luxemblog: Normandy

After Brittany we made our way to the equally interesting and totally different-feeling region of Normandy. Our first stops were a few of the D-Day beaches, the American cemetery, and the D-Day museum at Omaha Beach (whoa... and yes I cried).

These were (and are now) beautiful towns and communities that were completely surrounded by war. Hard to imagine it as we drove down the tranquil roads. As we toured the beaches themselves once in a while when you would gaze just beyond some artillery shelter or sniper cave you might see a charming stone house or barn with cows calmly grazing. The structures were original (though I'm sure restored) so they were probably there during the war too. The juxtaposition of the remnants of war with the peaceful beauty of surrounding village life was jarring.

Also, I was expecting the visitors to be mostly Americans but most of them were French-speaking. Maybe this shouldn't surprise me (because it is in France after all) but I was expecting mostly American WWII-buffs or families. There were all kinds of people there. It was very comforting to me.

Stairs down to the water at Omaha Beach.

View from American cemetery to the beach.

The landscaping was quite elegant and very natural feeling.

Inside the theatre at the museum/visitor center.

There were several school groups touring the beaches.

Normandy is home to Camembert Cheese, Calvados and Cider. No wine because the grapes suffered some big blight many years ago. So, the people shifted gears, grew more apples and made cider and Calvados. Here we stopped for a Calvados and cider tasting. This was one of the fortified farms that the area was famous for. Beautiful grand stone homes connected to barns and other farm buildings, surrounded by tall stone walls. The place was in the family since the late 1800's. They had vacated it during the wars and managed to hang onto it afterwards.

Inside the tasting area a few barn swallows had some nests and they were very comfortable with people.

Apple orchards, it was a warm spring so the trees have almost finished their bloom.

Honfleur, a very pretty but oddly "dark" feeling town. Maybe it was the weather but it felt kind of wierd there.

At one of the marshes just outside Honfleur. Honfluer sits where the Seine river enters the Atlantic.

The Pays d'Auge- famous for all things apple, cows, and these cool, cool thatched roof tudor homes!

And in order to keep the roof dry they plant IRISES on top! They still do this! Lots and lots of these homes were still standing and were inhabited. I felt like we were in "The Shire".

Ahh, and a few castles with moats here and there.

Our picnic - overlooking a lush green field full of cows. We got some stuff from the farmer's market in Honfleur (cider, chicken, camembert, honey and strawberries) and had a lovely meal.