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Normandy

The fact that Claude Monet painted some of his pictures in Normandy can only mean one thing: The nature there is beautiful! If not even more beautiful. Because the impressive panorama of white chalk cliffs, the turquoise waters of the Atlantic and vast green meadows is even more beautiful in reality than in any picture or photo...

14/05/2022

dear(travel)diary,

as my mother turned 60 this year, she wanted to do something special for her birthday. So we planned a family vacation together. Originally, we wanted to fly to Rome. But then my brother suddenly suggested we go to Normandy. He didn't even need to ask me, I was immediately on board. After all, I'd had some well-known places in Normandy on my travel bucket list for a while. And so it was that we all went to a beautiful vacation home near Étretat together. None of us were disappointed. On the contrary! My mother was even very surprised at how beautiful Normandy is. One thing is certain for all of us: this was probably not the last time we went to Normandy!

xx Chiara

Overview:


WHAT TO see & dISCOVER

  1. Chalk cliffs in Étretat
  2. Mont St. Michel
  3. Rouen
  4. Yport
  5. Jardins d'Étretat
  6. Deauville
  7. D-Day beaches (Omaha & Utah) and American cemetery
  8. La Hague & the surrounding area
  9. Îles Chausey
  10. Dieppe & Varengeville-sur-Mer
  11. Le Havre
  12. Trouville-sur-Mer
  13. Veules-les-Roses
  14. Petites Dalles & Château de Sissi
  15. Fécamp
  16. Honfleur
  17. Roche d'Oëtre
  18. Caen


WHERE TO EAT

Overall, we ate very well. Contrary to what the Parisians in “Emily in Paris” always say, Norman cuisine is very good. So you certainly can't go far wrong. Nevertheless, I would like to recommend three restaurants in particular:

Le Square (Deauville): This restaurant was my favorite of all, as every meal there was just so delicious. The most delicious dish, however, was the camembert. We could have all tucked into it!

Le Puits Fleuri (Vattetot-sur-Mer near Étretat): We went to this restaurant for mom's birthday and the food was very good! The only drawback: it's not for vegetarians. This wasn't ideal for me as I had to make an exception to my usual vegetarian diet. But it was worth it. The products all come from the region and the meat and fish are farmed with care, so I could eat it with a reasonably clear conscience.

Le Comptoir Henri IV wine bar (Rouen): In Rouen, we had a good time in the evening in a wine bar with cheese platters. All the cheeses were convincing and the wine was also delicious.


ACCOMMODATION

We stayed in a beautiful Airbnb in Vattetot-sur-Mer and we all agreed that it was one of the best accommodations we've had so far. The house was large and had a lot of charm. We also had a huge garden with a pond and a herb garden to ourselves. There was a conservatory, a fireplace, a well-equipped eat-in kitchen and a bathroom with a bathtub on each floor. We liked it so much that we would have liked to book the accommodation for next year straight away. As we were in Normandy as a family, the accommodation is logically more suitable for a group than for solo travelers or couples.


CostS

  • Airbnb for 5 nights (beds for up to 6 guests): 940€
  • Total fuel costs: 180€
  • Food costs: approx. 120€ pp.
  • Entrance fee Mont St. Michel: 11€ p.p.
  • Entrance fee Jardins d'Etretat: 12€ p.p.



I have put together a list of all the places on Google Maps.

You can find the list here.


From the community for the community

Tips from the community

Do you have a tip for Normandy? Or a suggestion for the blog? Or would you like more information about the region?

Then write me!