July 11th, Nico and I hopped a plane to Paris. The plan was to visit his parents for a week in Normandy, and then drive back to Kraków making stops in Nancy, Heidelberg, Munich and Vienna along the way.
the beach
Nico's Dad, Pierre, picked us up from the airport in Paris and from there we had a 4-hour drive to Normandy. I immediately got a taste of the type of hospitality I would be experiencing, as Nico's Mom had packed a cooler of snacks for us - fresh fruit, mineral water and madeleine cookies.
We arrived at Nico's home around 9pm. I got a tour of the house and then experienced my first French dinner. Before we arrived Nico had prepped me by saying, 'the French live at the table' and I soon learned he wasn't kidding. I quickly learned that meals were events in France and a time for slow digestion and lots of conversation. Dinner began with an aperitif and appetizers, we then moved on to the first course of melon followed by the main course paired with wine. Then a cheese course was served (also accompanied by wine), and finally dessert, a nightcap and finally a special type of digestive tea. By the time we finished, it was 2am and I was exhausted. This occurred every night, we had four or five course meals paired with alcohol. Each night I tried a different aperitif - muscat, Ricard, whiskey, port, champagne, etc. I really liked Ricard because it was licorice flavored. Nico and his Dad really like whiskey, so they drank that just about every night.
French breakfast was also an event for me. Each morning Nico's Mom bought two types of fresh baguettes (traditional and regular) and a few pastries for me to try. Nico would eat his baguette with nutella, and I opted for butter and fresh jam accompanied by very strong coffee. It was delicious. I finally understood what all the hype about French baguette is about. It's something you can only taste in France.
The first morning, I slept until almost one. I actually slept a lot while we were in France. All the active listening left me completed exhausted every day. While I know practically no French, the fact that I speak Spanish and English ended up being a huge comprehensive tool. I was amazed at the amount I could understand by comparing what someone said to Spanish and or English. Unfortunately, this also meant that I couldn't just tune out while people talked because I understood enough that my brain felt the need to actively listen. This made it a little easier on Nico, because he didn't have to translate every single sentence, but he still got a brain workout every day keeping me up to speed. But it was still exhausting for both of us because we speak Polish together, so he was translating from French to Polish. An adventure, to say the least.
the harbor
The first day Nico took me to his favorite spot in Normandy, the beach. When we pulled up along the coast I was completely dumbfounded by how beautiful it was. It was like seeing Ireland meet the Caribbean. The water was an array of pale tropical blues, but the terrain along the coastline was green, mountainous and rugged. We spent several hours sitting on the cliffs enjoying the view. On the way home Nico introduced me to the local Biscuiterie - a quaint specialty shop known for their biscuits, chocolate, jams and an array of other delights you might want to have in your kitchen. We also made a pit stop at the local castle in Nico's town before heading home and joining his parents for another delightful, prolonged dinner.
Me, Nico & his parents on the boat
The next day the weather was beautiful, so we headed out to Cherbourg, a small town about 20 minutes from where Nico lives. It is right on the coast and that is where Nico's Dad has his sailboat. We spent the day out on the boat, and we even got Nico's Mom to go! She is afraid to be out on the water because she doesn't swim. She was very nervous, but I think she enjoyed being with everyone. Unfortunately, once we got out on the water there was no wind and we had to come back using the motor. But it was still a lovely afternoon, and we even met up with a friend of the family who also was out on his boat for the afternoon.
After coming back to the harbor, Nico gave me a walking tour of the town, accompanied by delicious ice cream. I got to see where his Mom works and the quaint little market. One of my favorite spots was a produce stand where everything was held in upended umbrellas! There were also beautiful flowers everywhere. It was probably my favorite thing about France.
Layin on the beach
When we returned home in the evening, a few of Nico's friends joined us for a 'grill'. While we were waiting for the guests to arrive, Nico's Dad showed me his garden. He has all kinds of fresh vegetables, lettuces and fruit trees. He showed me the biggest zucchini I have ever seen (about the size of a small baby), and several fruit trees. The strawberries from his garden were unbelievable. Like candy. The main course of the girl included a variety of sausages and pork chops and couscous with ratatouille accompanied by rosé. Grill food is always accompanied by rosé, I was informed. I'm not a huge fan of rosé, because it is sweeter so I did not drink as much. But as soon as the cheese course was served, we were back to red wine, so I had no means to complain.
view of the castle from a little passageway
The next day was Sunday, Bastille Day. When I awoke, Nico's parents were watching the festivities on TV. Other than that, there was little done to celebrate. In general, the public was a little miffed that the holiday fell on Sunday, because usually it means a day off of work. After lunch of shrimp, Nico and I spent the day laying on the beach. We did manage to get in the water at one point, but it was so cold I didn't last long. After dinner we were supposed to go to the coast for a night view, but I fell asleep while we were waiting for it to get dark. The next thing I knew it was morning.
Mont Saint Michel
We woke up early for the first time the next day, had a quick breakfast and jumped in the car. Nico had a day trip planned and it involved a lot of driving. First we stopped to view a castle, and then drove several hours to Mont Saint Michel. This is an island commune in Normandy, which has held strategic fortifications for centuries and is also the site of a monastery. In order to approach the mount after parking, you must take a shuttle all the way up to the entrance. Once you enter, it feels like you have gone back in time, as you are in the throngs of a small city with very narrow winding cobblestone streets. As you walk along the streets, you slowly make your way to the top of the mount and eventually can enter the fortress and explore the various rooms, chapels, passageways and gardens. it takes several hours to do this, but is well worth the views. The water surrounding the mount is very shallow and stunning colors of blue. You can even do tours out on the water if you wish as it is like walking on a sandbar. Unfortunately, the entrance and the bridge leading up to the mount is currently under construction, which didn't make for the best pictures, but the back side of the mount was still a lovely view. They are currently creating a foot bridge, so that you will eventually be able to approach the mount by means of a long walk. After we finished exploring, we hopped back in the car and drove a little further to see the town of St. Malo.
a walled garden
beginning the climb
St. Malo is very small and much like a fishing village directly on the coast. There is the amazing wall that runs along the coast that you can walk along and look down on the beach and even a few islands. The islands are approachable on foot by a sand path. Unfortunately, there was an incredible amount of fog while we were there, which made it impossible to see almost anything. It felt like we were in a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean because visibility was so limited. Nico was incredibly disappointed, because he said the view is normally stunning. However, we still managed to make our way to the islands where we saw some lizards. After wandering around a bit, suddenly the sound of badly played bagpipes started coming out of the mists. It was so awful, I couldn't help but laugh. We decided it was time to head back. On the way to the car, we came across an ice cream place with an ENORMOUS and eclectic selection of handmade ice creams. Nico and I love ice cream so of course we had a couple scoops. My favorite flavor was licorice, and the portions were enormous. After eating I was so cold, I turned purple and was shaking so we jumped in the car and drove back to Bricquebec.
view of the island
The next day we had a slow start and then headed east to the coast for some more exploration. We headed to a small town to which Nico had never been before, but had heard there was a fort that was worth seeing. We wandered around the town, and eventually discovered the fort. Around the fort between the water and land was a stone wall built in the water. It was about two feet wide and you could walk along it, around the entire 'island' at your own risk. Signs everywhere discouraged people from doing this during uncertain weather because the water level rises making it slippery and treacherous. We had a great time wandering around enjoying the view. Then we ended up at the fort where we climbed a very narrow, winding staircase to the various levels which held small exhibits explaining the history of the fort and it's uses. It was pretty cool because the history was illustrated on these enormous canvases that hung practically from floor-to-ceiling with descriptions of the events written in French at the base. On the way back from the fort we took the land route versus walking back along the wall. It was like walking through a hidden forest as the path was completely covered by trees. The sun shining through the trees and the sound of the water on the other side of the wall was magical.
standing at the top of the fort - it's a looong way down....
From the fort we drove a little further up the coast and stopped in another small town where we walked along the harbor and checked out the various fishing boats. At one point we got to watch a couple fishermen sort and clean their catch from the nets. We also spent some time in the Church at the end of the pier. From there we headed even farther to see the big lighthouse. Unfortunately, it was late already so we couldn't go to the top, but I wasn't that disappointed because by that time I was so hungry I was more than ready to head back. That night I got to try some very nice whiskeys as an aperetif and had rabbit for the first time. I was surprised, because I really like it. It was like eating super tender chicken. That evening we managed to stay awake and spent several hours on the cliffs overlooking the beach. It was so black that you could only hear the water and we had a storybook moon to admire that had a perfect streamline reflection in the water. After some star gazing, we headed back home around 3am.
enjoying the view
The next day was full of errands and socializing. I went with Nico to the doctor in the morning and then we headed to the store with his Dad to buy a few French favorites to take back with us. We bought a LOT of wine for us and our roadtrip hosts - French wine is good and very cheap - as well as some sweets and the like. Sadly, I was forbidden to buy any cheese because Nico abhors it, and we'd be driving back so after a few days in a hot car, it wouldn't be so appetizing. It was definitely an element I was going to miss. After shopping, we walked down the road a few houses and payed a visit to Nico's uncle who treated us to some delicious homemade pear cider. From there we moved on to a different uncle's house on the other side of the family, who lives about five minutes drive from Nico. There we had several rounds of whiskey and I also got to meet his Aunt and cousin. After drinks we hurried back home because Nico had a friend coming over for dinner. We had another round of drinks as an aperetif and then enjoyed another delicious grill and several hours of conversation before hitting the hay.
Our last day in Normandy Nico, his Dad and I headed back to Cherbourg after breakfast and boarded a family friend's boat for the day. It was a beautiful day to be out sailing, but unfortunately halfway through our trip, we lost wind power again and Nico and his Dad were feeling rather seasick. Everyone was making fun of me because I was freezing out on the water and everyone else was wearing just their suit. After our trip we made one last trip to the store and picked up some flowers and chocolate as a thank to for Nico's Mom to thank her for her wonderful hospitality over the week. When we presented them to her she was completely overwhelmed, but happy. We had some nice champagne as our aperitif and then after dinner and ice cream, we loaded up the car, said our good-byes and started the first leg of our roadtrip back to Kraków.
Produce in umbrellas
When we returned home in the evening, a few of Nico's friends joined us for a 'grill'. While we were waiting for the guests to arrive, Nico's Dad showed me his garden. He has all kinds of fresh vegetables, lettuces and fruit trees. He showed me the biggest zucchini I have ever seen (about the size of a small baby), and several fruit trees. The strawberries from his garden were unbelievable. Like candy. The main course of the girl included a variety of sausages and pork chops and couscous with ratatouille accompanied by rosé. Grill food is always accompanied by rosé, I was informed. I'm not a huge fan of rosé, because it is sweeter so I did not drink as much. But as soon as the cheese course was served, we were back to red wine, so I had no means to complain.
The next day was Sunday, Bastille Day. When I awoke, Nico's parents were watching the festivities on TV. Other than that, there was little done to celebrate. In general, the public was a little miffed that the holiday fell on Sunday, because usually it means a day off of work. After lunch of shrimp, Nico and I spent the day laying on the beach. We did manage to get in the water at one point, but it was so cold I didn't last long. After dinner we were supposed to go to the coast for a night view, but I fell asleep while we were waiting for it to get dark. The next thing I knew it was morning.
We woke up early for the first time the next day, had a quick breakfast and jumped in the car. Nico had a day trip planned and it involved a lot of driving. First we stopped to view a castle, and then drove several hours to Mont Saint Michel. This is an island commune in Normandy, which has held strategic fortifications for centuries and is also the site of a monastery. In order to approach the mount after parking, you must take a shuttle all the way up to the entrance. Once you enter, it feels like you have gone back in time, as you are in the throngs of a small city with very narrow winding cobblestone streets. As you walk along the streets, you slowly make your way to the top of the mount and eventually can enter the fortress and explore the various rooms, chapels, passageways and gardens. it takes several hours to do this, but is well worth the views. The water surrounding the mount is very shallow and stunning colors of blue. You can even do tours out on the water if you wish as it is like walking on a sandbar. Unfortunately, the entrance and the bridge leading up to the mount is currently under construction, which didn't make for the best pictures, but the back side of the mount was still a lovely view. They are currently creating a foot bridge, so that you will eventually be able to approach the mount by means of a long walk. After we finished exploring, we hopped back in the car and drove a little further to see the town of St. Malo.
view of the fortress
View from the first tier
St. Malo is very small and much like a fishing village directly on the coast. There is the amazing wall that runs along the coast that you can walk along and look down on the beach and even a few islands. The islands are approachable on foot by a sand path. Unfortunately, there was an incredible amount of fog while we were there, which made it impossible to see almost anything. It felt like we were in a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean because visibility was so limited. Nico was incredibly disappointed, because he said the view is normally stunning. However, we still managed to make our way to the islands where we saw some lizards. After wandering around a bit, suddenly the sound of badly played bagpipes started coming out of the mists. It was so awful, I couldn't help but laugh. We decided it was time to head back. On the way to the car, we came across an ice cream place with an ENORMOUS and eclectic selection of handmade ice creams. Nico and I love ice cream so of course we had a couple scoops. My favorite flavor was licorice, and the portions were enormous. After eating I was so cold, I turned purple and was shaking so we jumped in the car and drove back to Bricquebec.
view from the island
giant licorice ice cream!
The next day we had a slow start and then headed east to the coast for some more exploration. We headed to a small town to which Nico had never been before, but had heard there was a fort that was worth seeing. We wandered around the town, and eventually discovered the fort. Around the fort between the water and land was a stone wall built in the water. It was about two feet wide and you could walk along it, around the entire 'island' at your own risk. Signs everywhere discouraged people from doing this during uncertain weather because the water level rises making it slippery and treacherous. We had a great time wandering around enjoying the view. Then we ended up at the fort where we climbed a very narrow, winding staircase to the various levels which held small exhibits explaining the history of the fort and it's uses. It was pretty cool because the history was illustrated on these enormous canvases that hung practically from floor-to-ceiling with descriptions of the events written in French at the base. On the way back from the fort we took the land route versus walking back along the wall. It was like walking through a hidden forest as the path was completely covered by trees. The sun shining through the trees and the sound of the water on the other side of the wall was magical.
walking along the wall
The foresty pathway
view from the base of the fort
From the fort we drove a little further up the coast and stopped in another small town where we walked along the harbor and checked out the various fishing boats. At one point we got to watch a couple fishermen sort and clean their catch from the nets. We also spent some time in the Church at the end of the pier. From there we headed even farther to see the big lighthouse. Unfortunately, it was late already so we couldn't go to the top, but I wasn't that disappointed because by that time I was so hungry I was more than ready to head back. That night I got to try some very nice whiskeys as an aperetif and had rabbit for the first time. I was surprised, because I really like it. It was like eating super tender chicken. That evening we managed to stay awake and spent several hours on the cliffs overlooking the beach. It was so black that you could only hear the water and we had a storybook moon to admire that had a perfect streamline reflection in the water. After some star gazing, we headed back home around 3am.
fisherman's boat in the harbor
heading back to town from the fort
The next day was full of errands and socializing. I went with Nico to the doctor in the morning and then we headed to the store with his Dad to buy a few French favorites to take back with us. We bought a LOT of wine for us and our roadtrip hosts - French wine is good and very cheap - as well as some sweets and the like. Sadly, I was forbidden to buy any cheese because Nico abhors it, and we'd be driving back so after a few days in a hot car, it wouldn't be so appetizing. It was definitely an element I was going to miss. After shopping, we walked down the road a few houses and payed a visit to Nico's uncle who treated us to some delicious homemade pear cider. From there we moved on to a different uncle's house on the other side of the family, who lives about five minutes drive from Nico. There we had several rounds of whiskey and I also got to meet his Aunt and cousin. After drinks we hurried back home because Nico had a friend coming over for dinner. We had another round of drinks as an aperetif and then enjoyed another delicious grill and several hours of conversation before hitting the hay.
the trunk full of wine
my turn to steer the boat
Our last day in Normandy Nico, his Dad and I headed back to Cherbourg after breakfast and boarded a family friend's boat for the day. It was a beautiful day to be out sailing, but unfortunately halfway through our trip, we lost wind power again and Nico and his Dad were feeling rather seasick. Everyone was making fun of me because I was freezing out on the water and everyone else was wearing just their suit. After our trip we made one last trip to the store and picked up some flowers and chocolate as a thank to for Nico's Mom to thank her for her wonderful hospitality over the week. When we presented them to her she was completely overwhelmed, but happy. We had some nice champagne as our aperitif and then after dinner and ice cream, we loaded up the car, said our good-byes and started the first leg of our roadtrip back to Kraków.
very nice "résumé" :) I can't wait to read the road trip part !!
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Nico