Paris to Normandy

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July 7, 2006

Normandy, France

Here we are with only 3 days left in France and it is time to capture some of our thoughts and impressions of this country. This has been the first visit for any of us to France, other than when David and I visited Cobourg for a few hours in 1986 with other family members. Thus, this allows us a much better opportunity to try and discover what France is really like. Alas, I am feeling like I am just scratching the surface, and for some reason my impressions, feelings and insights feel like they are being tumbled about and I fail to be able to make much sense of them yet. Perhaps by journaling them it will help me to sort it out. So to the reader: forgive me if I ramble, this is likely to be more for my benefit than yours.

Paris! The City of Light. Why it has been called this I still do not really know. Certainly, it has been daylight for very many hours of our days here. The sun rises by shortly after 4:00 am, it seems, and it is daylight until after 10:30 pm. Thus, we did not experience the lights of the city as we did, for example in New York City last summer. What we did experience, however, was heat and noise. It was extremely hot and humid for our 4 days here making our pedestrian exploration of the city almost torturous at times. We likely spent more Euros on cold drinks than we did on food! Finding water coolers or faucets to refill our water bottles was like finding gold! Nevertheless, we managed to see many of those famous landmarks that one reads and hears about; the L’ Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysee, the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame, the Jardin de Tuilliers, the Louvre, the Seine River…they really are all there and as wonderful as you imagine. Not at all being very knowledgeable about architecture, my impression of Parisian architecture is that it is very ornate. Pleasing the senses is as important, it seems, as being functional. There are carvings of angels, gargoyles, famous people, and intricate details on buildings, bridges, cathedrals, everywhere.

In fact, pleasing the senses is what Paris seems to be about. The food tastes wonderful. Everything we ate, even on our tight budget was delicious! The people look beautiful. There really is a sense of flair and beauty in the way Parisians dress and behave even in the worst heat of the summer. I felt hot, sweaty and frumpy in comparison and found nothing in my backpack of very utilitarian clothing that was suitable for the way one should dress for a stroll down the Champs Elysee or for that matter, any street of Paris. And the socializing…Parisians are experts at it! Lovers in parks, picnickers on bridges and on the banks of the Seine, and soccer (football, they call it) fans in the bars. We didn’t even try to go to sleep until the fans dispersed outside our hotel on the night that France won the semi-finals of the World Cup! At the bar beside our hotel the crowds spilled out onto the street and we knew exactly what was happening without even needing to be watching the screen. What jubilation! It truly was overload of the senses and for these four Canadians, we were happy to experience it, but also quite ready to leave after our 4 days there. So, we got our car from Avis (this time without any calamity other than not being able to find the rear seat seatbelts) and off we drove to explore the countryside of Normandy.

Almost immediately upon leaving the city it seemed like relief and serenity engulfed us. But our first stop at Giverny to visit Monet’s house and garden was like balm. What a treat! The house was charming! I’d take it any day over the Napoleonic apartments we saw at the Louvre! And the gardens with their arbors, beds, ponds and bridges made you feel like you really had stepped into one of Monet’s paintings! Even the least artistic mind must be inspired by the beauty of this garden. What a treat it was to visit Giverny!

As much as Giverny was a highlight for Stephanie and me, David and Karsten were thrilled to get to Caen just in time for the end of today’s leg of the Tour de France. Having followed the Tour over the years, it really was a special occasion to actually be on the sidelines to cheer and watch those amazing athletes whiz by on their bikes.

Our final pleasant surprise of the day was finding a Bed and Breakfast in a converted 18^th century farmhouse very much off the beaten track in the tiny village of Martragny. We have a two room suite complete with not just an ensuite but also a kitchen and washing machine! What luxury!

July 7, 2006

Normandy, France

Today was a delightful day of exploring the Normandy countryside. The highlights:

• Juno Beach – the D-Day landing location of the Canadian contingent of the Allied Forces on June 6^th, 1944. A great museum and a very moving visit to the Canadian cemetery just a little ways away. It was especially moving to read the ages on the many, many headstones and realize that the majority of the men who lost their lives here were in their early twenties. The cemetery is beautiful with rows of white headstones and carefully tended flowers at every grave.
• The Bayeux Tapestry – what an amazing documentation of the Battle of Hastings and the conflict between Harold, the Saxon and William of Normandy for the throne of England. It’s interesting to realize that Both England and France seem to be quite proud of this story and the outcome of William the Conqueror. The embroidery and detail of the tapestry is exquisite and the presentation of the whole thing makes this one of the most amazing history lessons ever!

It’s amazing that in this small part of France’s coast are chronicled two such historic and important invasions; that of William the Conqueror in 1066, and that of the Allied Forces in 1944. History really came alive for us today!