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Mont-St-Michel – The setting for Mont-St-Michel
couldn't be more spectacular - a medieval abbey rooted in a pile of rock,
soaring above the tides of the Bay of Mont-St.-Michel. In the 8th century,
the Archangel Michael appeared before the Bishop of Avranches, who founded
a monastery on the spot. The monastery became an abbey, and people were
so inspired, they just kept adding to it for eight hundred years. Mont-St-Michel
is magical. |
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Tip: In high season, go early in the morning, or late in the
afternoon, to avoid the crowds. |
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D-Day Beaches – You too can storm the beaches
where the Allies landed on June 6, 1944 with a staggering amount of men
and equipment. Today, these beaches are a quiet testament to the losses
of war, despite victory. |
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On the bluffs, you can see German gun emplacements, still
aimed across the Channel. There are a number of war museums in the area,
including the Musee du Debarquement in Arromanches and the Caen
Memorial, a museum for peace (Un Musee pour la Paix). Buy a self-guided
map to follow the sites and Battle of Normandy in detail. |
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Musee Memorial De La Bataille de Normandie, Bayeux – Commemorating another battle, in 1944, is the Battle of Normandy
Memorial Museum. Tanks out front and plenty of WWII weaponry inside. Across
the road from the museum is the British War Cemetery. |
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Bayeux Tapestry (Bayeux) – The Bayeux tapestry
(embroidery on linen) is like one big, beautifully executed comic strip,
with a great story line. See how Harold (contender for the English throne),
sets out for France, gets blown ashore, then gets taken prisoner. Harold
is ransomed to William, the Duke of Normandy. William takes Harold to his
castle, then promises him his daughter in marriage. William asks Harold
to help him fight his enemy Conan, the Duke of Brittany. They fight Conan
at Mont St. Michel, their horses sinking in the mud. William defeats Conan
and knights Harold, then Harold swears loyalty to William. Harold returns
to England, King Edward dies, and Harold is crowned King of England. William
gets wind of this, and gets his boats ready to invade England. William lands
and with his cavalry, heads for Hastings. Before the battle, William has
a big feast. The Normans on horseback advance into battle. They meet up
with Harold's army on foot. The battle is spectacular, guys wielding swords
and axes, other guys dropping like flies with arrows in their chests. Harold's
brothers die, Harold dies and William wins the Battle of Hastings and the
throne of England. The needlework is exquisite. |
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Rouen –
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 Rouen Cathedral (Cathedrale Notre Dame) – It's well worth a stop in Rouen to see the cathedral. This gorgeous Gothic cathedral might look familiar, Claude Monet painted bunches of paintings of the west facade at different times of day. (Don't miss the light show at night, images from Monet's paintings are projected onto the cathedral).
Inside the cathedral, look for the tomb of Richard the Lionheart (actually, it's just his heart that's buried here, Richard the Lionheart's body is buried at Fontevraud Abbey in the Loire). |
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Walk through the medieval town – Walk through pedestrian streets in Old Rouen (the half timbered houses have been beautifully restored), down rue du Gros Horloge. Check out the gilded Gros-Horloge clock, go behind the scenes to see the clock mechanism, and climb up the belfry tower for panoramic views. |
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Le Petit Train – If you have little kids, ride the "little train" through the old streets. Pick up the tram at the square in front of the Cathedral, the train makes a 45 minute loop, April to October. |
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Place du Vieux Marche – In the Place du Vieux Marche, a cross marks the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. For scenes of the life of Joan of Arc, visit the waxwork museum, Musee Jeanne d'Arc. |
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Monet's House and Garden (Giverny) –
Stand on the Japanese bridge overlooking the waterlily pond and kids can imagine
themselves into a Monet painting. Enjoy wandering through the weeping willows
around the water garden and among the exuberant flowers in the main garden.
Tip: Giverny is an easy day trip from Paris – just take the train. |
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Endearing
story of a girl who thinks Monet is the gardener. Anholt's illustrations
are seamlessly interwoven with Monet's paintings – you feel
as if you're in the water garden, "where lilies sparkle bright
as stars." (Picture book)
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Not
just about Claude Monet the painter, it's also about Impressionist
painting, what grows in the garden at
Giverny, a good picnic lunch of baquette, cheese, pate and apple
cider. (Picture book)
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As Claude
Monet paints water lilies at Giverny, a frog in the pond sees it all. A delightful book for toddlers. (Picture book)
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Little
ones can get their fingers all over this charming board book with
rhyming descriptions. "Cross a magical bridge to a place
beyond, where water lilies float on a purple pond." (Board
book)
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Before you visit
the D-day beaches, kids can read for themselves about the Allied
invasion – secret preparations and designing special landing
craft, first wave of paratroopers, bombers and battleships, landing
troops and tanks on the beaches, attacking the German defenses,
victory for the Allies and liberation of Normandy.
(Easy reader)
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In
the summer of 1944, a hundred girls left their orphanage near
Caen to escape the danger of the Allied invasion. Wearing red,
white and blue dresses and carrying white flags, they walked a
hundred and fifty miles to safety, passing German tanks in flames
and avoiding American bombers. An amazing story, illustrated with
heart-warming drawings by girls in the La Maison du Clos orphanage.
(Picture book)
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(More children's
books on other France pages) |
