Blogs from Connelles, Upper Normandy, France, Europe

We have another 500km ahead of us today but pretty much highway driving all the way although we do want to try and make two stops on the way. We had seen a TV news item when Prince Harry had visited Thiepval Memorial on the Somme to commemorate 100 years since the battle and we would like to see it as the structure is huge and has the names of all the missing/dead Allied soldiers whose bodies were never found. The memorial is not far off the route we need to take to our destination at Connolles, France. Because we are old fans of the TV series ‘Allo Allo’we also want to have a look at the French town of Nouvion that it was based upon. Not that we really expect that it will look anything ... read more

Day 13 - Nothing is open on Sunday In France, Sunday is a day to spend with your family. This is not compatible with our tourist schedules. Time to kick back, eat some freshly delivered croissants, watch the rain, take a walk by the river, go to the pool, and attempt to find an open restaurant or grocery store. That's pretty much what we did today. The resort has bread delivered each morning at 8AM. Orders have to be in by 7:30 the night before. We ordered 6 croissants (hey, they could have been small) and a baguette, all quite tasty. Michelle and Tony gobbled theirs up but Anne saved her second croissant for an afternoon snack. After breakfast we all went for a walk around the grounds. There is a small island across the bridge ... read more

Next door to our time-share is a highly rated, gourmet restaurant in a country hotel. Last night we celebrated our trip and my birthday with a special night out. The restaurant-hotel is set in a restored 1600's mill over the Seine River. It is considered one of the true treats of France. We began with a walk beside the Seine River on a clear evening with stars and a bright moon. We were greeted by Pierre and seated in easy chairs in front of the fireplace for our appertifs. I ordered a kir royale and Gary had a martini; they were delivered with a tray of cheese puff-pastry. After deciding on our dinner choice, we were shown to our table in the dining room. This room seats 20 to 30 people and is decorated with crystal ... read more

With a husband who loves WWII history, of course our trip has had several visits to World War II locations. One of our first days in Europe was to visit the Anne Frank House. While in Berlin we spent time at the Reichstadt, Brandenburg Gate, Check-point Charlie, and the many memorials. Later we visited Terezin in Czech Republic and the Jewish Ghetto. Of course while we were in the Munich area, we spent time at Dachau. Later that week we were in southern Bavaria and saw Eagle's Nest (Hitler's country getaway and the documentation center at Ober-Salzburg. A week or so later we were in south Belgium and stayed in Bastogne, learning more about the Battle of the Bulge. This Monday was spent at the Beach (D-Day Beaches to be exact). We headed out to the ... read more