Four of us will be spending a week in Normandy next year and would like to know what are the top things to see, and where are the best places (inexpensive and great tasting food) to eat. Also any advice about whether May or June would be better?

My only suggestion is that if you like raw oysters, you must stop along the waterfront in Cancale. You watch them dredge up the oysters, walk over and buy a dozen for about 10 francs. Then for another couple of francs, a woman will open them for you. You stand or sit on the seawall, eat the oysters, and heave the shells back into the sea. Maybe it's the atmosphere, but I swear they were the best oysters I ever had -- certainly the freshest.

Please don't eat Normandy!

I second the above posting. I don't mind being seen but PLEASE don't eat me. Haven't I endured enough over the years without the threat of being eaten!? Is it that your mouth is really that big or are you planning to eat little bits of me at a time? Frankly, I never even considered this as a possibility. Now, I'm nervous. What other threats might there be to me that I haven't even considered!? <BR> <BR>Again, please, please, please don't eat me!!! <BR> <BR>PS Have you considered eating Austria? I hear it's very tasty. <BR> <BR>Normandy

My favorite place to eat is the brasserie Vapeurs in Trouville. You get to mingle with the locals as you sit at very close together or long tables. A french women one year introduced herslf so she could show me how to eat the mussels the french way.(you use the hinged shell of one as a forcep. These mussels are cooked in a very tasty creme frais recipe. In Deauville, if you look up at the beautiful Hotel Normandy, you will see fitages(peculiar to Normandy) these are beautiful enamaled toppings for eaves and parts of the roofs to discourge the birds from perching.They take the form of many thigs, cats, gargyles, monkeys. Driving in that area we saw many private homes that had several. One we lost count. The wealthier the owner, the moe fitages. There are onle three artisans left who do these works. Honfleur is not to be missed. There is an art gallery there , the name I have forgotten, but she had works by tthree of my favorite french artists, Ben, Les Lannes, and the late Cesar. There are many good restaurants but it is much more fun if it is warm enough to sit along the water at one of the cafes where it is so easy to meet the french.

Thanks Patrick and Mimi.