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Writer's picturePaul Cotter

France #1: Epic Sights


Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey in Normandy, France.
Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey in Normandy

Bonjour, my friends. We’re back from our trip to the Normandy and Brittany regions of France. I’m happy to report that despite the weather (which was generally miserable with heavy downpours), the trip lived up to our high expectations.


View of Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey from Les Méandres
View of Mont-Saint-Michel from Les Méandres

As I mentioned prior to our departure, this trip had deep personal significance on three levels: photographic, historical and spiritual. Let’s start with the photographic piece, which is why I brought a 16-pound camera gear backpack and travel tripod with me.


Inside the Abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, France
Inside the Abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel

Inside the Abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, France
Inside the Abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel

Inside the Abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, France
Inside the Abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel

There was no shortage of unforgettable sights to capture, including fabulous medieval architecture, impressive natural wonders and picturesque old towns with cobblestone streets. To see them, Bonnie and I rented a car and drove hundreds of miles across the French countryside, listening to the soundtrack from Midnight in Paris and eating many crêpes and croissants along the way.


The city of Bayeux in Normandy, France
The city of Bayeux

We stayed in five different towns or cities, using each as a base of exploration for the nearby sights on our bucket list. The magnificent Abbey at Mont-Saint-Michel, which has roots dating back to 708 A.D., was high on that list. And a natural phenomenon I wanted to photograph was in Étretat, where three arches have been carved out of white cliffs by the sea.


Unfortunately, the sky had gradually turned into a sheet of pale overcast grey on the day we visited the cliffs – leaving not even a glimpse of the golden sunset I'd hoped to catch behind the Porte d'Aval arch. Oh well. As the French would say, "C'est la vie." We enjoyed the view and we got plenty of exercise hiking to the top of the cliffs. (For a sense of scale, check out the tiny people on top of the cliffs in the photo below.)


The cliffs of Étretat in Normandy, France
The Porte d'Aval arch and L'Aiguille (The Needle) at the cliffs of Étretat

The cliffs of Étretat in Normandy, France
A bird takes flight at the cliffs of Étretat

One final note for this initial post about our trip: This journey was carefully planned to take in the major things we wanted to see and do. But as so often happens, some of the most memorable experiences weren't planned at all.


For example, we stayed three nights in the city of Honfleur. This spot was intended to be our jumping-off point to visit the cliffs of Étretat and another place that had special meaning for us.


But as it turns out, Honfleur itself was one of the most delightful parts of our adventure. Bonnie and I fell in love with the old city, which was flourishing by the middle of the 12th century. We loved strolling its narrow, winding streets and having breakfast in places along the harbor.


One morning, I got up before dawn to take pictures of the city in the peaceful quiet hours before it came to life. That, as the French say, was "une expérience extraordinaire."


Sunrise at the harbor in Honfleur, France
Sunrise at the harbor in Honfleur
At the harbor in Honfleur, France
Evening at the Honfleur harbor

That's a small sampling of the sights we saw in Normandy and Brittany. Stay tuned for posts featuring other perspectives of the trip in the coming weeks. Au revoir till then, my friends.





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