My parents have rented a cottage just outside of Vire for the summer and my son and I will be visiting in July. We will spend some time in Paris then head north and use their place as a base. The beaches of the DDay invasion and the Bayeux tapestry are on our to do list but I’d appreciate input from others. We also intend to get rail passes and do a whirlwind of Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg. We’ll be there for two weeks. Any tips or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Along with the beaches, please visit the Ranger memorial at Normandy. The cliff it is on is in danger of collapsing and you should see it before it disappears.
Definitely see Mont Saint Michel. It’s a medieval abbey that is cut off from the mainland during high tide. I went there when I was in seventh grade, and I was thoroughly enchanted-- it’s one of my favorite travel memories ever.
Don’t know how old your son is, but as well as the beaches, go and see the war graves, of all nations. The countless thousands of headstones will not fail to help him communicate to his generation the unimaginable sacrifice our ancestors made for our, and others’, future.
On a lighter note Lisieux is a nice town - go and see St. Therese’s arm (appealed to my 14-year-old gruesome nature when I was there). Deauville and Trouville are very interesting too.
Try Pont l’Eveque cheese and calvados.
There is a memorial to the Canadians who died on the beaches of Normandy. Take him there, to let him know there were more than just Americans fighting for freedom and against fascism.
The town of Arromanches is smack in the middle of the D-Day Beaches. It’s very picturesque on its own, but standing on the quay will give you and your son an amazing view of the Mulberry Harbors. This is also the only place I’ve ever seen the Northern Lights. (In May, 1981.)
The Ranger Monument is a must, and I also recommend St. Mere Église. It’s not only a beautiful, historic building, but it was on this steeple that the US paratrooper was caught on on D-Day. (Red Buttons played him in the movie, The Longest Day.)
Bonne voyage! I’m envious!
The walled city of Saint-Malo.
And DEFINITELY Mont St. Michel.
Yet another vote for Mont St. Michel. When I was there, we stayed in a hotel inside the castle walls. Beautiful place.
Ditto Mt. St-Michel. I was there at age five or so – enchanting medieval village, plus unusual tidal effects (go walk out on the sand flats at the appropriate hour.)
Merci Beaucoup everybody. Mt. St. Michel looked very familiar to me, I must have seen it on Discovery or somewhere but I had no idea it was in our neck of the woods. My son is 15 so he still has that little boy fascination with the macabre which makes going to see a severed arm “sweet” but he is also gaining a maturity that will enable him to differentiate and feel proper reverance for the graves of the war dead. It’s gonna be one sweet time. Thanks again.