Normandy

I’m a pretty lucky girl to have fallen into the hands of a host family who takes me to Normandy to a house on the beach for the week-end. It’s incredible to wake up in the morning, climb the stairs, make a pot of coffee and stare out at this stretch of steel blue and green, just past a little white gate.

To my left, you see the remains of part of the British debarquement – hard to believe that such a wild paradise was the site of such terrible carnage. I experienced the same sentiment when I visited the D-day beaches in high school. But if the forces of nature and time bring us a sense of distance, the memory is still very much alive, in the physical evidence and in the people who come to honor the brave men who came to liberate France. If the United States has a negative imagine in many parts of the world and in France, in Normandy, the image will always be positive. My host mother told me the United States (along with the U.K. and Canada) will always be considered the saviors. In a streak of national pride, I cannot say that my heart didn’t warm to hear those words.

A trio of riders on horsebacks just cantered by along the beach. We saw them yesterday as well It’s a pretty sight and it makes my heart ache. I have to try it someday!

Yesterday was Easter Sunday, so of course yesterday afternoon, la petite was rolling in chocolate. Here in France the tradition is similar to the United States. We have the Easter Bunny, they have the Clauche, who hides chocolate and eggs in the gardens of all the little boys and girls. It’s the same thing, though we have hidden baskets and as far as I know, that doesn’t happen here.

It was Elisa’s first Easter where she was old enough to understand what was going on, so of course the amount of chocolate that she found hidden in the garden was particularly astonishing – I wonder if she will receive as much in the years to come. Actually, I’m pretty sure she will. She quickly caught on to the concept of hunting for chocolate, and she wasn’t quite ready to believe that it was over when she had found all the chocolate there was.

What a little minx!

I may have received a visit from the Clauche as well. I’m still a child when it comes to chocolate, so I’m content. Today, though it's monday, was the big Easter luncheon... 

Speaking of food, yesterday morning we went to visit the port town of Bressin, which is really charming. There is an outdoor market and though it was cold and damp and Easter morning, there were plenty of people there. I love the smell of fresh fish and the commotion of vendors selling their wares. I passed several stands selling beautiful, high-quality striped marine sweaters and if there’s one thing I want to buy to take home with me, it’s one of those...

Following the market... I tasted oysters for the first and last time. Here in France, they’re served cold. In my opinion, the experience was similar to taking a gulp of fresh sea-water, followed by the sensation of cold slime sliding down one’s throat. But to each her own. I also tried – are you ready? – sea snails, and I will tell you that the experience is far superior.

Tonight we returned to Rennes, where I will spend two days studying, relaxing, and maybe working off a bit of all this feasting and chocolate, but more importantly,  getting ready to depart on the second leg of my vacation. I am headed to the Rhone Alps, to Grenoble, Annecy, and Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. This will be my first experience traveling solo.

I am nervous and excited and a little disappointed that I don't have a traveling companion. Initially, I tried to convince my friends to come to the Alps with me, but to no avail. I would have loved to share this experience with someone, but it wasn’t high enough on anyone’s priorities, and also a train ride to the Alps costs more than a plane to Barcelona.

And besides, what’s wrong with going alone?  I think it’s something important. Will I be lonely? Yes, maybe I will be. Will it be hard? It’s likely to be at times. Have I maybe taken too many days to travel? Yes, I worry about that, will I be bored? There are a lot of hours in the day. But I can also do what I want, when I want, on my own schedule. I can see a part of France that I’ve dreamed of seeing for months. So it's like that.