Sunday is the craziest day to be on the road in France.

We learnt this to our detriment recently, trying to sightsee among the teeming throngs of weekend French families. We set off first to see Monet's garden, not all that far from Paris and unfortunately this proximity to Paris means it is an ideal spot to take the International day trippers to. It is beautiful however and we had glorious sunshine to walk around the gardens and lily ponds then tick it off the list of "Unforgettable Things to See".

Using back roads, we set a course for the cities of Le Havre (to see the city that was rebuilt in a unique way after being almost completely destroyed in WW2) and Caen (to see the city which was integral to WW2 battles). The roads were just so busy and it became a very stressful day. 

Towards the end of the day we arrived at the World War 2 famous beaches and traffic became bumper to bumper as holiday beach goers mixed in with tourists. Then to top it all off a sudden and violent late afternoon summer thunderstorm hit and turned the traffic snarls into a complete standstill. We gave up and headed inland a little to try and find a bed for the night. Eventually this was achieved in Bayuex at the Le Lion an old coaching inn which has entertained royalty and a good night sleep put us in a better frame of mind to go back to the World War 2 beaches for another less stressful look.

A very strong wind was with us most of the following day but the sun came out and we visited the memorials and bunkers and learnt about the D Day invasion of Normandy. Tourist numbers and roads were finally manageable.       

Footnote: Le Havre, the City Rebuilt by Auguste Perret is UNESCO World Heritage listed, Monets Garden features in the book Unforgettable Places to See before you die.