Normandy
Oct 19th, 2001, 11:33 AM
#3
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Depending on the time of year, I would also recommend a night or two in Normandy. (Winter would be very cold.)We stayed at the Chateau d'Argouges in Bayeaux -- recommended in the Karen Brown book "Inns and Itineraries - France." Converted manor house; very reasonable; charming town not bombed in WWII and therefore all "original." If you're going to see the D-Day beaches, you should first go to the excellent Peace Museum in Caen. The locals are very friendly toward Americans -- we're probably their largest tourist population, and I think they truly appreciate our liberating them.
Oct 19th, 2001, 03:24 PM
#4
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Sorry Anita but your admission that the "Americans" liberated Caen is not exactly correct. The "allies" (yes Americans, but the workhorse British and others from the UK , Canadian !! and Polish! were there too. Sometimes forgotten by Americans but never by the descendents of those who fell from other nations. Sorry to start up this "old war" but it's necessary. (or maybe you are the American "lady" I overheard in Courseuilles sur mer this past summer stringently asking her husband......."but what and who exactly were the Allies anyway!. Well honey we were in the fray long before you deigned to enter. <BR>and what goes around comes around
Oct 20th, 2001, 01:23 PM
#5
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Karen, I don't think it was Anita's intention to imply (or is it infer?) that Americans were the only liberators; anyone who has visited Normandy, the beaches and cemeteries, and toured the Peace Museum (which she apparently has) knows the Americans weren't alone. I reiterate, however, her comment that the locals appreciate Americans just as they appreciate the British, Canadians, Polish, and free-French who achieved their liberation. <BR> <BR>I am English born and lived in London throughout the war (including the Blitz). My husband (American) was stationed in Britain 1942-45. I can tell you stories of escape from Germany (where my father was working in the summer of 1939), Dunkirk, bombings (as near as the neighbor's back garden, or the back-end of the train I was travelling in), gas scares, rationing and everything else. I married my husband and moved to the U.S. after the war and became a U.S. citizen. My brothers and sisters likewise moved here and became citizens. We are all proud Brits, but every one of us would tell you that we would be dead or speaking German if it weren't for the American fighting forces.
Oct 20th, 2001, 01:42 PM
#6
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I definitely noticed the warmth and hospitality by the locals while touring the D-Day sites in Normandy. It's an experience that definitely stays with you for a while. On our third visit to France, we opted to get out of Paris and I planned a driving tour of the northwest french coast, heading towards Normandy. We loved every minute of it. Places we have visited that I would highly recommend are Deauville, Trouville, Mt. St. Michel, Orleans, Bourges, Sully, Caen, and Rouen. Don't waste your time with Le Havre. Obviously, my advice to you is to rent a car and at a minimum, stay ob=vernight. If that is not doable, take a guided tour, let them drive you, it is a long day.
Oct 21st, 2001, 02:30 PM
#7
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I agree, if you have the time then do stay the night. There are not a LOT of trains between Normandy and Paris, and my sister & I found ourselves stranded there once. We had intended to take a day trip, a quick tour of the beaches, a quick bite to eat and then hop on the train back to Paris. Well, we missed the train and that was that. I didn't really have time to stay longer in the area, but it WAS quite quaint, and I might explore it more one day when I actually have time & money! ;-)
Oct 26th, 2001, 02:37 PM
#9
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A friend of mine recently retired at age 53 and did a 55 day around the world trip to celebrate. Upon his return I asked him his favorite spot. His answer: NORMANDY. <BR> <BR>He stated that they were only going to drive out from Paris to see it and ended up out there for 3 days. <BR> <BR>If the area had never seen a battle, it is still an enjoyable area to visit. One day trip would not be enough. Gotta do the area and spend the night.
Oct 26th, 2001, 04:02 PM
#10
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Stephen: <BR> <BR>My sister and I did a day trip a to Caen from Paris a few years ago. I was a relatively short trip by train, but you'll get the most out of the day if you travel as early in the day as possible. Take a bus or taxi from the train station to the memorial museum. There are a number of tours of the area that can be booked from there. They are small, minivan-type tours with English-speaking guide/drivers. We took a short (several hours) tour of the American Cemetery (see in Saving Private Ryan) and the invasion beaches. Even writing about them now gives me goose bumps! The memorial with its memorabilia and films will take another few hours. If your time in Paris is short, you can get a lot out of a day. This is a "must do" for Americans.
Oct 26th, 2001, 04:09 PM
#11
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Stephen: <BR> <BR>I forgot to mention: again if your time in Paris is short and you only have a day for this activity, be sure to check on the time of last train and verify when you get to Caen. We relied on another traveller who told us about a late train, stayed in town for dinner, then found when we got to the station that the late train did not run that day! We ended up staying overnight at the hotel across from the train station (the wind was howling through the station that night and the prospect of a cold night trying to sleep sitting up did not appeal to us!). In an emergency, though, it might be helpful for you to know that the hotel was very inexpensive and comfortable. We checked out at 5:30 a.m. and returned the key downstairs at the bar, which was packed to the rafters. First train out of there to Paris was at 6 a.m. <BR> <BR>Some treats from the area if you'll be there just the day: Calvados (an apple wine) and Pont l'eveque (a specialty cheese of the area).
