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.
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.
Tight Squeeze 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.
Jet lag strikes again
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, destroyedduring the Vikinginvasions 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 churchceiling
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 aloneHmm…interesting storefrontarchway ceiling under the clock
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.
Lees in France 