped. We entered sunshine --- or maybe it was the smiles and warm greetings from the welcoming staff that made the castle come alive. The fire blazing in the salon added warmth as we sat and enjoyed a welcome drink and some light refreshments, before being shown to our rooms.

Every bedroom in the castle is different and we were like children, running from room to room, amazed at all the antique furnishings combined with modern accoutrements to make staying in a 1000 year old castle comfortable.

Dinner was at 9:00 and we sat down to a table set for royalty. I have never seen so many pieces of silverware!!! By the end of dinner, two hours later, we managed to use every piece during our five-course meal. A wonderful beginning to our stay in Normandy.

Early the next morning, we left the Chateau to visit the landing sites and museums along the Normandy coast, where, on June 6, 1944, the largest seaborne invasion in history took place when Allied forces crossed the English channel and changed the course of World War II. I remember studying about the Allied invasion in high school, but I had no idea of the emotional impact I would feel when visiting the American Cemetery and Memorial, located on the cliff above Omaha Beach. I had seen many pictures, but the stark reality of row upon row of white stone crosses and Stars of David, which mark the graves of 9,387 U.S. soldiers, sailors and airman, most of them casualties of the Normandy invasion, is tough to see. All the markers face west, toward home. The park is beautifully maintained and it’s truly inspiring to see the American and French flags flying side by side.

Wherever we went, Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, the D-Day Museum, the harbor at Arromanche --- we were greeted with friendly smiles and a warm thank you for being Americans, and for all America did to help the French and British during WW II. In the afternoon, when we stopped for lunch near Omaha Beach, we met an American soldier who was part of the Allied forces that landed in Normandy. He was there with his daughter and granddaughter, and just listening to his story brought me to tears. The entire restaurant gave him a standing ovation. A much different reception than we usually get from the French!!!

We returned to the Chateau in the late afternoon and had some time before nightfall to explore the park-like setting around the Chateau. The castle dates back to the Middle Ages and has actually been in the same family since 1558, passed on from generation to generation. In April 1789, the castle was given to a granddaughter of the owners as a wedding gift, and by a quirk of fate, honeymooning in Italy and not being in France, the young couple survived the French Revolution. The rest of the family was not so lucky and several members were guillotined on July 14, 1794.