Normandy

We managed to get out of Charles De Gaulle airport fairly easily, traffic was light and the car's GPS seemed to be working well. We were bowling along a great French motorway and then the GPS voice, female, and with a great BBC accent, sent us off the motorway and through some industrial towns. After several miles and many roundabouts, we stopped at a patisserie in a town called Vernon to take a break and try and see just where we were on our journey to Normandy. Our initial look on Mapquest indicated motorways most of the way, so something seemed amiss. Light-bulb goes off in my head, what settings were in the GPS? Made the change from "avoid tolls" and we were quickly on a tollway to Normandy.

Western France is much flatter than I realized with mile after mile of farmland, it could be Kansas if it were not for the cheese and wine and .....
We eventually got to Jeff and Oriana's place, my brother and sister-in-law, and had a great welcome and reunion. We last saw them five years ago and we had not been to Normandy for many years.

 Their house, an old French farmhouse that they have, and continue, to renovate.

My brother and me, you can see he got the hair gene!

They have beautiful landscaping and it was a lovely day, so a bit of lawn moving was called for. The weather cooperated quite well, although it was pretty cold for the middle of May, even the locals were complaining.

A visit to a local flea market, much the same wherever they are held.

Market day in the nearby town of Portbail.

Diane searching out treasures.

Portbail has a significant tidal range which, when the water is in, it covers all of this area and at times, close to the top of the bridge arches you can see on the right of the panorama.

 A bit closer view.

This is the name of the small village where my brother lives.

It was sunny enough at times, as you can see.

A good friend of Jeff and Oriana's, who now lives in the US, was paying a visit with all of her family and they were staying nearby, so a celebration ensued. (The little Sony alpha 6000 did pretty well in the dark.)

That's everyone at another gathering for food and wine, I do so love France!

Did I mention the food!

 A fortified castle called Pirou, which is in a very good state of repair, still has a moat and the obvious remainder of a gate that must have had a portcullis at one time. The castle was constructed during the period covering the 11th to 14th centuries.

Up on the ramparts, there are arrow slits along the wall shown on the left.

There was also a very large cider press in an out building. The large beam at the top pivoted on the vertical structure pressing down on a stack of apples contained in large 8ft square "boxes". Pressure applied with the large wheel and screw mechanism resulted in the juice being squeezed from the apples.

An English sign among the French!

 And there is the food again, crabs bought live at the market, dispatched with thanks and about to be consumed with some some great bread, cheese, etc. etc

 Home made desserts.

A wonderful beach bar and restaurant called "Le Bac a Sable".  Yes, you can get Guinness as well as French wine.

A mobile wood fire barbeque at the side of the road.

A lovely lunch at a restaurant called "Auberge de L'Ouve" where the meat is grilled over the fire in the hearth, next to our table. It was also noticeable that the customers were all local, we were the only outsiders in the dining room.
A great way to end our stay in Normandy and set up for the next stops that Oriana and Diane arranged.
On to Giverny, stay tuned,