One beautiful May day I was incredibly lucky: the leadership of our company sent me on a 5-day trip to France. I was doubly lucky, because the business trip began on the first working day after celebrating the 60th anniversary of the victory in the Second World War, which means I managed to add 4 days of May holidays to the trip. But luck didn’t end with this either: I had a fellow traveler, namely one of my colleagues, who was sent to France at the same time and who, like me, was also not averse to walking for 4 days. And then it’s a matter of technology: the idea came to me that you shouldn’t sit in Paris for 4 days, but it’s best to wave a rental car to the Atlantic in Normandy and Brittany. A colleague agreed with the idea? and we began to make plans and schedule moving.
As a result of three days of preparation 12 hours before departure, we had the following:
1. Car reservation at AVIS (http://www.avis.fr/) for 4 days for 160 euros. We had to take a car at Charles de Gaulle airport and hand it in one of the towns of central France (the place of our business trip) .
2.Reservation of a B&B hotel (http://www.hotel-bb.com/) in the suburbs of Le Havre, in the town of Harfleur for 1 night (Normandy)
3. St Malo B&B 2-night reservation (Brittany)
4. A very poor idea of \u200b\u200bwhere to go, but that there must be Mont Saint-Michel (Le Mont St Michel), and Cancale (Cancale)
5. Printouts of routes to prospective hotels made using the special website http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/Driving_directions. These printouts were not useful at all.
6. A detailed atlas of French roads borrowed from colleagues in the office. It turned out to be the most necessary thing.
7. An inexhaustible supply of optimism and a great desire to do something like this - we ourselves don’t know what.
May 7, 2005 we flew from Sheremetyevo 2 in the direction of Paris. Before leaving, they decided not to violate the good old Russian tradition and with pleasure drank a bottle of beilis in the departure zone. For drinking, the start of boarding was missed. They came to their senses about 15 minutes before the planned departure and, worried about the fact that they did not put us on, they rushed to the landing gate. As a result, they were the last to board aboard, which has never happened to me, since I always run ahead of the rest on the plane. The whole flight, my colleague strongly advised me to study maps, read guidebooks, determine the route in more detail, and I lazily waved it off, deciding that we would not pass by Mont-Saint-Michel anyway, and everything else would be lucky. On the plane, I was able to sleep a bit and have a decent breakfast. Flying, as always, was a pleasure, especially during takeoff and landing, when it is interesting to look out the window at the escaping and vice versa approaching ground. By the way, we flew on a Tchaikovsky plane, I was pleasantly surprised by this innovation to call the plane not just aboard 766, but after a good person. Here is a trifle, but still an extra positive emotion on the trip.
Arriving, we went to passport control, where there was a very unpleasant incident. We stood quietly in peace when a group of aggressive-minded Arabs approached and began brazenly to settle in front of us. I don’t like it when they climb out of turn, I still have this rejection of freeloaders from Soviet times, however, I also don’t like to scandal and was already set to let citizens pass, but their number began to increase rapidly. I had to restore the status quo and quickly run to the front desk first. Then the Arabs began to scandalize me and force me away, but suddenly a French customs officer came to the rescue, who reminded the citizens about exactly how to stand in line and generally sent this group to another checkpoint. We safely passed control and set off to look for a car, guided by diagrams and signs. And then it happened: our beautiful Opel Corso waited for his temporary owners - Hurray! The journey begins!
And it begins with the question of where to go somewhere? Which side of Rouen is the first city on our route? A French-speaking colleague decided to ask the guards at the parking lot, but I didn’t like what they advised him to go to the Paris Perefir, when, judging by the map, there are many shorter routes. It is only necessary to find these paths, and this is already my business, if I am a navigator. And we went “over there, on that street and to the right,” and of course, we first went in the opposite direction. The number of roads and junctions in the Charles de Gaulle airport area was horrifying, and although I had previously worked as a navigator on the roads of Croatia and Portugal, this past experience is nothing in front of the developed road infrastructure in France. I was completely confused, we flew through the necessary turns, because we noticed late signs, and when we drove slowly, we slowed down the movement and caused discontent of the stream. And if it were not for the skill of the driver, who managed to change time in the right direction on time, we would still be traveling around Charles De Gaulle Airport. However, on the third lap in the same place, I noticed a slight turn to Saint-Denis and although I was looking for a completely different road, I decided that you can also go through Saint-Denis. An endless series of villages, turning circles, streets began, where you really want to, but you can’t turn. We overcame all these tests with honor and finally soon found ourselves on the track leading to Rouen. Now it was possible to relax, turn on the radio with the certainly French chanson and enjoy the road. Meanwhile, we rode through a beautiful French province, flowering apple and cherry orchards replaced yellow and green fields, picturesque hills alternated with flat terrain, ancient abbeys peacefully coexisted with modern shopping complexes. I wanted to stop everywhere and take a picture of everything, I had to restrain myself from everything, because if you stop at every yellow spot of a field of blooming mustard and at every chateau, then you can not get to the right place by morning, and yet we are only 50 kilometers from Paris and all the interesting things are ahead of us.
By three o'clock in the afternoon we arrived at the coveted Rouen, but first of all we were interested in, alas, not the beauty of this ancient city, but just a good French restaurant. We parked in a narrow street with difficulty squeezing into a small space between cars and went in search of food. But, and since there was a lot of time, all the restaurants were naturally closed. For information, restaurants in France usually open at 11-30 and work until 13-30, or 14-00, offering a daily menu, and then close for a break until 19-00. This rule does not apply to Paris, there in many places the daily menu is offered until 7 pm. However, let us return to the chronology of our misadventures, in one of the places, after lengthy persuasion, they agreed to feed us. We sat down comfortably and only then I drew attention to the atmosphere of the restaurant: everything was designed in an easily recognizable oriental style. We were in a hurry when we entered here and didn’t even look where we got, but it turns out that we were kindly sheltered in a restaurant of Afghan cuisine, a place belonging to a family couple who came from this once friendly country. And even if I knew the direction of the restaurant, I would never have gone there in France, nevertheless I liked the food: excellent pickled meat, which you will not find anywhere else in Moscow for a dessert - a delicious carrot cake with whipped cream. The taste of food is completely unusual and original, who will be in Rouen - I recommend: Arcadia restaurant on Victor Hugo Street.
Having eaten up, we set off to watch Rouen, a city known mainly for the fact that the most famous French girl, Jeanne D’Arc, was burnt here on the old square. However, the legends associated with the execution of the Orleans warrior are only a fraction of what is interesting in Rouen. This is the beautiful Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame, the tower clock “Gros-Horloge”, and the Palace of Justice, and the church of Sao Macla, and much, much more. But even if all of the above were not there, the old part of Rouen would still attract tourists from all over the world with a large number of houses, beautifully decorated in the old style, when the wooden floors of the building are an element of its decoration. Although it is possible that the medieval citizens of Rouen, who created this beauty, did not suspect that they were creating works of building art, they were just guided by practical considerations - to create a comfortable, safe and reliable home. Unlike many other cities in France, with buildings in a similar style, Rouen uses not only black and brown wood, but also painted in all colors of the rainbow, including pink and blue. And if in other cities it turned out a black-and-white-brown collage, then in Rouen each building has not only its own unique pattern of lines of wooden floors, but also its own original shade. It looks very beautiful, as if a talented surrealist drew several chaotic lines on a white canvas, added a cheerful color and now each house has become a separate painting.
Unfortunately, our walk in Rouen was limited in time - we had to have time to arrive at the hotel before night, so we had to leave the city, having previously bought seafood for dinner at one of the supermarkets. We are on the road again, this time in the car a classic sounds from Rachmaninoff to Bach, and we go to the place of our first night - the B&B in Harfler. The hotel chain of B&B was chosen by us back in Moscow for the reasons for having a lot of good reviews about it on the Internet and for the optimal ratio of price - quality - 30 - 35 euros for a single room. One drawback: we could spend the night only in those places where there were hotels of this network and that is why we had to spend the night in the vicinity of Le Havre. And if B&B had not been at the stop sale in Deauville, we would not have gone specifically to Le Havre, because it is a large port, modern city that is not of great interest to me. After checking in and dinner at the hotel reception, we did go to Le Havre, looked at the yachts and cruise ships, took a picture on the promenade, admired the sunset and set off. The first day of our trip was over.
The second day, as agreed the day before, started early at 7-00, having breakfast quickly, we went to Honfleur. A short way there lay across the bridge, which turned out to be both the beginning of a toll road to Deaville and Caen. Entrance fee - 5 euros. I admit, we had a flash of thought not to call in Honfleur, but to drive right along the highway, but fortunately we abandoned this bad idea in time and, having passed one of the most famous bridges in Normandy, turned onto Honfleur. We got into a medieval fairy tale. Honfleur turned out to be exactly the place that I always wanted to get to, but did not know where it is. We parked near a lovely garden with stone fountains, flower beds and flowering trees that were completely simple in decor. After sitting on the benches and giving fresh air to the Atlantic, we headed to the center. We looked outside the sea museum and a beautiful ascetic building of incomprehensible purpose, truly old and very memorable. Just think once this calm town, which is so comfortable and interesting, was the headquarters of the gangs of counterfeiters and the parking lot of pirate ships. The criminal elements of Honfleur inflicted a lot of damage to the French treasury, and locals still make up legends about their coolly decorated adventures. However, back in our time, we continued to explore the city and turned onto the square of the Temple and the Bell Tower of St. Catherine. These church buildings date from the 15th century, but are operational. Our walk coincided in time with the church service and throughout the whole area flooded with spring sun, the sound of the bell was heard, echoing the drum beep coming from afar (somewhere outside the houses there was preparations for the parade). Inside, the church turned out to be rather ascetic, though not without its originality and really ancient. Small narrow streets lead from the church in different directions, where two people can already squeeze past each other with difficulty. Then we watched the boats come out of the picturesque shipwreck in the center of the city and how the worker with the help of smart automation raises the bridge to release these boats into the open sea. I was also interested in the prices of hotels in this nice place, it seems that a double-star room costs about 60 euros per day, and at the same time I saw a window of a real estate agency. As expected, a modest house with all amenities can be purchased for an amount in the region of half a million euros. Chic cottages will cost even more to those who wish.
From Honfleur we set off towards the resort town of Deauville, which is very popular among those who know a lot about good rest. Now the road went along the hills along the sea, in places along a small serpentine. Queen sang a song about the champions, they were replaced by Dorz, and then the Scorpions with a song we have little-known about the wild river. Beautiful landscapes were succeeded by one another, and we passed Trovil, crossed the bridge and ended up in Deauville. It was necessary to look for parking, and preferably free. Such in the areas adjacent to the center of Deauville was not in principle. After the second lap in the city, we parked in the first convenient place we came across and began to figure out where and how to pay. Not understanding, they asked. We learned that today is Sunday and all parking is free. We breathed a sigh of relief and set off to watch Deauville.
From my point of view, this is exactly what an elite resort should look like for rich and very rich Europeans. Strict English style, without any touch of the ever-present French disorder. Chic, elegant, modern villas, unlike one another, hotels - palaces drowning in flowers, a magnificent wide sandy beach with private locker rooms, next to which are plates with names of world cinema stars. The stars really have nothing to do with the locker rooms, according to locals, these signs are symbols of the city and reminders of the film festivals taking place here. In the area of \u200b\u200bthe beach, of course, there are many tennis courts and horse riding grounds, and these sports are still considered a hallmark of elite membership. Here and there, luxurious Ferrari, jaguars and lomborgini flash, but there are not many people - the season has not yet begun and swimming is still cold. Prices in Deauville to match the entourage - renting a sunbed and an umbrella - per day - 30 euros, and for the whole season - 500 euros (wholesale is cheaper here too), the cost of the simplest lunch starts from 25 euros per person, etc. We wanted to play roulette in Deauville, the situation was very favorable, we found the most expensive and famous casino and prepared to win at least a million euros and buy a villa in Honfleur we liked so much, and along with a ferrari, to periodically ride in Deauville, but dreams did not come true, because the entrance to the casino was 12 euros. For some reason, paying the entrance fee seemed not stylish to us, and besides, there were a lot of free casinos around the world, and we left Deauville for the next point on the map - the city of Caen. Actually, I liked Deauville, although on the English Channel there are many more picturesque places from which you could make an elite resort. Why the rich chose Deauville will remain a mystery to me.
On the way to Caen, a popular French singer said goodbye to his lover, and I tried to photograph landscapes, which was not possible due to the high speed of movement.
After the coastal cities, Kahn did not look, besides it was cloudy and raining. We walked around the city center with the already perceived as another Gothic cathedral, examined the fortress, walked along the fortress wall, photographed the city from above, glimpsed the abbey from the car window. In addition to Kan got lunch time and we had a snack in a great French restaurant. When leaving Kahn, unexpected difficulties arose; I could not figure out how to get to the local transport ring. The situation was saved by a colleague who promptly asked passers-by where to go. The direction was found and we rushed to Mont - Saint - Michel - a monastery cut down on a rock in the middle of the sea.
Mont - Saint - Michel - is one of the most visited attractions in France. This is a man-made monument to human labor. To cut down such beauty from stone on a steep rock is only possible for people who are either obsessed with the idea or who have fallen into a state of emergency due to the constant struggle with the elements or foreign invaders. Be that as it may, the power of this architectural structure is evident even at a great distance - as soon as this mountain comes up from the horizon. The space is felt especially sharply, because the mountain on which the monastery is built is located on absolutely flat terrain. In fact, Mont - Saint - Michel is the only hill around which for many kilometers there are meadows with grazing lambs. Idyllic picture. Meters 500 - 800 from the monastery provides a stop for transport. Here, traditionally, everyone gets out of their cars to take a picture of Mont-Saint-Michel from afar and (or) themselves against its background. Directly near the monastery is organized - paid (4 euro) parking, at the entrance to which a warning sign weighs that zones 1, 2, 6 are flooded by the tide at 19-30. We arrived at low tide, when around the mountain you could freely walk on the sand. It was impossible to even imagine that someday water would come to this sandy kingdom, which now can be hardly seen. However, we were already accustomed to believe in France all the warning signs, inscriptions, and realized that we had only three hours to visit. At least 10 sightseeing buses were in the parking lot, later in Paris, I found out that there are day trips to Mont Saint-Michel from the glorious French capital, and such trips cost 90-100 euros.
We approach the mountain and find ourselves in a continuous stream of people. True, not everyone goes to the monastery itself: maybe because of a rather high entrance price of 8 euros, or maybe just because they prefer to hang out in the open air in many gardens or walk on the sand around the island. We examined everything, climbed to the very top, walked along strict stone halls, sat in the monastery courtyard, went down narrow spiral staircases, and studied a giant device for lifting weights. Everything was very beautiful and interesting, but the feeling that I was going to a popular tourist attraction and not to a living place did not leave me. Either I was just tired that day, or there were too many tourists, or we were running too fast, but something was not enough for me in this walk around the monastery. However, now after the lapse of time, nothing is remembered as often as this particular place.
Having admired Mont - Saint - Michel at low tide, we decided to go for lunch, and then return and see how the waves play around the walls of the ancient monster. I wanted to eat in a real village restaurant, which still had to be found. Scrolling along the highway, we found out what we wanted - a real tavern, dining in which you can look at Mont - Saint - Michel from afar. In anticipation of the order, we watched as a thousand lambs crossed the track, returning from the meadows to their native stalls. A continuous sheep’s stream that blocked the way for cars, if you are not driving in this car, is a very bewitching sight. For dinner, which is not surprising, we were served a lamb dish made in accordance with the culinary traditions of this region. Having a tasty snack, we returned to Mont - Saint - Michel and were amazed at the changes that had happened to him, from a distance it seemed that the mountain was growing right out of the water, there were waves around the monastery, and where our car was standing - the sea stretched out.
We had to go further. The situation was complicated by the fact that at dinner we tasted not only lamb, but also wine. Here I want to sing an ode to French laws that allow you to drive a car after drinking a little wonderful red wine. However, a slight intoxication made it difficult to navigate the area, although in the end we found both Saint Malo and our hotel. By the way, we managed on time - before the closure of the administration. Otherwise, I would have to check in through the machine, and communication with a pile of iron, albeit smart, is less pleasant for a Russian tourist than a personal acquaintance with the girls who populate the guests. The received room was exactly the same as in the previous hotel. Probably the rooms in all B&B hotels are exactly the same. Before going to bed, I was drawn to good deeds, namely to feed the bride from where the hungry cat came from the remnants of yesterday's dinner. My colleague didn’t share my impulse, and I watched the cat sewing expensive seafood on both cheeks in splendid isolation. When the cat meal came to an end, I went to my room to sleep. The second day was over.
The third day was the most relaxed as there were no long journeys. The first place we went to was Dinard. From an architectural point of view, the city is nice, but without any frills. In Dinar, the coastal zone is good when you look at the seemingly turquoise water from the observation deck - through the branches of fir trees and cypresses. Oddly enough, the closer you get down to the water, the stronger its color changes, and on the embankment itself the sea is no longer biyurz, but dark blue. Such an interesting optical illusion. From Dinar, on the advice of one of the backpackers we met at the hotel, we headed for Cape Frehel. They chose a highly poetic road, bypassing the peninsula, along the sea past the fishing villages of St Lunaire, ST Briac and others. Now imagine: the blue expanse of water along which green islands are scattered, small bays with beautiful yellow sand, parking for small boats and small boats, the absence of people, small houses and chic cottages, and all this is skillfully inscribed in the natural landscape. An ideal place to relax, but I hope no one will ever guess to make a resort here, because otherwise all the charm will disappear.
In the meantime, we drove onto the highway, found a turn to Cape Freel, and drove along a narrow country road. In one of the places we got the sign “Calvados, Cider - 500 meters” and we decided to adhere to this direction, we really wanted real Breton liquors. And we got them in full: we took as many as 6 bottles of Sidra, because in smaller quantities this drink was not sold. Honestly divided into three bottles, and I began to think about what to do with my part, not to drag it to Moscow. Subsequently, when I drank the bottle with my colleagues, it turned out that this is an excellent cider that cannot be bought at the supermarket, which is done in very limited quantities and using a special technique.
The farm where we bought alcohol was very original: a small garden, with trimmed grass, low trees, decorative gnomes and ducks standing on the ground, everything is very clean and smells of freshly cut grass that is laid out in small decorative stacks. I liked the outbuilding in the form of a mill and a tiny toy well in a flower bed with daisies.
After tasting, visiting and shopping, our journey continued and soon we arrived at Cape Freel. Once I was at Cape of Rock in Portugal and he struck me with his power and majesty. Cape Freel is completely different in atmosphere and has nothing to do with Cape Roca. Still, Cape Roca is a recognized tourist destination, with parking for large buses, souvenir shops, etc., Cape Freel is somewhat more wild, although in the French sense it is wild, it is not in the Russian sense. There is a small restaurant and toilets, and spaces separated by a rope so that tourists do not trample the grass, in general, all the benefits of civilization. Wild is more a sensation than a reality. On Cape Freel - really beautiful, high cliffs covered with pink and white flowers, small stone islands, were especially impressed by the place with a cliff in the form of a high stone tower, where hundreds of seagulls found their refuge. The weather was fine, sunny, calm and sitting on the rocks, watching boats sail, listening to the gurgling of gulls was a pleasure.
However, even in this heavenly place, not everything turned out to be as cloudless as we would like, when we returned from a walk and approached the car, we found a crying woman. As it turned out, from a car parked next to us, belonging to an elderly couple, money, documents, cards, a camera and something else were stolen. I immediately rushed to check whether our passports and tickets hidden in the trunk were in place. Fortunately, everything was safe and sound, but this episode quickly brought me out of the state of serenity that arose on Cape Freel. In human society it is impossible to relax, and values \u200b\u200bshould be stored in a safe, although this is not a guarantee. And people were sincerely sorry, now they had to wait for the police, draw up protocols, the day would be hopelessly ruined.
It was lunch time, and we decided to have a bite in the morning, not somewhere else, but in the oyster capital of Brittany, the city of Kankale. By one o'clock we arrived at the desired place, and did not go to the center, but immediately to the port - a kind of mecca for oyster lovers. By the way, in the center of Kankal, we never visited. The port has a unique atmosphere of gluttony, which I have never met before; along the entire promenade an endless string of restaurants stretches, where there are practically no empty seats. Even for parking to find places on the promenade and in the adjacent corners, it turned out to be unrealistic, despite the fact that all these parking lots are paid. We stopped far enough, but naturally we didn’t pay near the idle parking payment machine, we were in a hurry to join this world of eating oysters. By the way, to eat oysters you don’t have to go to a restaurant, you can buy them for a penny in a small market and sit right on the parapet of the embankment. When you buy, you will open an oyster, give a plate and a half of lemon, and then eat for health.
We decided to eat in a restaurant, for starters, and then catch up with oysters on the waterfront. My feast of the stomach began immediately as the waitress put in a dish with 9 pieces of the fourth size. The oysters of the largest size proudly carry the number 0 and they are not grown specially, these are all wild specimens. We managed to get to Kankal on time, after all, another week and the oysters will start the breeding season, and then their taste will noticeably change and not for the better. In the meantime, oysters are magnificent, flavored with lemon juice or vinegar, they pleasantly burn the tongue. Now in Moscow, I think it would be better if I had never tried them at all, because now I am simply uncontrollably drawn back to eat oysters in Kankala. I ate these nine things for a very long time, stretching my pleasure and of course washed down with white wine. After the oysters there was a tasty fish, with a side dish of sour cabbage and excellent pistachio ice cream, and then we were full and satisfied wandered to the oyster market. I no longer had the strength to eat anything else, and, leaving my colleague to taste further, I went to photograph the oyster fields.
The landscapes in the area of \u200b\u200bthe port of Kankal are simply unimaginable: boats are lying around on the sand, apparently in the morning, there was a sea, and now it has left the coastal zone and turns blue somewhere far away. If you go to the end of the bridge, you can see a barely noticeable, but definitely recognizable mound in the distance - This is Mont - Saint - Michel. But back to the oysters, I walked for a long time through the fields where they are grown. Small tanks filled with water were built there and oysters live in them. Moreover, if oysters are not sold in one day on the market, then they return to the tanks and lie there until the next day. In general, the oyster is stored for no more than 5-6 days, after which it rotts and becomes dangerous for a potential eater.
After the oyster feast, we went to see the city where we had a hotel - Saint - Malo. There is a country part surrounded by a wall. Like many cities of Saint - Malo was built on the principles of a military fortress, it is clear that pirates actively maligned in this part of the coast. However, now the old city has become the most tourist destination, with a huge number of boutiques, public gardens and restaurants. You can climb the fortress wall and you will be rewarded with views of the sea, an excellent sandy beach, stones and a very nice old fort. We thought for a long time where to have dinner: on the one hand, we irresistibly wanted to go to oysters in Kankal, but on the other hand, we also wanted to walk around Saint-Malo. This time, cultural preferences won over culinary ones, we quickly ate in one of the restaurants in the old part and still walked around the city and its promenade. At some point in the walk, we came across a casino, reviving the dream of a million euros and a villa in Honfleur. We were rushed to play, but roulette did not work, and there was no particular desire to lose money to one-armed bandits.
Since the next day promised to be the hardest, still it was necessary to overcome 500 kilometers, we decided not to go to the previously planned Dinan, a lovely medieval town nearby, but to go to sleep. By the way, in the morning we also did not stop in Dinan for various reasons, which I now terribly regret.
Our last day before work was on the road. Driving around France is easy and pleasant, the road surfaces are good. The only thing I didn’t like was the hour traffic jam near Rennes. At first, we stood peacefully in it like all law-abiding French citizens, but at some point “Russian energy without a vector” made itself felt, and we went around a traffic jam along the very last lane intended for police and ambulances. The French watched in surprise our maneuvers from the windows, and we, ashamed and telling ourselves that this is the first and last violation, drove forward. Fortunately, our turn quickly showed up, and we drove off this road full of cars. This time we didn’t stop anywhere to see the places of interest, but only ate in a roadside cafe for truckers. The food in this cafe turned out to be quite tasty as almost everywhere in France, and the staff was friendly. True in this place, I was the only girl and everyone looked at me with undisguised surprise.
The last kilometers to the place of our business trip we drove with the fear that gasoline could end right on the road. We didn’t get the gas station on time and we pulled with all our might, hoping for a chance. Maybe he didn’t fail, and this time, we arrived, filled the car with gasoline and got ready to return it to AVIS. As a result, in 4 days we drove 1,184 kilometers and refuel for exactly 100 euros. Upon arrival, we said goodbye and each parted in our own working affairs and meetings. Paris was waiting for me on Saturday, but this city is known to be "worth the Mass" and a separate story. In general, traveling around France is easy, pleasant, interesting, but there are practically no problems with orientation and safety, and if I still have the chance to repeat such a trip in my life, I will not miss it.
TO how to see the main beauties of the region and not spoil the first road trip in lifeA short story about the sights of Normandy seen and some practical tips.
Preparation:
In July 2009, I went on vacation to Paris with my friends Katya, Kolya and Dima.
The decision that we would take a car to go to Normandy was made by us a week before the trip. It just so happened. Only 7 days before the vacation, it turned out that everyone had a desire to get to Mont San Michel, and the way by bus-trains there would be very hemorrhoid and would fly into a pretty penny.
The option of renting a car looked quite attractive. One small “but” slowed us down. Of the whole company, only I had rights, and my real driving experience was only 2 months: (In addition, I was able to drive only a car with a gun.
When I began to dig the Internet in search of a suitable car for rental, it turned out that there were NO cars. A submachine gun in France is rare, and again, it’s a season :(. Well, that is, for example, there were C-class Mercedes at some sky-high prices, but nothing “average” was observed. By some miracle, I came across one an auto broker who provided us with a C3 with a machine in the ALAMO rental office for 210 euros in 2 days.
1st day: Paris - Les Andelys-Etretat-Le Havre-Aromanches
The first problems of "dummies"
Red C3 was waiting for us in the parking lot of Lyons station. Dima, who assumed the function of navigator, for some reason was sure that he would be given a lease and a navigator in the rental office. What naivety! If suddenly someone thinks the same way, I hasten to disappoint you - the navigator is “rented out” only complete with premium cars, where it is simply built-in. Separately, no one will give you a navigator.
In the arsenal, we had only the Michelin road map of France in 1990 edition :)
The rental clerk gave us the documents and the key, drew on a piece of paper how to get out of the parking lot onto the embankment. It was necessary to move straight along the promenade in order to get to the Paris Ring Road (in the original Périphérique). Already from it, we, according to all calculations, had to go to the A13 highway leading to Rouen.
And then there was an entertainment called "departure from Paris" for an hour and a half. First, we accidentally drove the roundabout from the Peripheral, and left for the wrong track. Then they turned around, drove to the Peripheral, left her in the Paris suburb of San Denis and wandered around it for at least another half an hour in search of departure for the A13. Then they found the exit, but slightly missed - at the roundabout, we chose the wrong tunnel, which eventually led us to the Paris quarter of Defense skyscrapers. Everyone was on the nerves, and it was already beginning to swear, and here the heavens had mercy on us, and only 15 minutes later we were able to take the right direction.
In subsequent trips, I always took GPS with me. That I advise everyone. It greatly facilitates the life of a young traveler.
On highway A13 we met the first point of payment for the road. Of course, I knew about how to drop into it, how to pay, but I had no idea about one important detail. If your credit card does not have a chip, it most likely will not work in a payment machine! Thank God we were 4 adults with a variety of bank cards, one of which came up to the machine. It would be extremely inconvenient to take back and rebuild in another queue.
First Joys: Les Andelys
Thanks to Katya, it was she who dug up information about this picturesque place and made us make the first stop on the route here. The town is located 85 km from Paris and it is famous for the castle of Richard the Lionheart and amazing views of the River Seine. Here the Seine is not at all the same as in Paris.
The ruins of the castle proudly rise above the terrain.
We bought food in a supermarket, climbed a hill to the castle and had a picnic there.
By the way, with all the incredible beauty and tourist value, there were not very many people here - literally one bus with tourists (they all scattered around the ruins), and 5-6 private cars.
Étretat
And it was my "fad" - to see the cliffs and arches of Etretat. I heard about him so many times, I saw friends in the photo, and cheers, I'm finally here!
In Etretat, a pebble beach is very steep and uncomfortable entering the sea. But this did not stop us - we went swimming. Diving into the cold waters of the English Channel allowed us to remove the remnants of stress from the "exit from Paris."
Having a little rest on the beach, we climbed to take pictures on the famous cliffs.
Normandy Bridge and Coast
The next item on our route was “Inspecting the Allied landing sites.” It was a “Dimina theme”, he was responsible for this part of the route. By the way, there are war memorials along almost the entire coast. Even in the same Etretat, there are several objects from the Second World War. And it’s hard to say which of them are mandatory for viewing, and which are less interesting.
Dima decided to go to some small town on the coast in the Caen region. It was in this area that the landing took place on June 6, 1944. Our choice fell on Arromanches. Dima knew this place from the Call of duty game :) We planned to spend the night there.
From Etretat, we drove along the coast through Le Havre (where we again got a little lost), and then, through the Normandy bridge to the highway to the city of Caen.
Normandy Bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in Europe. In fact - another attraction that attracts tourists to the region. We actually hit it accidentally (it was not indicated on my map of the 1990 edition, because it was built in 95th :)), leaving Le Havre following the signs for the A13 highway. But the beauty and scale of the structure, of course, impressed.
The bridge, by the way, is paid, the fare on it for cars is 5 euros.
Only around 9 pm did we get to Aromansh. We were lucky, we quickly found a hotel. It was evening from Wednesday to Thursday, and places could be found without prior reservation. Quite decent 2 *, 50 euros for a double room without breakfast.
By the way, if you are looking for an overnight stay in some small town on the English Channel, try to arrive at it no later than 8 pm. At 10 pm, when we threw things in our room and went to look for dinner, everything was already closed in the city, and there was no kitchen in any cafe. We managed to buy only beer and some creepy hamburgers in a lockable shop near the hotel.
2nd day: Allied landing sites - Mont-Saint-Michel - road to Paris
In the morning we had a wonderful breakfast in a restaurant overlooking the sea, walked along the beach, examined the local war memorials.
Then they took at the hotel a plan of the nearest locations of military fortifications during the war and headed there (15 minutes by car along winding village paths).
Having examined the German bunkers and climbed the fortifications, we headed to Mont-San-Michel.
On the way, we stopped at a farm where we bought Calvados. Such farms are found on the roads of Normandy everywhere.
Mont saint michel
Well, to talk about him, I think, does not make much sense, because this is the second most famous landmark in France after the Eiffel Tower.
I will give only a few practical tips.
I have been to Mont San Michel 2 times - both times on weekdays. There are always many people there. But in the summer it’s just incredible. I think you need to come there either very early in the morning, or already late in the evening, when the people have subsided. We got there around half past five, and got into the most popular time. There were more people on the main street of the city than in the Moscow metro at rush hour :(
When you enter the huge parking lot at Mont Saint-Michel, do not park at the beginning, thinking that there are no places closer to the castle. Everyone thinks the same way, so there will be places closer to the castle. As a result, we, “successfully” packed in the beginning, made one and a half kilometers to the castle and the same back then.
The road to Paris.
Back we decided to take the N12 road through Alencon and Dieu.
As a result, our road home stretched for 5 and a half hours, taking into account the short stop lunch in a roadside inn.
So if your goal is to see the most interesting in a couple of days and not die of fatigue, forget about saving on free roads. They are for traveling short distances. In France, most normal tracks are toll. On our route there was only one successful freeway - A84, on which we traveled from Caen to Mont San Michel. Everything was there, as on a toll road: 2-3 lanes in one direction, maximum speed 130 km / h, in places 110 km / h.
The usual free road (they are on the map with the letter N, "nationale", ie state) has one or two lanes in the same direction. The permitted speed on it is usually 90 km / h.
At the same time, road N passes through a bunch of settlements, where the allowed speed is 50 km / h. And if you are in a section with one lane, and some tractor is traveling in front of you, then you will be able to drive in a column behind it more slowly until the road widens or there is a rare opportunity to overtake it in a place where overtaking is acceptable.
So we scratched along this national road. The only consolation for us was the sweetest provincial landscapes.
We arrived in Paris at about half past nine. Thank God, this time it was more or less normal to navigate, to find the Peripheralian, and the necessary junction, the embankment, and then the Lyonsky railway station and parking lot the first time.
I did not regret that we drove a car to Normandy. Our route for the first acquaintance with the region turned out to be very good. Of course, we did not see Honfleur, Deauville / Trouville, Rouen and San Malo. But nothing prevents to visit these places next time. A.
- Time
- Route length: 230 km, a little over 4 hours of clean road.
- Movement: it’s more convenient by car, since you don’t have to wait for buses, but public transport is quite convenient: both by train and by bus.
- Bonus: Partially drive through ““, so get ready to taste the fine local wines.
Alsace Route:
Bus Burgundy - Rhône-Alpes - Center - Paris
This route takes you to the main attractions of central France, revealing to you the traditional, including the famous, and famous.
- Time: 6 - 10 days, depending on the pace.
- Route length: 1338 km, 14 hours on the road.
- Movement: it’s more convenient by car, since you don’t have to wait for buses, but by public transport it’s quite convenient: like by train, trains run everywhere (except the Loire castles).
Route Description:
Eastern France Route
Eastern France boasts characteristic half-timbered architecture and fine wines. Here are located 3 major countries - and, the white and sparkling wines of which have become legendary.
- Time: 6 - 9 days, depending on the pace.
- Route length: 1268 km, 13.5 hours on the road.
- Movement: By public transport - convenient. By car - more difficult with parking.
Route Description:
Northern France for 1 week
Day 4. Claude Monet's house and garden, in the afternoon - the capital -,
With children you can watch Paris (), spend 1 day in, two days in and another 2 days on.
Day 1: - visit in the morning, get up
Finally, my hands came to generalize the information on Normandy - not the lyrical part, but the more practical one. I hope that it is useful if you are planning, like us, to travel to these wonderful places by car. I’ll immediately make a reservation that all of the following is a personal experience, it does not pretend to be absolutely complete information, or to the optimality of the route (although the route, as a result, made us very happy).
Where is it?
Normandy is a region in northwestern France. It is divided into upper Normandy with a center in Rouen and lower - with a center in Caen. From the southwest to lower Normandy adjoins Breton, which we also captured a bit on the journey.
Why go there?
If you have already visited Paris, Venice, Barcelona, \u200b\u200betc., and you want to discover new places in Europe - pay attention to Normandy. You are guaranteed a rich visual experience (landscapes, parks, architecture, harsh northern beaches), tastes (cheese, cider, seafood, etc.), historical excursions (both in the ancient history of the Normans and in military operations of the Second World War - the famous beaches of "Day D"), and surprisingly pleasant locals. They speak decent English and are very friendly to tourists, but not intrusive - the perfect combination!
When to go?
The best season is from April-May to the end of October. Since November, many attractions and farms for visiting have been closed (not the season), and the weather is becoming nasty. Normandy is the rainiest region in France (and they don’t get tired of joking about this topic), and in winter the rain is also cold and the daylight hours are short. We traveled in early October - it was, to put it mildly, not hot :))) but then this is not the peak season of summer, when there is no crowding with tourists - it is easy to find places for spending the night, there are no crowds anywhere.
Idea and overall route planning
Without claiming to be absolute truth, I will tell only about our thought process. We originally wanted in Jersey and Guernsey, the idea of \u200b\u200bNormandy was born as a logical complement to them. Then we began to look for information that is interesting in Normandy, noting the cities and places that are definitely worth a visit (we had Rouen, Giverny, the beaches of the Allied landing (D-Day Beaches), Mont Saint-Michel, the cheese and cider road ) and those that would be nice to visit, if possible.
Based on these estimates, and not wanting to move from place to place every day, we decided that we would book hotels at three strong points for several days - Rouen, Ken (or rather, the town near Ken on one of the landing beaches), San Malo - and the rest of the points will travel from there. As a result, the tactics proved to be quite justified, although on the spot it turned out that housing options, including inexpensive, - a great many (including farms and lovely guesthouses, which are not on international booking sites). So you can just go and look for an overnight stay along the way, especially not in the "hot season". But we are paranoid in this sense, we plan ahead :)
We arrived in Paris during the day (Charles de Gaulle Airport), took the metro to San Lazare station and took the train to Rouen.
- Train timetables and tickets for French Railways. It makes sense to order key tickets in advance, as it is possible to buy them in advance at cheaper prices. The reservation is printed out and exchanged for a ticket at the train station in the SNCF office (or at other points - everything is written on the reservation). Important: do not plan a train ride “back to back” to important connections - in France, a strike is the norm, the probability of a train being late is high!
- Do not forget to make an international "little book" in your traffic police before your trip! There is a problem in Russian rights - although all the data seems to be duplicated in Latin, but the category descriptions are made only in Russian, which gives the right of the rental company to refuse you (they may not refuse, but why take the risk ???). It is also recommended that you obtain international rights to Israeli rights (in MEMSI this is done in 5 minutes and 15 shekels) - Israel has somehow crookedly signed conventions there, so it's better to play it safe
- And be sure to (!) Bring along a GPS navigator with updated maps! If you don’t have it, don’t spare extra money (7-10 euros per day), rent it with your car. Without a navigator, even with the best map, you in your region will destroy all your nerves and spend a lot of time wandering around! Yes, you will spend more on gas on these walks than on renting a navigator !!!
Currency
Euro, of course. Everywhere they accept cards. The only difficulty in terms of the currency that we encountered is very difficult to change cash dollars (and we had part of the amount in them). For example, in Rouen, this is not even done in banks, only in the tourist office in the city center.
Tongue
French. But unlike Parisians, local people freely switch to English and do not frown when you speak broken French. Still, proximity to England and the historical past are having an effect.
Food
France in general and Normandy in particular is a culinary paradise. It really cooks deliciously here, and the food here is not just a life-supporting need, but a separate experience and pleasure. Of course, try local cheeses, pears (oh, what juicy pears!), Cider, pommo - a mixture of calvados and cider (but calvados itself is a stool :))), pastries, seafood (including oysters - for lovers).
We did this - in the morning we had breakfast in a hotel or in a nearby coffee shop, dined in a restaurant, finding a profitable and tasty formule - such as a set lunch, for dinner we bought cheeses, cider, baguette, apples, pears, sausages or ham, and had a picnic. It is possible and more economical, but we decided that we have priority over pleasure. Personal recommendation - restaurant L "Orbecquoise in the small town of Orbec near Lisieux.
Car matters
Toll roads - in France there are a lot of them! Usually these are autobahns and large roads connecting the regions of the country, as well as bridges (the most famous is the Normandy bridge). Cost - from 2 to 6 euros, each road has its own. Payment at checkpoints (sometimes at the entrance, sometimes at the exit, sometimes there and there - keep checks to leave!), There are signs on the road warning that the track is paid. It’s best to carry a trifle with you for payment, although banknotes and cards are also accepted (cards are not everything, some specific chip is needed). The toll road always or almost always has a free alternative (you can configure GPS to go around them) - it is usually longer, but much more picturesque.
Speed \u200b\u200blimits - the city is 50 km / h, the countryside is 90, the highway is 110, the autobahn is 130. Everywhere there are cameras !!!
Petrol - quite expensive and the prices are not regulated by it, i.e. different at different gas stations (even at gas stations of the same company prices may vary!). Therefore, it is worth looking closely where it is cheaper.
Parking - in small cities it’s usually free, in the center and large cities there may be paid zones with a pay machine (marked in color) or paid parking lots. In general, there were no parking problems, with the exception of the center of Rouen.
Tactical planning
We initially had a rough plan of what we are going to do on what day, but, of course, it was adjusted along the way. For planning, we used the Rough Guide for Normandy and Breton. We also actively used local tourist centers - they are in Normandy in every village !!! - Do not ignore them, they will tell you about current events, give you all kinds of useful waste paper and maps, and recommend a place to eat or stay overnight. Find out the dates of festivals and the schedule of farmers' markets in different cities - both are worth a visit.
- Pay attention to the operating modes of museums, farms and other attractions, so as not to stumble on a closed door. The schedule can be quite exotic - the cheese farm can be closed at lunchtime from 12 to 14, and the museum does not work on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Hotel Stars Rouen is a basic nautical-style hotel. A normal place to sleep, a very reasonable price, free parking and convenient access to the A13 - the main highway from Rouen. Convenient only if Rouen is not the main purpose of the trip, and there is a car, because not in the center of the city.
Hotel Le Canada, Hermanville-sur-mer - a hotel in a small seaside town near Ken and Bayeux, in a classic Norman half-timbered building, delicious breakfast, beautiful rooms. The disadvantage is in the middle of nowhere, the nearest cafe, for example, is a couple of kilometers :))
Éthic étapes Patrick Varangot, Saint-Malo - a large hostel with a lot of different chips and features (shared room, bike rental, various events for guests). The disadvantage is very spartan rooms (although new and clean), they won’t even put soap :))
Visa
Ordinary Schengen. To be honest, it was tedious for us to show all our movements at the embassy (all the more so, they were still in the planning stage at that time), so I booked on
So, in October, Max Wernick and I went fishing in Normandy. A journey of discovery. Firstly, I was in Normandy for the first time. Secondly, for the first time we drank brandy all the way. Brandy is like brandy, only from a neighboring village. Well, and thirdly, for the first time in my life, I went somewhere to go fishing.
01. Before fishing a little walk around Paris. There wasn’t much time, so we quickly joined the beautiful. Glass Pyramid of the Louvre Museum. 
02. Sculptures in the Tuileries Garden behind the Cop fence 
03. From the park you can go to the Seine embankment. She is now in many places pedestrian. And before there was a road. 
04. Max Wernick decided to go to the flea market to buy goods in the shop. But as it turned out, prices in Paris are higher than in Moscow ... 
05. Paris Junkman 
And now we get into the car and drive north! There, where the fish and the house on the lake.
06. On the way we pass simple French villages. 
07. Beautiful 
08. French ladybugs 
09. Horses 
10. Rams 
11. In the French countryside, time has stopped. Most homes do not change for centuries. Only satellite dishes and antennas give out that the courtyard is 21st century. 
12. Everything is very neat and clean. 
13. We arrived in Fekan - a town in Upper Normandy. It is built around a small bay, which serves as a trading and fishing port. This is how the entrance to this bay looks. It is about 50 meters wide. 
14. The part of the city that is located south of the bay is flat, and the northern part of the city is built on a rocky hill. 
15. Fekan is a city of anglers. He became known in the X century due to the fact that they prepared delicious salted and smoked herring. And in the XVI century, here they began to catch cod. Now fishing is limited - it is allowed to conduct only in coastal waters. 
16. But there is also the Vermont River, and if you go upstream, you will reach a series of ponds, where you can also go fishing. This is where we went. 
17. Here is a house removed. It stands right on the water and you can fish from the bedroom) Well, or from the terrace. Great place. 
18. The Normans themselves, without hesitation, call their land a fishing paradise. Here you can offer sea, freshwater and foot fishing (this is when people walk along the shore and collect crabs and shellfish). For freshwater fishing, which we stopped at, in Normandy a lot of rivers, canals, ponds and swamps are adapted. 
19. In the ponds you can catch carp, pike or trout. Wernick said he would have a bite of live fish ... But he was dissuaded in the end. 
20. For dinner we came across trout. 
21. While dinner is preparing, it’s nice to skip a glass or two. 
22. The rest of the evening was spent at dinner, heartfelt conversations and brandy. And the next morning it was like that. 
23. Neighbor's house 
24.
25.
26.
27. We met the Norman dawn, the last time we looked at Fekan and go further! 
28. The next stop is another town on the English Channel, called Etretat. 
29. It is mainly known for the rocks that form beautiful natural arches. Thanks to them, Etretat has become one of the main tourist centers of Normandy. Only 1,500 people live in the city, but in the summer a large number of travelers come here. If they come to Fekan to fish, then they go to Etretat to enjoy the Norman nature. 
30. City embankment. If you look to the north, you will see an arch called "Upper Gate". 
31. At one time in Etretat lived many famous artists, for example, Claude Monet. He has several paintings in which he captured the views from here. Here is one of them with the same look. 
32. And if you turn south, then the Lower Gate will be in front of you. Next to it is a pointed rock called “The Needle”. The French writer Maurice LeBlanc wrote a book about her called The Hollow Needle. According to the plot, royal treasures were hidden in it. 
33. Also a picture of Claude Monet with the “Lower Gate”. 
34. In some places, the cliffs reach a height of 100 meters. A flock of fish is visible in the water! 
35.
36. Lighthouse "Antifer". It was built in 1894, but it was completely destroyed during the Second World War. Previously, he was closer to the cliff, but when recovering, they decided to move him away from the collapsing edge of the cliff. 
37. Old bunker 
38. Most of all, it struck me that in the 70 years since the end of the war no one had banned the bunker and did not even leave a single graffiti! Concrete crumbles, reinforcement rusted, but the walls are clean! How is this possible? Just amazing. We have such objects are usually covered with numerous inscriptions and marks of who, where and when. 
39. In the end, I can say that there are two reasons for going to Normandy: the first is a beautiful sea coast with rocks, and the second is an amazing environment for all kinds of fishing. This part of France is perfect for a male holiday in the company of friends and good French brandy. In general, come and try it yourself. Have a good fishing! 
