FRANCE 2009 - Normandie (RO/EN)

Honfleur

Following rave reviews on tripadvisor.com got to spend a few glorious of days at "La Linière" B&B, a beautifully decorated Napoleon III style residency very nicely maintained by the owners (Mr. Diet – a name that points out to what's needed once the gastronomic experiences associated with the French vacation are over). Breakfast in the dining room is a great experience, comes with fall light flooding the room, while the living room across invites you to enjoy you tea submerged in a hint of swing / Nat King Cole / piano music as if you would step back in time. Setting is a real treat and the owners deserve all praises for it. Beautiful view towards Pont de la Normandie in from the housefront. 

Had a chat with a very nice couple from Ottawa spending two full weeks at this place, obviously in love with France and coming back for the sixth time. Asked them which part of France did they like most out of the various ones visited (including the south) - answer was Normandy and Brittany.

Urmind review-urile de pe tripadvisor am tras la pension (B&B) "La Liniere", decorata superb stil Napoleon III dupa spusele proprietarilor (M. Diet – nume prefigurind ce se cere dupa o vacanta cu o latura foarte accentuat gastronomica, de departe cea mai spectaculoasa din punctul asta de vedere pina acum). Micul dejun in salon e o experienta in sine cu lumina de toamna care inunda camerele, iar muzica foarte discreta din living (swing / Nat King Cole) te face sa te simti ca si cum te-ai intors in timp. Vedere foarte frumoasa spre Pont de la Normandie din fata casei.

First vacation evening included fireworks over Honfleur marina, nice treat after trying out some wicked "Galettes au fruits de mer" and "Crêpes flambées au grand Marnier" very appropriately accompanied by one smooth Calvados. Since Honfleur is in Calvados region we did need to try out to see what everyone is talking about. Got a good impression about it and brought some back to our igloo in preparation for the long upcoming winter. 

Prima seara de vacanta cu foc de artificii in port nu-i rau deloc dupa probat galettes si crêpes si cum sintem in Calvados n-avem de ales si-l probam, merge perfect cu atmosfera.

Trouville-sur-Mer

Sunday morning market very dynamic, lots of great looking seafood filled stands, a huge bowl with cooked cabbage/sauerkraut and pork, flavors filling up around the crowd lined up to get a sandwich filled in with these ingredients, traditional merry-go-round with happy kids, a couple composed of a baby goat and a black piglet turning around in a small hay. Even pashminas up for sale just as the ones in Doha at Souq Waqif. Local brass band playing in front of the townhall, a very velveety fall feeling on the beach, while the local casino has a hard time keeping up with the loads of retirees stepping down from coach buses and ready to experience some thrills inside. Les Vapeurs - good enough restaurant for Meryl Streep to have dinner over from the Deauville film festival where she was introducing her new movie "Julia and Julie" in september this year.

Piata de duminica dimineata foarte animata cu o groaza de seafood care arata foarte bine, o marmita imensa cu varza si carne de porc (ciolan ?) care miroase de-ti ia mintile, traditionalul carusel in care se dau picii, chiar si pashminas de zici ca esti in Souq Waqif la Doha. Fanfara cinta in fata primariei, pe plaja e un aer de toamna foarte placut, iar cazinoul nu mai face fata la autocarele de pensionari amatori de senzatii tari. Les Vapeurs - restaurant cu destul renume ca Meryl Streep så ia masa în septembrie anul åsta cînd a venit så-si prezinte noul film "Julia and Julie" la festivalul de la Deauville.

Deauville

Juno Beach / Courseulles sur Mer

One of the 3 spots where Canadians have landed on June 6 1944 and the location of a very impressive, well presented and extremely interesting memorial. Yellow is missing from the legend, these are the movements of the Canadian troops.

Locul de debarcare al canadienilor in 6 iunie 1944 cu un memorial foarte bine facut si foarte interesant.

Bayeux

Main objective of the visit being the famous tapestry depicting the story leading to the battle of Hastings in 1066, audioguide extremely well done, how come no one ever thought about making a movie based on this (unless there is one and I do not know about it). Town is very nice to see too especially dressed up in beautiful fall colours.

Vizitat in special pt. tapiseria celebra cu batalia de Hastings anul 1066, audioguide perfect si povestea foarte entertaining ar merge un film pe tema asta daca nu l-a facut nimeni inca. Oraselul e o mica opera de arta in sine.

Mont Saint-Michel

Ended up going twice to see it once before and during the sunset when we did a full tour of the island to catch quite impressive glimpses towards the ocean. Next morning came back to thoroughly visit the "abbaye".

Facut in 2 reprize una pe apus de soare cu facut turul insulei pe masura ce soarele se apropie de apus prilej de fotografii interesante. Cealalta continuat dimineata urmatoare revenit vizitat abbaye.