NORMANDY

This is the area of Normandy that we visited.  We will show you more maps as we go along, and in general, the maps can not be enlarged.  you can zoom in with whatever capacity you have on your own viewer or browser, but we don't have a link to a larger map.  We rented a car and drove from Charles De Gaul Airport through Caen, and on to Houesville, (wayvee) which would be found in the circle between Caretan and Ste Mere Eglise, if it were big enough to be on the map.  But, we had good direction from our hostess, so we found it.

This is a little closer look at the area around Houesville

This a view of the Living room in our cottage; a nice cozy place, that used to be a boulangerie (bakery).

The other side of the living room; it was nice, but not real big.

Another view of the living room, showing thee stairs to our bedroom.

A look at our kitchen, a nice size with a small table which you can't see.

The view out our kitchen door, out to the chicken coop and the barnyard where there were two llamas, three goats, a lamb, a couple horses, a duck, a goose, and about  15 chickens.

The back of the cottage, with the main house visible beyond it.

Our first trip in Normandy was to the town of Ste Mere Eglise, about 8 kms from Houesville.

This is the church at Ste. Mere Eglise, one of the first towns liberated on D-Day.  Notice the replica of a U. S. Paratrooper hanging from the steeple, representing a true event from D-Day.  The people here still celebrate the liberation, and welcome Americans.

Another tribute to the American Paratroopers who liberated Ste. Mere Eglise

Our next trip was down to Le Mont Ste Michel, and on the way we passed Granville,

Where we stopped to look at the harbor, and then,

We stopped in Coutances, and had a great lunch of crepes,

and happened upon a gorgeous garden, seen below.

The next few pictures will all be of this same garden.

We eventually left Coutances and headed to Le Mont Ste Michel.

Le Mont Ste Michel is on the edge of a large tide flat, so you can see it from several miles (or kilometers) away.

As you get closer, you can see more detail.

And from the parking lot, you can clearly see that it is a huge building, built on top of a big rock.

If you climb some stairs and look out a window, you might see a view like this

Our last trip in Normandy was out to the end of the peninsula, to Auderville, on the way passing through Barflour, St-Vaast la Hougue, Valognes, and bypassing Cherbourg.  We got lost several times on this trip.

Auderville is the "Lands End" of Normandy, and reminded us of some parts of Ireland.

You can see a tiny village off in the distance.

So then it was back to Houesville.

Which looks a little different from the other end.

This is a D-Day marker which indicates the distance from the beaches (8 Km),
and the date of liberation (June 8, 1944).

So ends our trip to France, and Normandy.  We hope you enjoyed our pictures.