A cool, sunny morning greeted us as we left Paris, bound for Normandy. Our first stop was in the city of Rouen, famous because of its relationship with Joan of Arc. It was in Rouen  that she was convicted  as being a heretic and burned at the stake at the age of 19 on May 30, 1431. She was later canonized and became the patron saint of France.

Rouen is the capital of Normandy and has a population of about 655,000. Rouen is well-known for its Rouen Cathedral, with its Tour de Beurre (butter tower) financed by the sale of indulgences for the consumption of butter during Lent. The cathedral’s gothic façade (completed in the 16th century) was the subject of a series of paintings by Claude Monet, some of which are exhibited in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Unfortunately because it was Sunday morning and church services were being held, we could not take a tour of the cathedral. We were able to quickly enter a side door for a quick peek of the interior, which is quite austere compared to other churches we have seen.

Although Rouen was extensively damaged during WWII an area of the city survived that contained many wood timbered homes of medieval times.  Chantal walked us through this area, pointing out some of the features of these ancient homes and narrow streets. It was lovely time warp walk. We also saw the Gros Horloge , an astronomical clock that dates back to the 14th century. We ended our walking tour In the centre of the Place du Vieux Marché , the site of Joan of Arc’s pyre, and the site of the modern church of St Joan of Arc. This large, modern structure which dominates the square is in the form of the building represents an upturned Viking boat and a fish shape. We were given free time and chose to sit in the sun, enjoying a cup of tea and hot chocolate. Gerry and Sue were more adventuresome and ordered a popular Norman dessert (Le Trou Norman) that consists of apple sorbet topped with Calvados (made with apples) liquor. It was quite good and I was sorry I did not order it.

Our next stop was in the seaside city of Honfluer. This village of about 8,000 people is located on the estuary of one of the principal rivers (Seine) of France with a safe harbour and relatively rich hinterland, Honfleur profited from its strategic position from the start of the Hundred Years’ War.

Honfluer traces it’s history back to the 11th century and is noted for the church of Saint Catherine, the largest wooden church in France, which dates back to the 15th century. There is a lovely harbor surrounded by old buildings, cobble stone streets and small bistros, and was a popular subject for French painters in the 19th century. It reminded me of Copenhagen, but on a much smaller scale.

It was lunch time and we were not interested in seafood, which is the predominant menu item here, we settled on a small bistro that specialized in pizza. It was a nice change of pace as we knew that we would be eating a lot of seafood in the next few days.

Our final destination of the day was the town of Deauville which will act as our focal point for exploring the sites of D-Day. We were offered a short walking tour of Deauville and we were glad we chose to go as it offered us a unique insight into the history of this town. It turned out that Deauville was and is the favorite destination for Parisian high society and is called the “Parisian Riviera”. The rich and famous come here during the summer for sun, the sea, casinos, polo and horse racing. It should be mentioned that Normandy is the major site of of horse breeding in France, and Deauville is the epicenter. Deauville is even the site of an important movie festival held each year. The avenue along the sea features luxury homes, hotels and apartments that are virtually empty until the summer months. The shops are those of high-end designers. Coco Chanel started her business here and we walked past her first store.

On the beach are a series of very small “changing” rooms that people rent  ($900/season) to change into their bathing suits. The names of the rich and famous who have used these facilities over the years appear in front of the doors. We were shocked to see names of Hollywood stars we all know- Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds, John Travolta, Jack Nicholson and many other past and present stars. Our walking tour is Deauville was amazing!

We were on our own for dinner and not wanting to eat at the hotel I searched out a French bistro in Deauville for a celebratory birthday party for Gerry who turns 69 on May 13. Using my trusty internet source (TripAdvisor) I selected a small French bistro in Deauville  called Le Spinnaker, which had many positive reviews. Well after spending a wonderful evening there I will certainly add my endorsement for the establishment; it was simply a superb evening. Menus in most French restaurants offer a three course (starter, plat and dessert) meal with multiple choices in each category that provides a savings over selection of the same courses a la carte. Le Spinnaker is a bit more aggressive, offering either a 5 or 7 course meal.

The owner greeted us at the door and acted as a superb host throughout the evening, guiding us through the menu, appropriate wine selection and the meal itself as we feasted. Three of us opted for the 5 course menu but the birthday boy went all in and selected the 7 course menu. We felt sorry for the dishwasher as there were new eating utensils offered with each course. The plating of the various dishes was superb and we all ate items we normally would not have selected. To top off the meal the chef came out to explain the dessert offerings for the evening and take our order. We were all crying uncle by the time we left the restaurant but agreeing it was a wonderful dinner experience.

It was a busy day, filled with new adventures and surprises and now my bed beckons…