Ouistreham.

Oh, what a delight is Normandie! This region of france has been my favourite. Even though I spent only a few days here there was something about the air up there that was different, it was a calm place and a happy sort of culture, even the cows were chirpy I swear. Not that the rest of the country wasn't like that…I don't know maybe I'm just bias because of my Norman ancestors (the Somervilles were from Evreux before they were in Ireland). All I can say is, it's was a beautiful part of my trip.

Servas peeps: Mathilde, daughter of +Marite + Yves, younger sister + Camille = coolest family ever! I felt so welcomed by these people, I stayed with them for 3 nights and felt like part of the family. Marite reminded me of my Mum at times with her looks and clothes and little mannerisms (well, French versions), she was so kind and funny. Yves had a Beatles obsession which mirrored mine, he was actually organizing a 4 day beatles festival in town, with all these cover bands and tea parties and it was so cool! And the girls were so sweet. Mathilde was so generous, she knew I was going to Paris the following week so she gave me the ket to her apartment in Paris to use for the week while she was away!!! (she studies embroidery in Paris but as it was holidays she was living at home) I mean how nice can you get?

The town they lived in, Ouistreham, was so cute and homey, there was something so lovable about its simple charms, church steeple and boulangeries. I spent the day biking around the town, stopping for a pain au chocolat, then going on through other little towns, all along the beaches, such a beautiful waterfront bike route. This is situated right along the D-Day Landing Beaches, so it was also kinda cool in that historical sense. The Norman style of house was something that really caught my eye, with the unique wooden panels on the façades, god I loved them! And they were everywhere along the coast, so so beautiful and some quite colourful and gigantic.

But the best thing about Normandie needs no explaination. For it is a beauty beyong compare, full of a richness, a creaminess, an excuisiteness only the tastebuds can reveal…CAMEMBERT.

Yours cheesily, soph.