Upper Normandy

From the Normandy beaches, we headed north to reach the Chunnel, by way of a few charming villages. I had been told by my friend Roz, not to miss Honfleur. As soon as we arrived, we knew why. Honfleur is known for its old picturesque port which has been painted by many artists, most notably Monet, Courbet and Boudin. We wandered the port, which sits at the mouth of the Seine River and the English Channel. Colorful sailboats were tied to the docks, waiting under half timber houses that lined the boardwalks. We found a baguette shop for lunch followed by the discovery of a cute little ice cream store around the corner. Honfleur was the perfect stop on our journey north. 

Rue de la Bavolle, Honfleur by Claude Monet

Our next stop was Rouen. When Emilie was only a few years old, I bought an animated set of hero DVDs. Ever since, my children have been watching little cartoons about Helen Keller, Da Vinci and Lincoln. One of their favorite shows has been the hero CD of Joan of Arc, so we couldn't miss a stop in the town where she was convicted and unjustly burned at the stake. We found the church that memorializes the heroine, the spot where the stake was driven in the ground and a museum chronicling the events surrounding Joan of Arc's death. 

It turned out that the town was full of very old, creaky looking buildings. We were interested in the oldest restaurant in the town, which was established in 1342. To us, it was amazing to think that this restaurant was in business before Joan of Arc was even born. It was on the square looking over the spot where she died. Villagers perhaps gathered in the dining room during or after the event. Doesn't the saying go, "If only these walls could talk!" 

Our last stop of the day was Etretat, which is a tiny seaside village. When we walked up onto the beach, we almost gasped at the beauty of the area. Huge cliffs rose from the Atlantic Ocean, with three natural bridges standing at the furthest points on both sides of the bay. Waves crashed on the shore, pulling smooth rocks out the sea, churning them and creating a roar. The light was perfect, shining through the dark clouds that had dominated the sky for much of our day. The kids raced the waves until I became too nervous by the unusual power of this sea so I dragged them up the beach. 

The Rocky Cliffs at Etretat by Claude Monet

We found a hiking trail up to the top of the cliffs. We held the little ones tight as we walked along a trail with sheep and a picturesque church on one side and steep drop offs into the Atlantic on the other side. 

This stop was the highlight of our day. We found a restaurant in the village and quickly ate dinner, since we had a two hour drive ahead of us.