The town is called Honfleur, and if you have never heard of it, you should look it up. Many of the great French painters, predecessors of the Impressionists, painted and lived in this charming city. Between the history of the oldest wooden church, L'Eglise Sainte Catherine, and the atmosphere of a water-front town, all of your needs can be met in this one place. Not to mention the fact that I found a milkshake there. No joke, it's the first one I've seen this whole time that wasn't suspicious. Next to Honfleur on your list of destinations should be Deauville, and geographically, they are practically neighbors. This lovely ocean-front town is also the site of an important American film festival, as you can see by the beach side changing stalls dedicated to Hollywood stars.
Our home base was Caen, a very typical destination for anyone visiting Normandy. You will find university students and everyday folks just as often as you will find tourists, but the city is worth your time. Though we didn't go for a tour, we walked by William the Conqueror's castle. We visited l'Abbaye aux hommes, home to a wonderful Romanesque/Gothic fusion church. William's ancient remains are interred inside, so if you care about old Norman history, you should stop by. Apparently, they had trouble getting him to go into his grave, so the remains, I'm sure, would testify to that if you could still even find his crumbs.
Anyway, the important site of Normandy happens to be one of the most visited tourist sites in France: Mont St Michel. Not far from Caen, this island is a witness to centuries of history, from William the Conqueror trying to lay siege to the World Wars. What makes this jewel so special is its beautiful views. You hardly make it to the top of the steps (there are a lot) before the view takes away your breath. On top, you will find a church and abbey, still in session for those who want to make pilgrimage there. I found the gardens to be the most enchanting spot.
As a conclusion, we visited the Memorial in Caen, which consists of a very thorough museum on the history of World War II in France. There is also a separate exhibit about D-Day, or Jour J as the French call it, and the landings on Normandy's shore. Unfortunately, our subsequent visit to the shores themselves was overshadowed with fog. Under better conditions, you can see what remains of the British, American, and Canadian landings. We did, however, get to explore a few bunkers, one complete with a tank!
If any of you is wondering, we did visit the American memorial at St Laurent. It was just as moving as I imagined, and the only thing missing was patriotic music. It's funny how nothing seems to patriotic to me now that I've been away from the U.S. for so long. I don't always miss it, but there is nothing like America - even with our problems and vices. I'm actually thankful to be American... but if any French person asks, I'm not really American. I just play one on TV.
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