Today we leave Paris for the Normandy Coast. Known for the 4 "c's". Camembert, Crepes, Cidre and Calvados...our goal is to have all four before we leave.  
 
We picked up the car at the Air France terminal a few blocks from our hotel, hooked up the GPS, drove up the Champs Elysee, around the arc de Triumph and out of Paris. Our first stop was Giverny, where Monet's home and gardens are located. He lived and eventually died in Giverny, and it is where many of his famous paintings came to life.  We arrived around noon and unbelievably, the parking lot was empty and there was no one in line for tickets.  Monet's house is quite large and has many windows opening up to his vast land and gardens. Some of the tulips and daffodils were starting to bloom, and one can only imagine how beautiful the gardens are when all plants are in full bloom.  One of the first rooms is Monet's studio, a large room with high ceilings and massive windows opening to the gardens. On the walls were many reproductions of his paintings that were done during his time in the house.  Standing in the middle of the studio you could picture him, with his easel looking out and painting the water lilies. After visiting the house, we wandered the gardens and the pond area where the famous water lilies reside.   
After Giverny, we drove another hour to Honfluer, a beautiful little town with a small harbor on the edge of the Atlantic.   It reminds me of the French town that Belle from Beauty and Beast walks through with her book (in the Disney movie).   We were ready for lunch and my favorite crepe and ciderie place is off the main area in a cave like room (thank Rick Steves for the suggestion). So after enjoying two of the four "c's" (crepe's and cider) ...Ken had smoked salmon and goat cheese, while I had goat cheese and mushrooms. Afterwards, we wandered the town, looked at some cool art and enjoyed the scenery.  
 
On the way to our farmhouse, where we were staying for the evening we chose to take the back roads along the coast (versus the freeway) and saw some beautiful countryside. After 1.5 hours we arrived at Ver-su-Mer and was warmly greeted by Mylene and Grenata, her golden retriever. Since it was before 6pm she suggested we quickly drive 5 miles down to Arromanches, where the circular movie about D-Day is located. We arrived in time for the last showing and got a introduction into D-Day via a 9 screen 360 degree presentation. Once it is over, you walk out and immediately see the cement pontoons out in the water that were used to transport supplies, vehicles and soldiers to the beach.  
 
After wandering around the bluffs and getting a sense of the magnitude of that day in June 1944, we continued down the coast towards Omaha and Utah Beach.  Driving the road through little villages and serene farming fields, it is hard to imagine the destruction and chaos that occurred almost 70 years ago.  
 
For dinner we went to La Pecherie recommended by Mylene and close to the farmhouse.  For an appetizer we had oysters (ken) and ham/cheese plate (me)...for dinner Ken enjoyed some huge shrimp and I tried skate. It was kind of weird, but in a good way. For desert we finished up our two "c's" with camembert and calvados. Actually Ken ordered a scotch and I ordered the calvados, which is a liquor made from Normandy apples. When we got the drinks we actually couldn't tell the difference between the scotch and calvados.  That doesn't say much for Ken's scotch tasting skills!
 
Tomorrow is a D-Day kind of day.