FRENCH RECONNAISSANCE PART CINQ

 

Entranced by Normandy

On Boxing Day, I set off for St.Valery en Caux, mainly because they had a market that day. 

I fell in love with this coat at the market

The cliffs are made of chalk. The word 'Caux' is chalk in local dialect.

This is the Chateau de Sissi, the summer holiday home of Empress Elizabeth of Austria. It is now a hotel/restaurant.

FRENCH RECONNAISSANCE PART QUATRE

 

Exploring Normandy

Still on Christmas Day, I decided to do some exploring. I made a thermos of tea, and hopped in the car.  I chose the town of Villequier  (the home of the Victor Hugo Museum) as my random destination. 

The Seine River

An tourist map of writers' homes

French Reconnaissance Part Trois

 

Exploring Veules-les-Roses

On December 24, I slept in. Big surprise. I made myself a lovely packaged coffee (brought from Cambodia - SUCH a brilliant idea), and nestled back into bed for a while. Then I set out to see if I could find some food, other than the rice crackers I had also transported from Cambodia. 

I very quickly discovered that the villages in Normandy all have specific market days. Market day in Veules-les-Roses is Wednesday, so I was in luck! I bought homemade gratin dauphinois (scalloped potatoes with cheese), award-winning cheese, a hat, another sweater, garlic, potatoes, and eggs, all from little stalls set up in the street. I bought milk and butter in a little corner store, and went into the bakery for bread. I found out that the bakery would be open on Christmas morning, and that they served coffee. I was set! I also visited my air bnb landlady who happens to work at the tourist office. She gave me SO much information (she's the one who told me about the market days). I stopped into another little cafe, and had a viennoise coffee (topped with whipped cream). 

I did a zentangle, and listened to the local people laughing and talking. 

Love this jacket! - Way too small for me, though. 

The building where my air bnb was. On the other side is the sea.

I often light a candle when I visit churches, for the people I have loved and lost. 

Veules-les-Roses is technically on the English Channel, on what is known as the Alabaster Coast. 

On Christmas morning, I slept in again. On my way downstairs, a sweet chunky little black cat stopped me for a big cuddle. I'm pretty sure my sweet Sammy had something to do with that. 

I walked to the patisserie, and had a cafe au lait and a pain au chocolat, and did another zentangle. 

The place was busy! I bought a baguette and went back to the apartment. I happened to check my email and discovered that my next air bnb had been cancelled. This was a bit upsetting. 

I bundled up in as many layers as possible, and headed off to the shore. It was very very cold.