Michelle suggested that we go north (from her house) to a variety of beach towns...so "jette une regarde" as the French say - "Throw a look to"- these towns - Deauville - once the haunt of the chic during the Belle Epoch, the days of courtesans and their excesses (milk or champagne baths, for example) and rivalries as well as who was supporting whom and everyone knew all about all of the above.
St. Malo has an aquarium that bears a look - we are both fascinated by them and since this is an area that specializes in seafood, we should get a look at dinner in the wild, so to speak. Gambas (prawns or enormous shrimp) and lobsters won't be getting pre-condolences from me.
Mont St. Michele hardly needs an introduction; the image of a walled town rising above the sea is etched on memories world-wide. From what I've been reading though, it sounds like the journey is more interesting than the destination.
This is the area that is also known for its production of cider (cidre) an alcoholic beverage that substitutes for a quick beer. Calvados is a distillation and provides the dinner booster that, for example, Thanksgiving Day dinner makes useful. Known as the "trou Normande" or Normandy hole, a shot of it at the end of dinner and the drinker can go back and eat dinner all over again. Not particularly helpful to the dieter, but to the gourmand? A lifesaver!
I had romantically thought I would like to explore the town of Giverney, Monet's village, to walk the cobblestoned streets and peer into shop windows that might have been there in his day but when I read "a commune of 400 people" and tourisme extraordinaire surrounding Monet, I said the hell with it. There's a gift shop at his house (as well as a café) and we've been there.
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