Normandy - (Fall 2025) - Day 1
Morning in Paris before departure
Aux Delices du Moulin
We stopped by this bakery by the hotel before heading out for the train station.
Train Station - Gare Saint-Lazare
We walked down to the train station with enough time to wander around the shops and grab a baguette sandwich.
We had assumed that off-season travel was going to be less crowded and were wondering why the trains were packed with locals.
Apparently we were travelling during a 2 week school break so all of the families with kids were off to see their relatives in Normandy.
Bayeux
There are several places to use as a base for exploring Normandy and the D-Day beaches but this is probably the best option. It was the first town liberated by the British after D-Day so it did not get bombed out and the historic feel of a small French village stayed intact. The town itself dates back a couple thousand years and offers a great mix of a traditional small town while still providing the services, restaurants, bars, etc that you would want as a tourist staying for a week like we did.
There is a small river in the middle of town where the original settlement originated and there are historical markers along a walking path explaining some of the history.
The town is most famous for the Bayeux tapestry, a thousand year old tapestry that tells the story of William the Conqueror and has its own museum. So lucky for us that it literally got moved a month before we arrived. It is going to be displayed in London for a few years while the museum is being renovated.
Bayeux Cathedral
The cathedral in town dominates the skyline as there are no other tall buildings in town. The tapestry was housed here for a time.
Cave Cidricole Lecornu
One of the things that Normandy is famous for is Calvados which is basically apple brandy. This shop has a small tasting room where you can sample their calvados and also their cider. The family has their own orchard and makes their own brandy.
They provide an informative booklet that you can read while you do the tasting. They explain how the apples are different for cider and it is best to get the ones that have already fallen on the ground to convert into liquor. They have a small cave in the building as well where they are aging some barrels.
Museum of the Battle of Normandy
One of the many WWII museums we would visit on this trip. They all tell the story of the battles in slightly different ways with emphasis on varying topics. In this one you learn that the battle for Normandy went far beyond D-Day. The fight to exit the Cotentin Peninsula and break out of Normandy was quite a brutal slog after D-Day because of the geography of hedgerows and farms that made it easier for Germans to defend.
Walking Around Town
Bayeux has a long street down the middle of town lined with shops and restaurants
On one end the street converts into a pedestrian walkway
We could not check into the hotel until the afternoon so we had some time to kill walking around town. I saw a shop with these little chocolate pigs and gave it a try. I guess Bayeux is also famous for a breed of pigs.
La Gitane
This tabac is situated on the eastern end of the walking street through the middle of town. There is a little tabac shop on one side and the bar is on the other side. It styles itself as an Irish bar and I do think there was Guinness on draft. The best thing about Irish bars are that they are pretty much always open when other bars are closed.
This one was decently cozy with cafe style seating outside. It was a bit pricey compared to the other bars in town and also they were a cash only establishment.
Le Gyros
Very conveniently located next to La Gitane was my go to post-drinking snack in France. A kebab always hits the spot. We need more of these things next to bars in the US.