Got back yesterday from the road trip to Normandy with Dani. Really lovely! Even if it was a little cold and rainy.

We started out by going to Mont Saint Michel, which is right on the border between Brittany and Normandy. It’s one of those sites that you’ve seen so many photos of, almost as many as the Eiffel Tower it feels like. And yet to see it in person was still just awe-inspiring.

We took the guided tour of the abbey, which was fascinating. I think the biggest thing I took away was that, even though the Mont Saint Michel seems kind of eternal, it’s actually a constant work in progress. Several sections have collapsed over the centuries and have been rebuilt… or not. In the center of the cloister, what is now lawn used to be a lovely garden, but it was leaking into the library below, so they had to tear it out a few years ago.

From there, we went up to Bayeux to visit the Normandy landing beaches. Amazing to get a glimpse of what was involved in D-Day. If I’m remembering correctly, over 2 million Allied soldiers were involved in retaking Normandy from the Nazis. For the D-Day operation, the Allies decided to create an artificial harbor at Arromanches using a flotilla of old ships and by sinking a bunch of hollow concrete structures to surround the bay and make it possible to land ships with troops, machinery and supplies. Troops scaled cliffs towering over landing beaches to reach German positions and take them out. And all this for an ideal, of freedom and equality and democracy.

And while we were in Bayeux, we went to the cathedral and also to see the Bayeux tapestry. No photos of the tapestry as they don’t let you do that, but the thing is like 75 yards long and tells the tale of William the Conqueror’s invasion of England from Normandy. Kind of like an old school graphic novel. Pretty amazing as it even includes Haley’s comet! But here are a few photos of the Bayeux cathedral…

From there we drove up to Honfleur. I have to admit that part of the draw was that two of my cousins grew up on Honfleur Drive in Sunnyvale, California. Probably kind of a silly reason. But it also looked like a very cute seaside town. Which it was.

From Honfleur, Dani and I took a daytrip up to Etretat, which is famous for its cliffs, which were painted by Monet and other Impressionists. They even had signboards from some of the spots where Monet had painted.

And then on Friday, on the way back to Paris, we stopped at Giverny to see Monet’s house and gardens where he painted the waterlilies. Again, one of those things where I’d seen the paintings so many times, at the Musee d’Orsay and the Musee de l’Orangerie and the Musee Marmottan Monet in Paris, and still so lovely to see the house and garden that inspired it all.

And then we got back to Paris. Good to be home!

The first thing I did, after petting Gertrude of course, was to go to the produce markets to restock the kitchen. And to my surprise, there were all sorts of new veggies! Peas and radishes and cucumbers!

So for lunch today I made a salad with a poached egg, goat cheese, radishes and cucumbers. And for dinner I sauteed peas and carrots and fennel and green onions, and had that with Ossau Iraty cheese (I think) and mashed potatoes with creme fraiche and chopped chives scattered over it all. Gotta love chives!

Bon appetit!