On Monday, we headed into the larger village just up the road (Quettehou) to check out the tourist office and do a little sightseeing. We also went down to the beach near where we were staying just to have a look but it was a bit chilly for the beach so we didn't stay long. The lady at the tourist office was British (go figure) and she gave us lots of good info on the World War II sights and also told us to be sure to get to the American cemetery at Omaha Beach--that it was a very moving experience.It kept trying to rain all day, so we finally had lunch and headed back to the cottage to read all the touristy info we had--and watch more of the Olympics in French.
On Tuesday, we went to Mont saint Michel, which was fabulous! I read somewhere that there are 14 permanent residents on the island--and 3 million visitors every year! It's a beautiful place, although the parking is a bit of a hassle. I suspect the earlier you get there, the better, which unfortunatelydidn't happen. This shot is as we arrived.
After a lot of walking and a free shuttle ride, we made it. This is a view of the Pilgrim's Way, teeming with tourists now as it was with pilgrims back in the day.
The first order of business was lunch! This is where we ate and the food was really good! I had traditional Normandy lobster soup (known to the rest of the world as lobster bisque), an omelet and a sampler of 3 chocolate desserts. Very yummy! The omelet tasted like it had been cooked over a wood fire. About halfway thru the meal, they seated another family (husband, wife and older teenage daughter) next to us. I felt a bit sorry for the husband; he was obviously excited to be there but his wife was a major sourpuss! They were American but his French was really good. I say that because he was actually conversing with the waiter. When I trot out my French, they always correct my pronouncations but they weren't doing that to him :-)
The battlements, as we were leaving.
The next day, we did a little more local sightseeing. The next few pictures are from La chapelle Saint Michel de Lestre, a pretty little ruin about a mile from our cottage.
This is the merry-go-round outside the Debarkquement Museum in Arromanches. This has to be the prettiest merry-go-round I've ever seen and the various animals and other things to ride were pretty unique, too. The Debarquement Museum had excellent models of the Mulberry Harbor, parts of which are still visible on the beach.
The beach at Arromanches. I had a huge pot of moules (mussels) for lunch--very yummy!
The America Museum at Ver-sur-Mer, museum about the first efforts at airborne transatlantic mail delivery. Commander Richard Byrd's plane was the America--hence the name. Since Ver-sur-Mer is on Gold Beach, one of the British invasion beaches, it was also a good museum of the British landings.
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