We arrived in Bayeux in the pouring rain, and after checking in to the hotel, drove into the centre for lunch. We popped into the Cathedral, and it is really lovely.
The rain finally cleared at 7.00 pm and we did the short walk to the beautiful Bayeux War Cemetery. It is the second largest Second World War cemetery of the Commonwealth. There are 4,648 graves including seventeen Australians. We found one Aussie and paid our respects. Then we visited the Bayeux Tapestry. I didn’t know much about the history and found it really interesting. My husband found the history a little different to what he had learnt in school. An opportunity to claim a rightful throne versus a Norman invasion.

We then walked around the Jardin Botanique and was up close and personal to the stunning Weeping Beech tree. The garden beds have very few weeds, and something I would like to achieve

We really enjoyed our visit to Arranches-les-Bains, to visit the D-Day Museum. It was absolutely fantastic and I learnt so much. The engineering feats of the British forces were truly amazing with the design of the floating bridges for the invasion of Normandy. Had a great lunch of fish and chips and Calamari. So fresh and tasty.

After a short drive from Bayeux we arivved in Caen. We are staying 3ks from the centre, and there is a fabulous tram service a minute away. The apartment is immaculate, with everything you could want, including exceptional lighting ( feels like I’m in our house), a great shower, 4 hot plate induction cooktop, ( no sharp knife though) and very quiet. The young man who owns the apartment seems a very nice person. He was understanding when I dropped a cup and it smashed. I offered to replace/ pay and he refused. Best apartment we have had in our many trips to France.

The Abbaye of William the Conqueror ( Abbaye Aux Hommes) was okay and I did love the cloister. When we walked into the Abbaye we caught the tail end of some organ music. Very powerful. While Caen the town is ok, it is a great base for day trips.

We traveled to Ouistreham to see the seven story bunker built by the Germans in WW11. Didn’t get to see a lot of the town as it was very hot. Then on to gorgeous Cabourg.
A seaside town with lots of stunning houses. There were lots of people in the Main Street which leads straight to the beach. The town would have made a great setting for an Agatha Christie novel, as it had that sort of feel to it.

A complete surprise was our visit to the absolutely gorgeous town of Honfleur. The parks/gardens were fabulous especially at the Jardin Personnalities. Each room was defined by a hedge, with a statue of somebody of historical importance.
Then something completely different and visited the Eric Satie Museum. He was a writer and pianist (1866-1925) Very very different and the film at the end of the visit was completely weird.
On the way back to Caen we stopped at the cute village Beuvron-en-auge, another place of character.
My husband has lost a cap on his front tooth,( the same one he lost the cap in Nimes 2019) and spent hours trying to find a dentist with no joy, and no urgent appointments available, and looks like he will have to wait until we get home.

We did a day trip to Suisse Normandie, and the name comes from its resemblance to the Swiss Alps. Maybe stretching it a bit, but still very pretty. What I love most about France is, even if a town is ordinary the Marie do things that make it more appealing. The flowers on the traffic islands in Falaise were gorgeous.

The Eglise Saint Gervais was mostly destroyed in 1944 and has been reconstructed with this stunning ceiling,

Next stop was to the Viaduct de Clecy (b 1866). It is a beautiful spot and if you are so inclined could do some rock climbing.

Arrived in Fécamp yesterday to ( gray and humid) and walked into the centre-ville. Not much happening and I was thinking mmm this doesn’t look that great. Took a wrong turn and stumbled upon a dental clinic that dealt with “urgencies”. My husband went in, and they asked him where he was from. When he replied Australia, the woman responded “ moment” went out the back to talk to someone, and then returned asking him if he could return in 45 minutes. He tried not to jump for joy.
The tooth was fixed at the cost of €65. Unbelievable how cheap dental work is in France.

I will add some photos later.

Sounds like an awesome trip. Loved our visits to Honfleur and Caen and especially the museum. We then spent a few days in Bayeux to tour the Normandy beaches, the historic town and sites before heading to Mont St Michel.

Trip Report tag added

Looking forward to your photos!

Yes cheska, waiting for pictures. Normandy is a particular fav of ours, I first went to Honfleur 40 years back as a young twenty something who had just discovered Monet and Impressionism. A magical trip, even today there’s something special about it 😍

Your husband can probably find a dentist on www.doctolib.fr -- it can geolocalise you and propose dentists in the area as well as appointment availability.

You two do have some adventures in France! Glad the tooth was taken care of fairly quickly.

You're seeing parts of Normandy that lots of visitors don't see, which is great. There's so much more to Normandy than the WWII landing beaches.

Here are some photos.

Info regarding the Weeping Beech

A fantastic specimen

Needs support

Massive branches

village Beuvron-en-auge,

village Beuvron-en-auge,

Lillie pond Jardin Peronalities

Jardin Personalities. Amazing how the trees are perfectly aligned. Must take a lot of work to maintain

So pretty

Gorgeous house in Cabourg

Love this

Very pretty

One of the best houses

The Eglise Saint Gervais was mostly destroyed in 1944 and has been reconstructed with this stunning ceiling,

What I love most about France is, even if a town is ordinary the Marie do things that make it more appealing. The flowers on the traffic islands in Falaise were gorgeous.

So pretty

the Viaduct de Clecy

the Viaduct de Clecy

The park at Viaduct de Clecy

Pity this cafe at Viaduct de Clecy wasn’t open

Stunning, cheska15. Gorgeous houses with such character. Were any of them B&Bs????

TDudette I don’t know. Would be great if some were as it is a fabulous beach.