On the Road to Normandy...

Saturday, August 7

On the road to Normandy through the farms and fields with cows on either side and beautiful old stone and brick homes and geraniums falling over every window. On the cool side and a bit grey with on and off light rain. Lunch was just a quick bite near Rouen, at one of the AutoGrill stations every 20 km or so. Not like our highway stops where your choice is limited, these have picnic areas to eat what you have packed or you can buy a variety of fresh products or prepared foods (that taste like real food) or you can eat in at a cafeteria style spot. But wait a minute it didn't look like cafeteria food --there was roast chicken, roast pommes parisiennes, green vegetables to choose from and all sorts of croissants and pastries if you just wanted a coffee and a snack. Not to worry they also had Lays potato chips, Magnum ice cream bars and lots of other junk food. The neat thing about highway stops in Europe is that they also sell the regional products of whatever area you are in, food and souvenirs. We shared a picnic table with two young guys and quickly ate as it started spitting rain. It was just a chicken sandwich for me on lovely thinly sliced whole wheat bread and for my other half, Rosette salami with cornichon, all washed down with a bottle of San Pellegrino. Let's hit the road and save ourselves for some local Normandy cuisine for dinner.

We stopped in the magnificent little medieval town of Bayeux where the whole of the old town center is a pedestrian area only -- charming. We headed over to see the famous Bayeux tapestry which I have sooo longed to see for many years but Ross was so so about. We were both utterly captivated by the enormous work which was brought to life so vividly by the exhibit. Would have loved to spend more time here but off to our next little town where we will spend the night.

After checking in we drove up to Avrances where you can get the most marvelous view of Mont St. Michel, which is our destination for tomorrow. We climbed uphill to the top where there is a magnificent gothic church (closed as it was late) and into the Jardin des Plantes. The public gardens were magnificent but were not our purpose even though I snapped a few pictures. We walked to the edge of the gardens and there it was in the distance just as the sun was beginning to set --- Mont St. Michel. Now to find some dinner. We wondered if we would succeed as all the streets seemed deserted but we decided on a restaurant in the main square but as soon as we sat down the owner came over and asked us if we knew what we wanted as the kitchen was about to close. We had been so taken by the view above and fooled by the amount of light in the sky forgetting that we were much farther north that it was 9;15 when walked into the restaurant. Hmmmm maybe we didn't choose well, but of course we did this is Normandy and they won't let us go away hungry. As appetizers I had melon and the local prosciutto while Ross had a local dish of camembert with thin apple slices baked in pastry sitting in an amazing Camembert sauce. As an entree Ross chose something that we won't ever find on a menu back home, Rognon Persillé that is kidneys in a parsley sauce while I had a delicious entre cote in a wine reduction sauce with shallots. Pictures will follow as I furtively took a couple cause you know Ross doesn't want us to look like tourists. Since it was the end of the night there wasn't much to choose from for dessert so they brought us a sampler plate with chocolate mousse, a coconut pound cake with crème anglaise and fromage frais with raspberry coulis. I'm full!

Off to Mont St. Michel in the morning.