Well it’s been a long time coming, but at last I have a spare few minutes to sit down and write about our amazing weekend adventure into Normandy, France. It was such a lovely weekend that it’s a wonder I didn’t get a chance to sit down sooner, but work has been so busy (yet still so amazing) and each and every night has been filled with events, fun and games of all kinds. There is never a dull moment!
The team was made up of Brad’s Uni basketball friend Kalem (who you may remember from our Bruges adventures), Morgan and Philly, a.k.a the dream team. After an amazing weekend with this crew, we’ve signed everyone up for a Luxembourg mission in March. It’s a bit of a tough one really as we have lots of lovely friends, all of whom would gladly be willing to take their seat on one of our road trip adventures, but sadly there are just three spare seats each journey.
We left London on the Friday night for another journey across the channel (we really should have signed up for frequent floating miles, well if they had them). Once we arrived in Calais we drove straight to Rouen, via beautiful little villages, to our destination – a lovely little central hotel/ apartment Philly scouted out after a laborious accommodation search. Philly was an absolute legend, as it was hard going trying to find accommodation in Rouen that wouldn’t break the bank, but she persevered well and truly (far more than I would have) and we ended up with an utter gem. That girl is worth her weight in gold (she’s currently working her magic on finding accommodation for Copenhagen and Luxembourg – our next two international adventures).
It was a bit of a late one, which meant I had to muster up the French skills to call and let the hotel know that we were going to be late. Like Lille, not many people speak English and every time we enter France, I send up thanks that I decided to take French at school. My kids will be studying up this subject too, among Italian, Spanish and German of course!
Despite out late night (thanks to Brad again for ferrying us around – bless his soul), we were up early in order to make the most of the day, and free breakfast. One thing we love about Western Europe is the free breakfast which is offered at most hotels and backpackers. We always eat up large so we just need one more meal to see us through!
Our hotel was right in the heart (or Coeur as the French call it!) of Rouen so we were in prime position to explore all the city had to offer, and boy – what a city! It is absolutely stunning! The river Seine runs through and the place is literally scattered with beautiful cathedrals, each one prettier than the last. It really takes your breath away. It’s a medieval town and was where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake (right in the town centre). We spent the day stumbling through cobbles streets, taking endless photos and stopping every few minutes or so for a patisserie, where we’d indulge in a cake or two. For those that haven’t tried them, the French really know how to do cakes – there like nothing you’ve ever seen, with each one looking and tasting like a beautiful piece of art!
Of course a trip with three girls wouldn’t be complete without a spot of shopping and after spending up large in France’s most famous sweets shop, we stumbled across the world’s best underwear store. The boys sat at a bar opposite with a pint, while we literally spent an hour, fighting the throngs for undies – each pair more colourful than the last. I managed to restrain myself a wee bit and didn’t take too bad of a hit, but Morgs came out with a good 10 kg of under garments. Money well spent though. After all, when can you buy lollies and knickers, if not in France?
We then set off again, spying beautiful building after beautiful building. The girls decided to stop for a photo outside Notre Dame Cathedral, for which our newly purchased underwear provided a perfect prop. After following Brad’s directions at twirling our undies around our head like a lasso, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, a number of police men standing by watching with amused expressions! I guess it’s not every day you see a pack of Kiwis yahooing and whipping knickers around – especially amongst these refined French women!
Next stop was the supermarket where we stocked up on French wine and champagne – it’s so cheap and so amazing that you’d be a fool not to, followed by a late and leisurely lunch of crepes and croque monsieurs. After lunch we continued our exploring and when it was too dark to keep doing so, we headed back to the hotel where we thought we’d have a few drinks before heading out again. That was our original thought anyway, six bottle of champagne and a whole lot of whiskey later, the girls fell asleep in the same bed (alongside a pack of squashed chocolate muffins), while the boys went in search of adventure. As beautiful as France is, it isn’t renowned for its nightlife (due to the fact that the French aren’t binge drinkers at all), and it wasn’t long before the boys were back at home with their tails between their legs.
Sunday morning got off to a surprisingly fresh start (the wine is so good that a hangover is almost non-existent) and after our breakfast of baguettes, fromage and croissants, we hit the road. Philly had done a bit of research prior to departure and had discovered a beautiful drive from Rouen to Le Havre (where the D-Day beaches are), which follows the Seine through the Normandy countryside to the coast. It’s called Route des Abbeys and it winds past old abbeys and monasteries, some of which date back to the 7th century! Our scenic drive took us past all things beautiful, including picturesque towns with cute names like Lillebonne, to ancient monasteries and abbeys like Abbaye St-George and Abbaye St-Jumieges.
It was an absolutely perfect day filled with breathtaking sights, good friends and countless laughs! The only fly in the ointment was the toll roads we encountered on route from Le Havre to Calais. We usually avoid toll roads, opting instead for the free and far more scenic back roads. But by the time we got to Le Havre we had spent so much time tiki touring around Normandy that we thought it was best to take the quickest route back. We were back at the ferry with plenty of time to spare.
While waiting for the ferry out came the Lonely Planet and before we knew it another road trip was planned - this time to Luxembourg! Quite an ironic destination given that Philly had been asking me where Luxembourg was that morning. I was confused and mistakenly thought she meant Luxembourg city, which resulted in us going back and forth quite a few times, with each one getting more irate by the second: Where's that? Luxembourg! Yeah but where's that? LUXEMBOURG!
Anyway I digress, it's just a three and a half hour drive away from Calais so totally doable and it means that we get to add another country to our list!
We also have trips planned to Copenhagen, Krakow, Liechtenstein, Italy, Austria, Germany, Lisbon, Oslo and Stockholm, so watch this space! Something tells me this blog is going to be fairly busy in 2011!
Love to all and missing you always!
Xx
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