Brugge, België
Bruges, Belgium
Got going early this morning to catch the morning sunlight in Brugge. The old town is a 15-minute walk from where I’m staying. I didn’t know what to expect and I think that was a good thing. I was pleasantly surprised at the old world charm of this city.
Narrow winding cobblestone streets, canals, bridges, churches, chocolate, beer, and oh, lot’s of parks. I really like Bruges (Brujzh like the French call it), Brugge (Bruh-guh like the Flemish call it). I had the place pretty much to myself for a couple of hours, other than the locals. The temperature was pleasantly cool and my feet were feeling good. I got to watch the place come alive as the tea rooms and shops received their morning deliveries and shop keepers cleaned the streets in front of their places. Of course, I was just another local… I’m sure my camera didn’t give me Read Full Article & Comments…
Giverny, France to Brugge, België (Bruges, Belgium)
It is said that one should “stop and smell the roses”. Well, I did just that today. After saying goodbye to Nanou and Jean-Luc, I drove to Giverny, which was only four kilometers from Vernon. This tiny village was Claude Monet‘s home for many years until the mid 1920s. His home is open for tours as is his gardens that were the subject of many of his paintings.
As I walked though the gardens up one row and down the other, the variety of flowers was astounding. I don’t know flowers very well but Read Full Article & Comments…
Vernon, France
Today is a down day at the oh so relaxing and quiet Champ du Renard B&B. I awoke to the rooster at 5:00, then 5:20, 5:50, etc. It was like I kept hitting the snooze button and couldn’t find the off button. I slept in a little and had a wonderful breakfast with the other two guests, a retired couple from the south of France. I walked around the property a little and went into the town of Vernon to do laundry. Vernon’s not a small town, so finding a laundromat wasn’t easy. I stopped at a store and walked in and asked the lady if she spoke English and the answer was no. So, I launched into my question in French that I had rehearsed.
I don’t remember how to spell it exactly, but it sounds like Read Full Article & Comments…
Cherbourg to Normandy to Vernon, France
Got a late a start this morning unfortunately plus had a heckavuh time getting out of Cherbourg this morning. Every road I took kept dumping me back into town. It took an hour before I finally got on my way. I headed for the Normandy beaches stopping at Utah Beach first. I walked the grounds where there are still some gun emplacements and plenty of barbed wire. There is a beach access and I was surprised at how high up the water came. Not much of a beach at all. I walked up the grassy path to a fence and there’s the water. And please, don’t anyone tell me it’s because of global warming.
I made a quick stop at Pointe du Hoc. This point was home to six very large German guns capable of firing on Utah and Omaha beaches. The Germans believed this location to be unassailable due to the cliffs it resided on. They had to be taken out though so a British and an American destroyer shelled the snot out of this point and the Germans that manned the guns. Then the 225th Army Rangers landed at the base of the 90 foot cliffs and scaled those cliffs and took the point. Amazing. The bomb Read Full Article & Comments…
Dinan to Mont Saint Michel to Sainte-Mère-Eglise, to Cherbourg, France
Really wishing I had more time to explore, I left Dinan and the hostel after sleeping in, so I got a late start. I headed for Mont Saint Michel, which was a little over an hour away. OK, so there’s this big abbey built on a big rock out in the middle of the harbor. And around the abbey is a town. When the tide is in, it’s surrounded by water. The whole thing is secured by a wall.
It’s pretty amazing to see and I was hoping to get there early to catch the morning light for pictures but missed that. It was too cloudy anyway. The tide was ebbing so it wasn’t out yet. In modern times, a causeway was built to the rock, so you can actually drive out to it. And a lot of people did. Thousands. I took my pictures and left the thousands to their endeavors. I explored the town and the roads nearby for an hour or so and then headed off for Cherbourg.
Another great day of Read Full Article & Comments…
Paris to Dinan, France
Got up early again and tackled the metro to go to the other side of Paris to pick up my car from Renault Eurodrive. Just when I thought I had it down, I wound up at the wrong place. Apparently there are two St. Cloud areas. I asked a taxi driver to take me to the address 2 Avenue whatever. When he dropped me off, I was at 2 Place whatever. These guys are so picky. I called the car place and I wasn’t too far, so I walked the rest of the way. Still, I made my 9:00 appointment.
They ran me through all Read Full Article & Comments…
