Normandy and paris questions
 

Hello and I must say after many years of reading this board, it is great and I decided to join just today :) The advice is solid and creative. My father 63, not well and I, are going to France in three weeks. Need guidance on Caen, eating and must sees near center city, that I could do after I have had enough of War museo.
Malesherbes, near Fontainblue, cannot find a thing on it, but we are staying there. Also the drive to all these places, is there anything I must see in between worth a detour? The joy of a car will be the "detour" option. Cities we pass are Honfleur and I plan lunch there... Lemans, Mt. Saint Michel, Chartres etc., My father cannot walk alot, but I sure can :) We love food, wine and scenic places.
Also, gift items one must take home, small, any suggestions. Thank you all for any input.

Hi,

You don't need to start another thread if no one has responded to your first one. You can bring it to the top by responding to your own post and put something like "topping" in the text box.

Can't help with Caen since I spent only a brief time there. Mt St Michel is quite an up hill hike, including stairs, for someone who can't walk very well and the abbey is at the top so you might want to skip this. It's also not on the way from Caen to Paris.

I can recommend the Chartres cathedral, Rouen, the D Day beaches, and Bayeux for the tapestry. You might also want to consider stopping in Giverny for Monet's gardens.

This response will bring the post to the top and hopefully others will respond.

Enjoy your trip!

In Caen, of course the WWII museum, where my fiance spent hours. We drove to the WWII beaches and stopped to see the WWII cemetery. There are a few towns along the different beaches. I didn't make it to Mt St Michel and I hope to go one day. It seemed like a long drive from Caen (about one hr) until we arrived at Omaha Beach. One of the best meals we had was at the restaurant in the Best Western Hotel in Caen. I was there several years ago. My friend went this past year and said the food was outstanding. It is in the main town but across from the Castle. (We had a little trouble finding it at first because of the turns. Also went to the Chartres Cathedral. A very memorable trip! Enjoy . Johanna

In Chartres, right in front of the Cathedral, they have a tourist train. I heartily recommend it for anyone, like your father, who doesn't perhaps have the stamina to do a lot of walking. It goes all over the important sites in the city and is well worth the nominal cost.

I also suggest you stop at a "hypermarché" first time you pass one (Centre Le Clerc comes to mind, Aachen, Casino-to name a few) for a case of individual bottled water and snacks like nuts, cookies, fruit etc. Not only is it cheaper to help the budget but it will help maintain energy while on the go. Hydration is very important for older/ill people--wine doesn't count here-ha-ha-ha.

Thank you all. Sorry about the format, ie, moving the post. It is my first try. Near the Caen Memorial, are there other sites of interest or shops...ANYTHING :) as I may want a change from war. I am very interested but it makes me sad after awhile. BIG question: GPS or not? I can bring my printed maps or pay 80.00 for france and take the TomTom GPS system. We will not be in the car every day so hubby says, "don't waste my money" but I think it would be nice, also it has walking directions but I am unsure how long it holds a charge out of the car.
In Paris, does anyone have experience with the Car Rouge?

You can just use the Michelin map of Normandy and get by nicely. But DO get that map, as well as the Michelin Green Guide to Normandy. It will answer many of your questions about what there is to do. I assume you may be going on to other sites along the Normandy coast. You don't say how long you are touring Normandy but you may find that Mont St. Michel is a bit of way out there, and if your father isn't physically fit, it may not be for you to do.
Is the Car Rouge the hop on hop off bus? it is fine for an overview of Paris, as is its counterpart whose name I can't call at the moment.
Gift items just depends on what you like. France has wonderful paper products like note pads, post it notes (with lovely art). Look in museum shops for ideas. Food things--mustards, chocolate. Look in the supermarche for these at great prices.

Thank you so much,well my actual plan is as follows: Fly into CDG and get car, stop in Honfluer for lunch en route to Caen, (we arrive at 7:30 a.m.) in Paris, then spend two nights in Caen. Then three at a B&B in Bayeaux, where we will do "Overlord" one day tour of the beaches, but in route to Bayeux we will go to the Sword, Gold Beach sites. After Bayeux, two nights in Dinan france thus we pass right by Mt. St. Michel, then after Dinan, a four hour drive at least to Malesherbes France in the Loire valley about 20 mins from Fontainbleu for two nights. We will tour Fontainbleu one day. The other go to a small village near known for its market and many herbs grown. Then on to Orly drop off car and take a cap into Paris. Staying in the 1st. Arr. for three nights. I am thinking to do a Paris walks tour to include Sacre Coure or do it by myself. Then that night the boat Vendette, Pont Nuef with my discout ticktes where we can take food, wine etc., and eat and look :) Saturday, likely the hop on hop off... 25.00 euros per person...yikes, but I am thinking dad could not handle the walking needed in Paris. Sunday a.m. I go to Bike about tours for a three hour tour alone, dad sleeps late and I need to be up!
The gifts, I needed ideas to take the kind families I have gotten to know via email as I am staying in their homes. I will get some of the suggestions to bring home for sure, thank you.
Does anyone know of MALESHERBES france?
Also, Fontainblue, is it fabulous or is there another site in the Loire I must see?

Thanks again!
Jeannie

The Caen Memorial is on the northern outskirts of the city, so there is nothing of interest in its immediate vicinity. However, while you are at the Memorial, make sure you go outside and visit the various gardens (US, Canadian and British) which while commemorating the battle do provide a contrast to the sombre exhibits inside.

Much of Caen was destroyed by the allied bombing in July 1944, so the centre of town has been largely rebuilt. However, the romanesque Abbaye aux Hommes and its Church of St. Etienne, founded by William the Conquerer in 1066, did survive and are worth a visit. Your best bet for places to eat in Caen would be rue St.Pierre in the centre of town.

You mention that you will be visiting Gold and Sword beaches on the way to Bayeux from Caen. I would give Sword beach a pass, unless you have a particular reason for visiting it, and visit Juno Beach instead. The Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer is right on the beach and is an excellent interpretive centre. Beyond Juno at Gold Beach you should not miss the Musee du Debarquement at Arromanches .

As to whether you should use GPS or maps, it all depends on you or your husband's navigation skills. Driving in rural France can be challenging, so if your husband thinks that $80 is a waste of money, I would give him the job of navigating while you drive. This is the arrangement that my wife and I have arrived at after many times driving in Europe and it works!

Malesherbes has a nice chateau (but certainly not comparable to Fontainebleau).

http://www.all-free-photos.com/show/...31&lang=fr

http://www.ville-malesherbes.fr

BTW, Fontainebleau is a gorgeous castle, but has nothing to do with the Loire. The Loire is far away.

Another splendid chateau in the area is Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte.

I have done both Les Cars Rouges and L'Open Tour. They are great for first timers as they allow you to get the lay of the land. After seeing where the major sites are, you can plan your days better. Web sites for both are:

http://pariscityrama.com/en/paris_open_tour
http://www.carsrouges.com/uk/index.html

Thank you all, well, DHubby will not be with me as this is for my father, the trip as it is a dream of his to see the beaches. GPS will go :) Also, the Loire Valley, I thought that Malesherbes was in it, but it seems a little closer to the northern approaches/outskirts of paris. Thank you also for telling me about the gardens at Caen Memorial. When I map our hotel, it appears we are about 1.5 miles walking from the memorial, yet we are staying in Center Hotel, which says it is in the heart of Caen... hmmm lol

I am going to download france to my tomtom today :) I am curious how long she will last without juice, ie., for walking. I will investigate.

miacaraitlaia: The Hotel Centre in Caen is quite close to the centre of town. However, the Mémorial is not. As I mentioned in my previous post, it is on the northern outskirts, so you would be best advised to drive there. There's lots of parking available.

Good decision on the GPS!

Just be aware that when you come to a roundabout in France, the direction is given to the NEXT TOWN, not the route number. The GPS will probably give the direction of turn. I have no idea, but I guess this will be in English? That is certainly a nice trip.
You are looking for gifts for French folks?

GPS is my new best friend and what is 80.00 considering the cost of the trip :) Yes, french folks, looking for small gifts as we are in alot of B&Bs. I realize that hotels, are business, but the B&B is a little different. So far I have a cookbook from Ga, Stone Mtn with the history and so forth, Vidalia onion relish, BBQ sauce (all europeans love ours, at least that is my impression) oreos, nutterbutters (small packs) and poke mon cards for the 11 year old boy...
any other ideas? I stay with several families and I think such really is nice.

Also, unfortunately, I do not eat organ meat..lol seafood or fish...nor many eggs, so a restaurant in Paris...recommendations? I did well in Italy as they eat like me...but France, very carnivor so far...from what I read. I adore ethnic foods, just not the previous items. My dad is a country man, so any comfy place would be nice, just affordable and good.

P.S. Lavendrye,
The hotel central, Caen, Is it nice? I got a great deal, my dad on the bottom floor, me walking five flights of stairs, to save a few euro ..lol The family that runs it seemed very nice. Breakfast is extra so we will dine nearby at cafes and so forth. Are you familiar with Caen? I am thinking it will be nice, I realize it was bombed to death, but sometimes the places people skip thru are the best for dining and just being there.

The Caen bombing did not, thankfully, damage the Abbeye des Hommes and the Abbaye des Femmes. Be sure to visit those; there's easy parking near each site.

We really enjoyed our meal at Le Petit Bistro in Bayeux. I hope you have a wonderful trip.

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I have reservations for the petit bistro! Sounds great!

you will not have a problem eating in France. They do seafood very well.
Le Petit Bistro was the best meal we had on our entire trip that year. I think it is fine to bring a gift for a B&B but I personally would not think of doing it. It's a business and they are charging you, I believe.

hello i haven't noticed if you are there on a sunday, but the big sunday market around the marina in the centre of Caen is well worth going to. nice crepes, lots of fresh local produce, such as cheese, honey, cider from the nearby farming communities. Lots of nice trinkets and clothing etc.
I was in Lemans and really enjoyed it but it is fairly hilly walking to the churches and viewpoints for example.

It has been explained to me that cider in the US is what europeans would call apple juice. In france "cidre" will be 6 to 8% alcohol. Since drunk driving is a criminal offense I suggest watch it.

GPS: buy new batteries (even if they're rechargeable) before you leave the US.

Seafood: the day that you're touring Omaha Beach and its ancillary sites, stop in Port-en-Bessin for lunch. The seafood comes off the fishing boat and into the kitchen.

For anyone who has never enjoyed <i>fresh</i> seafood, the flavor will amaze you.

&gt;&gt;cider in the US is what europeans would call apple juice. In france &quot;cidre&quot; will be 6 to 8% alcohol. Since drunk driving is a criminal offense I suggest watch it.

however, nobody has suggested the op down a bottle of cider before driving.

miacaraitalia: I don't know the Hotel Centre so I can't comment other than to say that as a 3-star Mercure hotel, I'm sure that it will be fine.

Thank you all, ... it is actually The Central Hotel and very family run and small. I will be sure to walk after cider :) I am not sure on my TomTom if it even has batteries. I am not that mechanical but thinking taking dear Tom may reduce my stress of driving. I use Garmin at work, and Tom seems similar. For 80.00 peace of mind may be worth it. Does anyone know anything about dining in Malesherbes or nearby?
Also, final q, I hope. I drop the car at Orley, does one just grab a cab like here?
I think it would be worth the fare for my dad to not have to endure a shuttle procedure since we are unsure when we will drop off the car.

The taxi queue is literally right across the street from the garage where you return cars. And the fare from orly is less than CDG==no doubt better than any other transport, in my opinion. I would go online and map your entry to Orly from Chartres (I guess), even having the Tom Tom. Just as a backup.

Thank you, we are actually leaving Dinan and then to Malesherbes, then to Fontainebleu, and Orley is where we leave the car. The Dinan drive is 4 hours non stop, so a day. I am interested in whether or not to make Mt. San Micheal (sp) a stop between Bayeaux and Dinan or look from afar. I am not crazy about overridden with tourist places. Also, is anyone familiar with Lemans?

Thanks again!

Sounds like a wonderful trip, Mia.

&quot;I do not eat organ meat..lol seafood or fish...nor many eggs&quot;.

I don't eat organ meat, undisguised eggs and cannot eat shellfish but have always enjoyed dining in France. The French serve a lot of wonderfully prepared chicken dishes so you should have no difficulty. And if you eat cheese and bread you will truly be in heaven. They also have good soups.

I have visited the chateaux at Fontainbleu and Vaux-le-Vicomte and both are beautiful and were uncrowded even on weekends. Vaux has a dome with winding stairs up to a great view. I could not do that many stairs (bad knee) but my family enjoyed it and I have all the photos. I bought a small book about the chateau to read while they took this detour.

We spent a full day in the town of Chartres strolling along the river and through the old streets. The cathedral is up a small hill. Nice little tearoom on the cathedral square to rest and soak up the view.

We also liked Arromanches and the 360 film presentation. Good lunch at Le Bistro d'Arromanches. We have stayed in Bayeux twice and found lots of good restaurants there. Don't miss the cathedral which in the center of town, it's lovely.

You can great views of Mt. St. Michel from the town and parking areas. Perhaps that will satisfy without having to contend with the steep walk and crowds.

Bon Voyage.

Thank you! We leave on Tuesday. It has been a week. Doc was not going to let dad go, anurism. Now he can. I have been active forever and now my back and knees are messed up. Thank God for hydrocortisone. :)

Paris...car rouge, or the regular bus, we only need transportation for one day as I hope to bike the other. My father cannot walk far.

Thanks to everyone.

J

One more idea to save walking in Paris if needed:

http://www.4roues-sous-1parapluie.co...langue=anglais

Le Mans has a large piece of Roman wall left over and the very centre is attractive but the outskirts less so. I suggest alternatives as follows

Fougeres (a great castle but a bit of up hill walking)
La Fleche for one of the most beautiful views across a river in a town i've seen

Chartre sur loir has a lovely little square with a restaurant in it and was the watering hole of the Brits when Le Mans was their racing centre.

Then you are in the Loire

&lt;&lt;I have been active forever and now my back and knees are messed up.&gt;&gt;

When you get to France, go immediately to the nearest pharmacy and get a tube of Voltaren Emulgel, the &quot;magic cream&quot; which maitaitom introduced to many Fodorites in his classic trip report, &quot;An Injured American in Paris&quot;.

Here's an update on that trip report:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34979522


For those who may have missed the original report, here it is:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34934133

I have written down the Voltaren Emugel and will ask my local pharm what on earth diclophenac is.

My uncle used to once in awhile use something on his knee which the vets prescribed ONLY for horses. I can't remember the name--DMSO or something--but it really worked.

DH has had 4 knee cartilege surgeries over the last 35 years. Sometimes he'll be fine for weeks then 'fold' on me the day I want to hike in part of the Grand Canyon or something.

Since Absorbene Jr leaks all over in luggage, and tylenol with codeine doesn't mix with wine, hmmm, this gel may be an answer!

DMSO is a highly toxic, but effective analgesic ointment for horses. It can have serious effects on your liver and kidneys. I would avoid this product at all costs. My roommate in college - a wrestler - used it sparingly to soothe his aching knees. Until, of course his urine turned bright orange. It apparently overburdened both his liver and kidneys and the actual coloration of the product came out!

Stick with the magic cream!

Actually my uncle lived into his 90's so he must not have used the DMSO in excess.

I googled diclophenac. It appeared to have the usual NSAID warnings. I would think an occasional swipe across the knee with it might not be too deleterious.

Probably not, other than it is, technically, illegal to get the DMSO for other than use on animals.

At least it was in the late 70's and early 80's. The other apparent side effect is that it opens up the skin for absorbtion of other more toxic materials. I've heard its' being researched as a method to assist delivery of localized cancer drugs.

We're at miscommunication. I mean the Voltaren Emulgel might not hurt for an occasional swipe across the knee.

We, too, enjoyed our dinner at Le Petit Bistro in Bayeux.
In Caen we happened upon a tiny bistro-type restaurant called Le Bouchon de Vaugueux at 12, rue Graindorge near the chateau and the old town. It was crowded with locals and well worth the wait on the sidewalk, since we did not have reservations. Highly recommend!