Michelle Lee

Day 7- April 4

May 5, 2023May 5, 2023Michelle Lee1 Comment

Drive to Paris, French strike implications, train to Lourdes, ride to Pyrenees

Today was a travel day for us. We all said our goodbyes to the Rogers family in the wee hours of the morning. A travel center on the way allowed us to fuel up and indulge in a bonus self serve Starbucks!! We lived, laughed, and loved for 7 days. We ate, drank and were merry for 7 days as well! Our hearts and souls were full with friends and fellowship.

We saw key sightseeing places along the way to the car rental in Paris.

Princess Diana Memorial Flame and the Eiffel Tower

Then we ventured south to the Pyrenees to rendezvous with my sister and family.

France has had a lot of strikes more recently due to the president raising the retirement age. Fortunately in France there is a law in place that mandates a 48 hour notice of strikes. Our train from Paris to Lourdes was canceled a few days ago. Randy quickly rearranged our tickets and placed us on a different train route. Our new route went from Paris to Bordeaux and Bordeaux to Lordes. The first leg was normal. The second leg was an experience that was blog worthy for sure and here it comes….

Ohhhhh Laaa Laaaa the train prior to us was canceled. The train after us was canceled. Therefore three trains were crammed into one train without seat assignments. Unfortunately, our train was packed like sardines. Fortunately, we had seats. Randy stood the whole time. All this to say for 3 hours we rode in the luggage rack. Unfortunately, my face was 12 inches from a guy’s bottom for 3 hours. I know what you readers are all thinking…fortunately he did not fart! I enjoyed facial expressions and eye contact with the lady next to me. Fortunately the kids enjoyed the luggage rack. Zach even found a way to relax with his head resting between luggage and the rack.

At last, we arrived in Lourdes!!! It was so good to see Jan and family. We rode in a nine passenger van on hairpin turns at dusk. For the next two nights we will be in the Pyrenees with cousins and my sister and brother in law.

Day 6 Late Afternoon- April 3

May 4, 2023May 8, 2023Michelle LeeLeave a comment

Three more stops today and then we return to our airbnb for the last night.

Stop 1-On our way to Pointe Du Hoc we stopped here only to grab these pictures since we have our own Mazie with us.

Stop 2- Pointe Du Hoc contains rocky cliff top, highest point of land between Utah and Omaha beaches, a heavily defended German installation and lookout point (honors 2nd Ranger Battalion)

Amazing that some soldiers parachuted in the dark, or swam through rocky waters, and/or climbed limestone cliffs to find potential barbed wire and still fight.

Stop 3-American Cemetery of Normandy

We decided to end our journey through Normandy at the American Cemetery.

This beautifully crisp looking cemetery was not only a sobering reminder of WWII but also a familiar site from back home. When my sister and I are together on Memorial Day in the States we try to take the kids to a national cemetery.

The green grass and white grave markers were not only familiar but settling to my soul even in a foreign country. The kids immediately noticed and asked about the different grave markers, the crosses and the stars.

Beautiful pathways encircling the cemetery and bordering the cliffs to the sea.

The last adventure for this trip included the five guys heading to the grocery store for dinner supplies, while the four girls headed back down to the beach for one more sip and exploration.

Wait there is one more adventure we did not plan! Hazel crawled semi-through the small window and carefully obtained firewood for the fireplace. The kids enjoyed their generation of “downtime” with electronics together. Josiah and Zach played a battling game while Nathan and Hazel played their own games. Mazie watched along and listened to an audio book.

Day6 Afternoon- April 3

May 2, 2023May 1, 2023Michelle LeeLeave a comment

Utah Beach

After visiting the Airborne Museum we drove to Utah Beach for lunch and another museum. Pamela found Le Roosevelt, a cafe decorated with items, articles, and signatures from soldiers during WWII. This building contains a ton of history from both sides of the war.

Utah Beach Landing Museum

This museum was set right on the beach. It encompassed three areas; the museum inside, the monuments and statues outside, and the beach itself. An indoor tour included documents, uniforms, and military equipment.

Outside we ventured to the memorials, statues, and beach.

Day 6 Morning-April 3

May 1, 2023May 1, 2023Michelle LeeLeave a comment

Airborne Museum

What an incredible museum we toured for several hours. This museum collection housed their information in several buildings with a nice walkable campus.

Paratrooper pretended to be dead for several hours after he was caught on the church.

New technology allowed us to digitally experience the exhibits as we moved throughout the spaces.

The kids enjoyed watching movie clips, video game activities and reading about events and items on the provided iPads. I enjoyed learning about all the details including dummy paratroopers, markings of helmets, parachute colors, clicker sounds for identification, as well as the house that caught on fire and almost ruined the execution of plans.

Interesting brands especially because we live in Virginia

Mazie is currently doing a research paper on toothbrushes

Day 5 Late Afternoon and Evening- April 2

April 30, 2023Michelle LeeLeave a comment

Mont Saint Michel

Next we drove over an hour through the countryside to reach Mont Saint Michel. This island castle has been used to inspire many movie castles, like Tangled and Return of the King.

We arrived too late to see the Abbey, mainly because we did not factor in taking a slow bus from the parking lot to the castle AND the abbey being at the top. The Rogers were a good 20 minutes ahead of us due to our outdoor exhibit adventure. Once they arrived they texted us and gave us the news and not to hurry.

In my opinion the castle is a must see if you have not experienced grand castle cities nor been around them for 8 months. While it is majestic to view it also contains similar features to other walled cities we have experienced here in France. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoy walled cities, and we have seen a plethora of them this year. This city had a tighter footprint than Carcassonne. Inside the unique streets spiraled to the top, which lead to observing interesting lines on walls, houses and cobblestone walks. The tide did not rush in as we envisioned. Our family liked Carcassonne better.

Bayeux

Our final stop for the day was in Bayeux for dinner with an outside walk around La Cathédrale de Bayeux, a 13th century Catholic church. Dinner was enjoyed at La Manufacture, a cozy corner restaurant, where we sat at different tables just to fit our group of 9.

Outside the cathedral a Liberty Tree was planted in 1792, based on the United States Liberty tree planting program during the American Revolution. This tree still stands today. Somehow we missed getting a picture of the tree.

The kids enjoyed late night young drivers circling and honking at us.

Day 5 Early Afternoon- April 2

April 27, 2023April 27, 2023Michelle LeeLeave a comment

Omaha Beach and The Overlord Museum outdoor exhibit

I am not sure any of us knew what to expect at Omaha Beach. We first noticed the flags waving in the strong winds. The American flag had seen better days. We wish we could have fixed her.

The shore was incredibly wide and deep, the beach seemed to go on forever. In the sand we saw the war memorial sculpture, “THE BRAVE.” Looking at the sculpture the only thing you could hear was the roar of the waves crashing on the shore. Silence and respect were given by all.

Prior to coming to France, Pamela had been reading up on the Bedford Boys from Virginia. Their memorial was also at Omaha Beach. Americans suffered 2,400 casualties either from drowning while approaching the shore or were killed defending the German fire from the hills surrounding the shores.

Our family made a quick stop at The Overlord Museum we saw on the way to Omaha Beach. The kids wanted to capture images of the outdoor exhibit to send to their friends.

Day 5 Morning- April 2

April 26, 2023April 25, 2023Michelle LeeLeave a comment

Fishing port Market day, morning walk to shore, Omaha beach, Mont Saint-Michel, Bayeux

Pamela and I headed out early to grab food for the next few days. Little did we know the nearest village of Le Bessin, was a seaport having a market day! Such a fun surprise for both of us. I made Pamela take the obligatory French market and baguette photo. back at the airbnb kids were exploring finding a garage to clean and a friendly neighborhood dog.

After breakfast and lunch prep we enjoyed a walk down to the sea on a country lane.

The shore line amazed us all with its natural playground equipped with waterfalls, rocks, sea life, and roars of waves.

Day 4 Part 2- April 1

April 25, 2023April 24, 2023Michelle LeeLeave a comment

Étretat, Honfleur, and Normandy here we come…

Eventually Pamela and I and 2 kids met the guys in the parking lot. The sun broke through the gray clouds for a few moments! We quickly enjoyed a run on the beach and the sights before heading off to Honfleur for dinner.

Once in Honfleur we headed straight to a cozy, quaint restaurant, Mamie Louise, known for fresh ingredients and burgers. Getting all 9 of us seated was no easy feat, however Randy’s French probably sealed the deal. The burgers were absolutely the best ones we have EVER had.

Just a side street, nothing to see here, keep moving

“Honfleur takes particular pride in its Impressionist roots – Claude Monet’s mentor Eugène Boudin was born in the town, and Monet and his contemporaries would often set up their easels at the Ferme Saint-Siméon on the hill above Honfleur, to capture the beautiful light of the Seine estuary.”

Finally after dinner we loaded the cars for the last trip of the day, our Airbnb near Omaha Beach. We packed a ton into this day. The remaining days will be packed too. I enjoyed watching the kids hanging out and caring for each other. Adult conversations and long time friends was the perfect way to start April off in France.

Day 4 Part 1- April 1

April 24, 2023April 24, 2023Michelle Lee1 Comment

Speed train to Paris, car rental, Rouen,

Get up and leave by 6am for Paris…not an April Fool’s joke!

Pamela took the kids for a late lunch while the rest of us figured out the car rentals. Wow this took a VERY long time. McDonald’s was the best bet for kids. Crazy to be in Paris and eat McD, when we do not even eat there in the USA. Ha! The fries were yummy for sure.

Pamela, Nathan, and I traveled in one car while Randy, Joey, Zach, Josiah and Hazel took to the other car. Somehow in Paris traffic we were separated (imagine that), thus taking different roads out of the city.

Our path took us by Rouen, so we stopped and toured. Randy and crew continued to Etretat and hiked.

Rouen Cathedral- Painted by Claude Monet, destroyed during the Viking invasions in 841 and then partially, in 1944, by Allied bombings. Inside we heard a choir performing, sweet sounds throughout the halls even though we did not understand the French.

Choir voices heard throughout the church

Joan of Arc- a young shepherdess who has become the greatest heroine in the history of France, she was burned on May 30, 1431.

Resembles a dragon mouth more than a drain spout

Rouen is known for their half-timbered houses, narrow streets, bears on display, and a clock. Pamela and I thought we had the best kids with us for this stop.

The French used to put giant teddy bears out at cafe’s for people to sit with and not be alone

On our way back to the car we walked down beautiful brick lined roads and past the Palais de Justice. Battle scars and impacts from April 19, 1944, and again on August 27, 1944, just before the Liberation are scattered throughout the sides of the building. Also noted that the Palais de Justice served as a prison for the Gestapo and many Resistance fighters were tortured here in Rouen.

As we turned the corner of the building we noticed Legos. An art project started in Oct 2020. Like some art there are different thoughts on applying plastic to an historical building. I saw it as a way to enunciate and draw attention to the history that passersby may not fully notice nor grasp. The kids were more aware thus bringing great conversations amongst our group.

We all enjoyed our wet time back in history.

Meanwhile the guys and 3 kids hiked the cliffs of Étretat while we were in Rouen. Étretat is home to vertical cliffs of the Alabaster Coast and to Maurice Leblanc’s gentleman burglar, Arsène Lupin. Painters Courbet and Monet painted many pictures of these cliffs.

Day 3- March 31

April 23, 2023April 24, 2023Michelle Lee1 Comment

Montpellier city central, castle ruin hike, mill ruin hike, wine tasting

Another full day was exploring places older than the United States. Montpellier City Central gave us experiences with huge aqueducts, narrow streets, basement cave-like bookstore, Argentinian empanadas, climbing stairs to our friends’ apt. and more.

Visitors to this apt get a Polaroid on the wall

Next a short drive and hike allowed us to explore a castle in ruins. It was windy up top.

Soon after we explored an old mill and its unique water pools. We noticed the water in the creek was drier and stayed in the pools than it was just a week ago with my cousins. Joey and the kids headed through the creek pools to the waterfall.

We tried a new wine tasting spot, located near us. We arrived just in time for a tour and then tasted the wines with a few other groups. I loved that the dad was giving tours while his 2 year old was tagging along.