France: Normandy & Paris

Ten days came and went in a flash, and we all had a great time. Starting with our French railway adventures getting to Bayeux (travel note…Birkenstocks are not recommended when sprinting through a European Train station). What should have been a 1:30 p.m. arrival turned into a 4:30 p.m. arrival, which was made even more enjoyable due to our lack of sleep but
we finally arrived at our destination.
As we meandered through the cobblestoned streets of Bayeux it finally felt like we could breathe. We arrived at our 15th century Airbnb, with a skeleton key and a stone spiral staircase and made ourselves at home for the next 4 days. We put away our suitcases and headed to the center of town. Bonjour Bayeux!
Our time in the Normandy region was spent exploring the area by foot, car and two tours.

it was educational, fun, and filled with both laughs and tears from the humbling battlefields of Utah Beach, & (Pointe du Hoc & Omaha) to the overwhelming feeling at both the German and US Cemeteries. We enjoyed the beauty of the countryside, the grandeur of Deauville and the majesty of Mont St. Michel. We did all of this with a lot of smiles and laughs about killing spiders in the shower and morning pastry runs.
We really enjoyed the French countryside and when we headed back to Paris the following Tuesday, Bayeux had left a lasting impression. The rolling hills, beautiful towns and gorgeous seaside of Normandy were quickly replaced with the hustle and bustle of Paris. As we pulled into Saint Lazare train station, it was in the middle of a European heatwave. Though September, temperatures were in the 90’s (35 degrees Celsius) but we welcomed this over rain.
After a very crazy taxi ride, we were greeted by Stefan at our Airbnb on the Champs Elysee. Going to the 7th floor and walking into an air-conditioned and very beautiful Airbnb, we felt like we had died and gone to heaven. From our living room we could see the famous Champs Elysee, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc De Triomphe. Our Paris adventure had begun.
We spent the next few days sweating through the streets of Paris, the Gardens of Monet, the halls of Versailles, the soccer stadium at St. Germaine and cruising along the Seine.
We discovered the “Wallace Water Fountain,” some of the CLEANEST drinking water in Paris and frequently used it!
Along the way, laughs were had, memories were made and croissants were enjoyed. When Matt ordered “Guinea” a type of Parisian fowl dish, Jack actually thought that he was eating a Guinea Pig. It was too perfect not to then call Jack “Guinea Pig” for the remainder of the trip. Of course Matt and Lauren had already earned nicknames of their own, Matt was “Tyrone” and Lauren was referred to as “Dusty Peloton.” They say “time flies when you’re having fun!” Time flew.
Sunday September 10 came and as we boarded Delta Flight 225 to head home we did so with grateful hearts and fond memories. France will always have a piece of our hearts!Les mer