A train to Versailles, and we picked up our car - a lovely Audi hatchback. After roughing through Iceland in a Ford Focus, I was quite surprised (and delighted) to be given such a nice car! We spent a few hours exploring Versailles and then hit the road with the plan to meet another friend - Jerome, a Brittany native who lives in Brest and had befriended Paula & Eli a few years back when he was working in Romania. A few hours drive brought us to the beautiful Breton countryside to the seaside village of Tréveneuc, where we found ourselves staying in an absolutely lovely home complete with an idyllic garden and a couple of sheep!
Our hostess Valerie was very welcoming, but even with a native French speaker among, us we got a bit confused in our communication, thinking she was telling us the only hope to find a meal this evening was at the gas station in the next town. What a lovely surprise we had when we arrived in the next village of Saint-Quay-Portrieux to discover a wonderful traditional French restaurant with fresh seafood. I enjoyed a dinner of St. Jacques - a scallop that is popular in Brittany.
The next day we enjoyed a relaxing day of exploring the coastal towns nearby.
At the first sight of a beach, I could not help myself. Off went the boots, and I enjoyed a barefoot walk by the sea.
I was especially impressed with the free local swimming area!
Once lunch time rolled around, we enjoyed some traditional Breton crepes galettes and drank cider the proper way - out of "boules" which looked very much like large tea cups!
After eating our fill of crepes, Jerome suggested we check out the Côte de Granit Rose (pink colored granite cliffs) found between St-Brieuc and Perros-Guirec. It was a beautiful way to spend the afternoon.
On the way home, we stopped by the grocery and enjoyed the day's end from Valerie's lovely garden.
The next day we explored the fortressed city of St. Malo. It was a stunning site but a bit overwhelming with all the masses of people. However, we found some space - and a round a refreshing beverages in an alley pub that also had a cat as a patron.
We parted ways with Jerome and headed for our next temporary home - a 17th century chateau located between the villages of Hercé and Gorron, near the Brittany/Normandy border. This was most certainly the most memorable place I have ever stayed.
Named Le Bailleau, the house was a gift from Napoleon to one of his generals. A fire happened at some point, and the interior was rebuilt in the 1800s when it was a hotel. The place had a lot of character - it even had a moat!
And I enjoyed befriending our host's dog, Lighting.
The next day, we all enjoyed a slow and relaxed morning at the chateau. Eli chose to get a bit of writing work done during the day, so in the afternoon, Paula and I headed out to see Mont St. Michel. Our timing could not have been better. All the tourists were leaving when we arrived, and we nearly had the place to ourselves. It truly was a stunning sight - as if out of a Tolkien novel.
After two lovely nights at Le Bailleau, we headed back towards the coast and spent a day exploring Normandy. Our first stop was St-Mère-Eglise, which was especially poignant for me, being the place where my grandpa jumped out of an airplane on 6 June 1944. I took some time to walk around the town and visit the 82nd Airborne museum. Then we went to Omaha Beach. For most of the first half of the day I was barely able to hold back tears. I can't imagine what that time must have been like.
We ended our day in the picturesque town of Honfleur, enjoying a nice meal of mussels and oysters at an outdoor café as the sunset.
Our final home was a thatch roofed house in the countryside outside Honfleur. We arrived after dark, but in the morning I was happy to meet our hostess Patricia who fed us a delicious traditional Norman breakfast. Even more happy was I to meet her dog, horses, goat and donkeys!
Our drive back to Versailles was an easy and short one, allowing us to stop and spend an hour at Giverny - Monet's house and gardens. It was the perfect way to end this idyllic French road trip.
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