The Eastern coastline is known as the Alabaster Coast due to its striking chalk cliffs, higher then 100 meters in places, and extends from Le Treport to Le Havre. Many artists have painted this part of the Normandy coast; the unusual formation, known as the Elephant's Trunk at Etretat, is known the world over due to Monet's paintings of it. Nearby, Fecamp is renowned not only for its cliffs but also the Benedictine Monastery that produces the drink of the same name (tours available). At the mouth of the Seine is Le Havre, a busy port that houses a great modern museum, Musee Malraux. On the opposite side of the Seine Estuary is the lovely old fishing port of Honfleur with its tall houses. From Honfleur on 15 March, 1603, Samuel de Champlain his first expedition to Canada to “see the country, and what the colonizers might accomplish there.” Thus began the colonization of Canada by the French.

From the mouth of the Seine westwards to the Orne is the Floral Coast. Here are the famous beaches and resorts such as Trouville and fashionable Deuville famed for its Casino, Horse Racing, and the American Film Festival. These are the seaside resorts that are sometimes called the 21st arrondissement of Paris being only about 2hrs from Paris. A lovely resort is Cabourg where Proust would stay at the Grand Hotel, still with its authentic Belle Epoque ambience. His novel ‘Within a Budding Grove’ (part of the cycle ‘Remembrance of Things Past’) is a vivid portrayal of life at a seaside resort at the turn if the 20th century and of the customs of Cabourg, called ‘Balbec’ in the novel.

The West coast of the Cotentin Peninsula, the piece of land that juts out into the sea, is sheltered from the east and north winds and benefits from the warm currents of the Gulf Stream. It ends in the surreal, never-to-be-forgotten vista of Mont.St-Michel emerging out of the sea and mist - (a World Heritage Site).

Back east, just to the north of the Seine River, is the capital of Normandy, the 2000 year-old city of Rouen with its gothic churches and cathedral immortalized by Monet, who painted it at different times of day and in different lights. The many beautiful half-timbered houses characteristic of Norman architecture still stand in Rouen’s picturesque old quarter. It was here that Joan of Arc was convicted of heresy by the French clergy and burnt at the stake in 1431.

Following the Seine to Paris is Les Andelys dominated by the Chateau Gaillard built in 1196 by Richard Lionheart, King of England and Duke of Normandy, to keep the King of France from reaching Rouen. By 1203 when Richard I was succeeded by King John, after a fierce siege, the castle was taken and Rouen fell to the French king.

South-east of Rouen, is the pretty village of Lyon-le-Foret in the Foret de Lyons, the favorite hunting ground of the Dukes of Normandy and the largest beechwood in Europe. The village is located around the remains of the castle where Henry the first of England died. Maurice Ravel wrote some of his finest music in ‘Le Fresne’, one of the old mansions you can visit. Other designated beautiful and historic villages in Normandy are Barfleur, Beuvron en Auge, Saint Ceneri Le Gerei, Gerberoy, Argentan, Domfront, Granville, Eu, Forges-les-Eaux, Pont-Audemer and more.

The landing operation began during the night of the 5th to the 6th of June 1944 when three airborne divisions were dropped on either flank of the front. The paratroops' mission was to capture certain key points: the Merville Battery, the bridge over the Caen canal, roads, locks. A little later, several hundred Rangers managed to capture the fortified position at the Pointe du Hoc, after a particular daring assault. Meanwhile, between 06.30 and 07.30 hours, 135.000 men and roughly 20.000 vehicles were brought in the sea on five landing beaches as planned.

Although the objectives fixed for the evening of D-Day (Caen, Bayeux, Isigny, Carentan), were not achieved, overall the operation was a success. Except at Omaha Beach (Colleville-Saint-Laurent-Vierville) where despite a show of extraordinary courage from the Americans the beachhead for long hung in the balance, casualties were lighter than expected. If then remained to link up the five assaults beaches and face the German counter-attack.

American Cemetery
This cemetery, 172.5 acres in extent, is one of fourteen permanent American World War II cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. The government of France in perpetuity without charge or taxation granted free use as a permanent burial ground.General Layout. The cemetery is rectangular in shape. Its main paths are laid out in the form of a Latin cross.Inside, beyond the Visitors' Building, filling most of the eastern end of the cemetery is a beautiful semicircular memorial with a memorial garden and Tablets of the Missing to its rear. Facing west, the memorial overlooks a large reflecting pool, two flagpoles, from which the American flag flies daily, the graves areas and the chapel.The memorial consists of a semi-circular colonnade with a loggia housing battle maps at each end and its arc forms a large bronze sculpture in the open. The loggias and colonnade are of a limestone from the Côte d'Or region of France, the plinths and steps are of granite from Brittany. Centred in the open arc of the memorial facing toward the graves is a 22-foot bronze statue, "The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves". Inset in the floor directly behind the statue are two curved garden plots. On the interior walls of the loggias are maps engraved in stone and embellished with colored enamels. These maps are entitled: "The Landings on the Normandy Beaches and the Development of the Beachhead", "Air Operations over Normandy March-August 1944","6 June 1944 the Amphibious Assault Landings", and "Military Operations in Western Europe, 6 June 1944 - 8 May 1945". Inset in a rectangular aperture in the east and west walls of each loggias is a large bronze urn on which are sculptured two different scenes in high relief. While the scenes are the same in both loggias, their emplacement is such that the scenes facing into the loggias are different.The chapel in the graves area is constructed of Vaurion limestone. On entering the chapel, one's attention is drawn immediately to the altar of black and gold Pyrenees Grand Antique marble and the inscription I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH, engraved across its front. Behind the altar, a tall window with a translucent amber coating illuminates is with a soft yellow light.The colorful mosaic ceiling symbolizes America blessing their sons as they depart by sea and air to fight for freedom, and a grateful France bestowing a laurel wreath upon American Dead who gave their lives to liberate Europe's oppressed people.The Garden of the Missing is located behind the memorial structure. Its semi-circular wall contains the names and particulars engraved on stone tables of the 1,557 Missing in the region who gave their lives in the service or positively identified. An asterisk identified those subsequently recovered or identified. Included among these are twin brothers. They came from 49 of the 50 States of the Union, the District of Columbia and Guam. The tablets are separated on the wall by large sculptured laurel leaves.The graves area contains ten grave plots, five on each side of the main mall. Interred within them are the remains of 9,386 servicemen and women. Three hundred and seven of which are Unknowns (whose remain could not be identified), three Medal of Honor recipients, and four women .A Star of David marks the grave of those of the Jewish faith, a Latin cross all others. The precisely aligned headstones against the immaculately maintained emerald green lawn convey an unforgettable feeling of peace and serenity.The plantings. The cemetery is surrounded on the east, south and west by heavy masses of Austrian pine, interplant with Laurel, Cypress and Holly oak. The lawn areas of the Garden of the Missing are bordered with beds of polyantha roses, while European ash trees grow in the lawn areas.

Construction of the cemetery and memorial was completed in 1956 and the dedication ceremony was held on July 18, that same year.

After joining up the five beaches and establishing a firm bridgehead covering 50 miles along the Channel coastline, the Allies proceeded to implement their plan. Whilst the British brought pressure to bear in the Caen direction, drawing the German tank divisions around the regional capital, the Americans broke out from Utah towards Barnebille to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula.

The Battle of Normandy
Following the capture of the major continental port of Cherbourg in late June, they attempted to break through the German defenses southwards whilst at the other end of the front the British made efforts to clear the Caen sector. The second fortnight in July saw three great successes: the liberation of Caen, the capture of Saint-Lo and the breakthrough southwards towards Granville and Avranches.fter a fruitless attempt at cutting off a section of Patton's army in the Mortain counter-attack, the Germans, whose resistance was weakening, began their withdrawal to the Seine. However, in a great two-pronged attack by the British, Canadians and Poles in the north and the Americans and Leclerc's French coming from Alencon in the south, part of two German armies were trapped in the Falaise-Chambois pocket (the "Corridor of Death" at Monttormel).This brought the battle of Normandy to a close, at Tournai-sur-Dives on 21st August 1944. The Allies had pulled off their first victory on the continent. Three days later, they crossed the Seine and entered Paris.

In 1066 William the Conqueror invaded England from Normandy. This momentous time was commemorated by perhaps the most famous artifact that has come down to us from medieval times. The Tapestry is actually embroidery in wool on a background of linen 230 feet long and 20 inches high. It is a pictorial account of the events leading up to the military invasion of England, the battle of Hastings, the death of King Harold, and the crowning of William in Westminster Abbey. A unique witness to life in the world of the 11th century. It was accomplished on the orders of Odo, the Bishop of Bayeux, William’s half-brother, to be unfurled to celebrate the rebuilding and dedication of the cathedral of Bayeux in July 14, 1077. The work was probably accomplished by a group of women in Canterbury, England. The towers and crypt from Bishop Odo’s cathedral remain in the gothic Cathedral Notre-Dame that stands on its site. Bayeux was the first town in France to be liberated by the Allies in 1944.

Beyond the Orne are the Landing Beaches of World War II, the ‘Mother-of-Pearl’ coast and the Cotentin peninsula. Allied forces landed on the coast of Calvados and Manche, D-Day, 6 June 1944. Just to the south of the Beaches is Caen, which was destroyed in the 2nd World War. A memorial was erected by the city at the center of the Battle of Normandy, which took place in 1944, and takes the form of a Museum for Peace. Caen was the favorite city of William the Conqueror and still standing is the imposing citadel he built on the mount inside whose walls are the Musee des Beaux-Arts, which has a pleasant café situated in the precinct of the Castle, and the Musee de Normandie. Caen is also worth visiting for the two great 11th century abbey churches built by William the Conqueror and his queen, Matilda.

Cream, camembert cheese, and apples, from which cider and calvados are produced, are the main specialties of Normandy. Seafood is abundant and specialties include ‘matelote a la normande’, a creamy fish bouillabaisse, and ‘sole a la normande’ (sole with shrimps). Apples are the base for the famous ‘tarte normande’ – try it with a little flambeed Calvados and fresh cream. There are many pork dishes such as ‘pork in cider’ and ‘charcuteries’ as pigs are traditionally fed on apples and dairy produce. Chicken in a cream sauce, ‘Poulet Vallee d’Auge’, can be found everywhere. Near Mont St. Michel sheep are reared on the salt plains, and the lamb on the menu in restaurants will often include the term “Pre Sale” which gives it a delicate extra taste. A famous Norman dish is ‘tripes a la mode de Caen’ (which may not be to everyone’s taste). Rouen, the gastronomic capital of Normandy, is celebrated for its duck dishes typically ‘canard a la rouennaise’ (stuffed duck in red wine).

Hi Larry,

I wanted to take a moment to provide you with some feedback on our trip to France. First of all...thank you! Your recommendations and guidance was invaluable!!

Chateaux de Thillaye: This was absolutely incredible!!!! It was way beyond our expectations and we did not want to leave. Roxanne and Patrick were wonderful . I cannot say enough about this chateau and its owners. Would highly recommend this to anyone and would return repeatedly. My only regret was we arrived Normandy much later than we had wanted and were not able to see as much as we would have liked.

I can't wait to return to France!! My family and I had an incredible experience.

Again, thank you!!

JS