Paris and Bayeux, France

We left the flat in Paris behind to meet up with our tour creator and fearless leader Rebekah Bond (along with her parents and our friends Sidney and Alison Bond from Le Calabash) at the Charles De Gaulle airport. Our first 2 days was spent in Normandy in northern France.

Camembert: The first stop on the tour was a farm just outside of Camembert. It is the only private farm, artisanal (i.e. non-factory) camembert being produced (with AOC certification). The owner described how camembert is made, showing his pride in managing every detail of production from what the animals are fed to the cheese making process itself. The smooth and complex taste of the cheese reflects this attention to details. We enjoyed several types of regional cheese (including of course the farm’s camembert) with home made condiments, apple cider and milk liquor. Great way to start the trip!

Calvados: Normandy is the home of calvados (and all things apple). Stop #2 was Domaine Dupont, a small calvados producer. We toured the facilities with the “vintner,” a very animated and entertaining fellow who previously worked as a sommelier with Pierre Gagniare. We sampled multiple kinds of cider (basic cider, “Trappist” cider…) followed by calvados, pommeau and ice cider (similar to ice wine but more apple-y). The tasting was accompanied by food chosen to show of the character of each product. The most memorable was a delicious, smoky Andoulle de Vire served thinly sliced and cold. Everyone’s return baggage weight increased after this stop!

Bayeux: We stayed at a lovely bead and breakfast a stone’s throw from Bayeux Cathedral. The cathedral, consecrated in 1077, figured heavily in

Cemetary: We visited the US military cemetery at Omaha Beach, the major focus of American troops on D-Day. We didn’t get a chance to visit Juno Beach, a few km east of Omaha.

We were treated to a lovely picnic with wine, cheese and charcuterie while soaking up the sun, interacting with cows and gazing over the calm blue of the English Channel.

Mont Saint Michel: For me, one of the most exciting parts of this trip was the chance to visit Mont Saint Michel, an impressive abbey and medieval town built on a small rock at the mouth of an estuary in the English Channel. The small area combined with the height of the steeple make for an impressive silhouette. The town is typically medieval with a narrow winding pathway starting with the peasant/farmer housing through the stores and finally leading up to the heavenly/lordly Abby. The views of the channel (with the low tide) was spectacular.