NORMANDY & BRITTANY
The terra cotta tile roofs against a blue sky of Provence give way to dark slate against grey skies in Brittany. And yet, we keep returning to this peninsula of people more Celtic than Gallic that seems almost foreign to the rest of France. Perhaps the sea draws one…. From the oyster fishermen of Cancale and Locmariaquer to the enchanted forests of Merlin, Brittany entices. Here cider takes center stage over wine and seafood and crêpes over almost all else. Rocky coasts and lighthouses suprise and delight the foot traveler. Cap Fréhel, St. Malo, Dinard, Quiberon, Concarneau, and Lorient … there is always the smell of salt and sea and the sound of seagulls nearby. Inland, learn about menhirs and dolmens, pardons and festivals and visits towns of Dinan, Pont-Aven, among others.
And don’t leave Brittany without eating at least one kouign amann.
Normandy is like the wealthier cousin to Brittany’s ragged yet stunning crags. Here is the land of lush, green grasslands on which the vache normande fills its belly that in turn produces milk for Normandy’s holy trilogy: Camembert, Livarot, and Pont l’Evêque. Like in Brittany, cider is the drink to have, together with Calvados. A café Calva’ for breakfast is sometimes just the ticket. Here is also the land of rich portside towns like Deauville, and artist enclaves like Honfleur.
Normandy’s recent history includes the Allied invasion, Operation Overlord. June 6th, 1944: young men of eighteen stepped off into freezing water then walked into machine-gun fire. Down the road at the Pointe du Hoc, the specially trained Rangers miraculously captured the position by assualt. Now lovers stroll and toddlers run along the sand unaware of the footprints of the past.
Highlights include Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery: a heartrending sight of thousands of Lasa marble crosses and stars of David against intense green grass. We’ll visit the Pointe du Hoc and several military museums as well. The trip takes us to the French National Stud, together with neighboring private châteaux. We’ll sip kir on the terrace of Château d’O, as the swans float by in the moat, and have a private tour of Château de Sassy. Art abounds with a visit to the Bayeux tapestry and cathedral, and no trip to Normandy is complete without a visit to the Mont St. Michel, where we will spend the night and enjoy a mystical quiet that envelopes the island as dusk and tourists descend.