From Giverny to D-Day

a 5-day discovery of the astonishing Normandy

During 5 full days, you will discover end enjoy the multi-facetted jewel named Normandy. Land of Impressionist painters from the Channel coast with their impressive clay cliffs, and the banks of the Seine to the Monet's private gardens in Giverny.

D-Day will be one of the highlights of your tour: our guide born in Normandy will make you discover what they have learned from their grand-parents and parents who had lived D-Days as they were adults and young.

The « Wonder of the Western World » forms a tower in the heart of an immense bay invaded by the highest tides in Europe.  This is the Mont Saint Michel: UNESCO has classed the Mont Saint-Michel as a world heritage in 1979 and this mecca of tourism welcomes more than 2,5 millions visitors a year. 

Famous for its dairy products, like butter, milk, cream and cheese, the region is also world wide renowned for its apples. Most restaurants in Normandy will use locally sourced products and some producers are delighted to welcome visitors. Normandy is haute-cuisine heaven for food lovers and visitors seeking authentic culinary experiences.

Monday: From Giverny to Honfleur

• Paris to Vernon (Giverrny) by Train

• Visit of Giverny and Monet's gardens

• Lunch in Giverny

Giverny and Monet's gardens

Welcome to the world of the painter and gardener Claude Monet.

For over 40 years, until his death in 1926 , Giverny was his home , his site of creation and his masterpiece .

A world of senses, of colors and of memories, the house in which the artist and his family lived notably contains his studio-sitting room and his exceptional collection of Japanese prints.

The gardens are composed of the Clos Normand, with its flowerbeds, and the Water Garden, planted with oriental vegetation and weeping willows, its Japanese bridge painted green and its waterlilies. (C) Fondation Claude Monet.

Lunch in Giverny

Lunch in a typical "auberge" in Giverny

(restaurant may vary depending on season)

On the cliffs of Etretat

The cliffs steal the show at Etretat, thanks to their exceptional natural drama and aided by the fact that famous Impressionists painted them so memorably. Erosion has created extraordinary arches in the chalk either side of the resort. There’s also an amazing needle-like structure, known in French as an Aiguille.

There is more to Etretat than the cliff formations and the thick pebble beach, though. The small resort behind is full of charm. Along with some extravagant hotels, the remarkable wooden covered market stands out. Le Clos Lupin, a typical old villa in town, conceals mysteries for visitors, while the churches around Etretat stand out more prominently.

Back with the cliffs, you can go for some stunning walks along the cliff tops, where further surprises await, including a breath-taking golf course. Return to the famous cliff formations on the beach at night and you can see them magically lit up.

Setting up at your hotel " Le Manoir des Impressionnistes "

The "Manoir des Impressionnistes", a XVIIIth century Norman manor; is tucked into a wooded hillside overlooking the Seine estuary, just outside the old port of Honfleur. The manor proposes ten charming bedrooms, each individually decorated. The restaurant faces the sea and its spectacular sunsets.

After a long day of touring among the magnificent gardens and sightseeings of the "Côte d'Albatre"  (Alabaster Coast), you will have timeto set up and rest before going to Dinner. Enjoy the tranquility, peace and privacy of our spa located in the former farm of the Manor.

A warm family welcome awaits you.

Dinner in the old city of Honfleur

In this small street in the center of Honfleur, close to the Vieux Bassin, the gourmet restaurant “La Fleur de Sel” welcomes you in a warm interior. In the bright room, photo montages of dishes on the walls make your mouth water. The cook is a young man who awakens the recipes of Norman grannies with unprecedented and successful associations, who draws with full hands from the local soil but has the know-how and the style to reinvent the bases.

Tuesday: "Bocage" is Normandy

• Visit the city and the Harbor of Honfleur

• Lunch in the Norman Bocage

Visit the city and the Harbor of Honfleur

Honfleur looks so utterly enchanting, it is hard to remember that it was built essentially for commerce. Its harbor sits in a great location, tucked away on the southern side of the Seine’s estuary. During the Hundred Years War, the French king had this strategic spot fortified, but that didn’t stop the English taking over for several decades.

Through the Ancien Régime, Honfleur’s shipowners made fortunes from trade, notably with North America. Samuel de Champlain, one of the most famous explorers associated with the port, headed off to found the Canadian city of Quebec. Lucrative lines for the Honfleur shipping magnates included not just cod-fishing off Newfoundland, but also the triangular slave trade.

Honfleur’s beauty has long attracted artists, with works to be seen both in the town museums and in the modern galleries that abound. As Honfleur is so clearly dedicated to tourism today, you can choose from an exceptionally enticing selection of shops around town.

Lunch in the Norman Bocage

You will have lunch in an authentic farmhouse of the Normandy bocage ... Ideally located between Honfleur and Deauville, Beaumont-en-Auge is a charming small Norman village in the heart of the Pays d'Auge. It is here that the Auberge de L'Abbaye welcomes you. A selected stopover for gourmands who will appreciate the dishes just as much as the cachet of the building and the cozy atmosphere of the room. "terroir and tradition- Focusing on local products, perfectly mastered, generous and tasty, the cuisine pays tribute to tradition and the region and is in every respect in harmony with the place. Every Thursday, new suggestions renew the menu. To accompany properly your dishes, you can count on a well thought out wine list.

Visit of a dairy factory in the Norman bocage

Away from the mass production, there are still here and there some Norman cheese producers (Camembert, Pont L'Evêque, Livarot, etc.) who make their cheeses from raw milk produced in their very close neighborhood. These producers choose their milk according to the pastures where cows graze ...herds that you will not fail to notice in the landscape of the Norman bocage.

Consider yourself privileged, this form of craftsmanship is increasingly rare, even if paradoxically it is actively sought by the consumer and the connoisseur.

Visit of a distillery

If the apple has the History that we know (...), the cider seems to be known notably by the Greeks and the Hebrews since the earliest antiquity. When did the cider become Norman ? Even in the scriptures of the Roman Gaul time, the numerous apple trees growing in Normandy are mentioned, as well as a beverage made of coocked apples. The knowledge and the use of the brandy dates back to very  ancient  times : it seems to have been created by the Arabians, and was brought in Europa thanks to the invasions they led towards Poitiers during the VIII th century. It was mostly produced from wine at the beginning, and became cider brandy as the Norman reduced the winegrowing at the end of the Middle Age. First "official recognizing" in 1553, a treatise about the distillation of the ciders brandies not yet called Calvados, written by Lord of Gouberville, a gentleman living in the Cotentin. The Story (or the legend ?) mentions the wreck of a vessel called El Savador which was part of the Invincible Armada. The place where the wreck took place was called with the vessel's name, which became El Calvador and at last "le Calvados". This name was given to the department for its creation in 1790.

To share the secrets of our history and those of the elaboration of our Calvados AOC Pays d'Auge, our house invites you to a unique journey. Discover the Calvados universe, the expertise and passion of the men dedicating their know-how to our elixirs since 1825. You will complete your knowlegde of our heritage with a tasting experience : choose one of our Calvados and let it reveal its complex aromas and rich flavours.

Dinner in Honfleur

To enjoy an oyster tartare or a very fresh fish cooked with care, this old fisherman's house on the port (15th-17th century) is the ideal place. The decor combines rustic spirit and elegance, and one appreciates the terrace on sunny days ...

Wednesday: D-Day (1) and Bayeux

• Pointe du Hoc

• Museum of Bayeux (Tapestry)

• Dinner in Bayeux

WW2 US airborne museum and St Mère Eglise and surroundings

Your guide will bring you to several places in and around St Mère Eglise after a visit to to the US airborne museum. You will go to the original sites along with copies of pictures taken in june 1944. You will have the opportunity to.....You will discover among other sites:

Utah Beach: Utah Beach is one of the two American landing zones in Normandy. This beach was created by British general Bernard Montgomery who wished to establish a beachhead directly in the Cotentin peninsula in order to capture Cherbourg faster, because of its deep water harbor and its major logistic importance.

Amfreville: It was here along the banks of the Merderet River during the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, that the troops of the United States Army's 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment landed by parachute to begin their part in returning France to the French people.

Chef du pont: The bridge at Chef du Pont was the second bridge that had to be taken and held by the American 82nd Airborne Division. The aim was firstly to take the bridge intact and stop the Germans bringing up reinforcements from Picauville where they had a large garrison.

Ste Marie du Mont: as depicted in the television series Band of Brothers, was the first village to be liberated in Normandy during the D-Day invasion in 1944. Situated between Utah Beach and Carentan, this village was occupied by German forces who were manning various gun batteries in the surrounding areas as well as the bunkers on Utah Beach. During the early hours of June 6th, American paratroopers dropped in behind enemy lines in and around the village, with the objective of securing key targets prior to the allied beach landings. Although elements of the 501st and 506th Airborne were scattered all over the area after the parachute drop, General Taylor regrouped the men and took the Germans by surprise. The village was under allied control in the later that afternoon.

Lunch in Grandcamp Maisy

A little restaurant on the seaside between Utah Beach and Pointe du Hoc

Pointe du Hoc

Located between Omaha Beach and Utah Beach, Pointe du Hoc is one of the key heritage sites along the D-Day Landing beaches in Normandy. Pointe du Hoc, a strategic element of the Atlantic Wall, was stormed by Colonel Rudder's Rangers on the morning of the 6th of June 1944 - D-Day. it proved to be one of the toughest battles to be fought during the Normandy Landings: of the 225 Rangers that began the assault, only 90 were still fit to continue their fight for France's Liberation. The scars of the battle can still be seen to this very day. During your visit, you will discover an artillery battery, complete with its firing command post, casemates, shelters...

The Tapestry of Bayeux

The Bayeux Tapestry gives information of a historical nature that no other source has provided. It begins with the description of Harold's eventful journey to Normandy (landing in Ponthieu, meeting with the Duke William, expedition in Brittany and oath on the sacred relics of Bayeux). It then depicts Harold's return to England and his coronation after the death of King Edward the Confessor. Finally it describes the preparation for William's expedition, the crossing of the Channel, and the Battle of Hastings.

The story, as described in the Bayeux Tapestry is broadly in keeping with the account made by authors of the 11th century : William of Jumièges, William of Poitiers and Orderic Vitalis. William Caillou, a monk at the abbey of Jumièges, wrote in 1060-1070 a history of the Dukes of Normandy, which ends with an account of the conquest of England. William of Poitiers, one of the Duke's knights, who then became his chaplain, wrote around 1070-1075 a biography of William, which ends just after the conquest. As for Orderic Vitalis, he was born in England in 1075, of an English mother and a French father who fought in Hastings. He arrived in Normandy in 1085, became a onk at the monastery of Saint-Evroult (Orne) and spent much of his life compiling a voluminous History of the Normans, an important part of which is devoted to William the Conqueror. One should also mention the poem written by Guy of Amiens, chaplain of Queen Mathilda, which is an epic account of the different phases of the Battle of Hastings.

Compared to these written sources, the Bayeux Tapestry offers original information, found nowhere else.

Dinner in Bayeux

We will end our long day in an intimate restaurant in a small path, in the downtown of Bayeux. Linda, Simon and their team are happy to welcome you in a cosy atmosphere, where you'll be seated in a natural stone room from the 16th century. We offer a simple but gourmet food, inspired by the traditional french cuisine, made with quality and seasonal products. 

Thursday: the Mont Saint Michel

• In the footsteps of US Gal George Patton

• Villedieu les Poëles

• Lunch in the countryside

In the footsteps of US Gal George Patton

25th July 1944, Operation Cobra – breaking through the German Front between Saint-Lô and Périers– enabled the American army to encircle a German army corps and to create a gap which resulted in the fall of Avranches on the 31st of July 1944. From there,

Patton burst west into Brittany and east into the Loire Valley towards Paris in his famous breakthrough, which made possible the Liberation of France.

Villedieu les Poëles

Villedieu-les-Poêles carries the Government sponsored label "Ville et metiers d'Art" in recognition of its grand artisanal tradition of copper working since the Middle Ages; The production of kitchen utensils, brassware, cauldrons... the "City of Copper and Pewter" was created in the 11th century by the Knights Hospitaller of Saint-John-of-Jerusalem.  Villedieu-les-Poêles is one of the essential stops for artisanal tourism in Normandy and La Manche. Fruit of a history of copper and metal working dating back to the Middle Ages, Villedieu is an important place to visit. L'Atelier du Cuivre (the copper workshop), la Maison de l'Etain, (House of Pewter), le Musée de la Poeslerie (Museum of copper pots and pans), la Fonderie des Cloches (Bell foundry) honour through their know-how this Arts and Crafts Town. Woodworking, cabinet-making and lace-making also occupy an important place in the local economy. The Museum of Norman Furniture and the lace workshop (Maison de la Dentelière), bear witness to the wealth of these ancient activities.

Lunch in the countryside

In Normandy, not far from the Mont-Saint-Michel, la Bâtisse des "Chevaliers de Malte" situated in a remarkable spot with a green backdrop overlooking the roofs of Villedieu-les-Poêles await you. You can relax in the tranquil surroundings of the park, in absolute calm where only the chime of the church bells and the song of the animals dare to disturb the tranquillity (geese, chicken, ducks and pigs). Sébastien Lana and his team give a warm, convivial welcome, a regional tasty cuisine and have a superb wine cellar.
In the summer, if you wish, you will be served on the terrace and in winter in a cozy spot next to the fire. You can prolong the evening, well positioned in the refuge of the little recesses of the pub where you can drink your coffee.

Visit of the Mont Saint Michel

The worship of Saint Michel was introduced on the Mount in 708, and it became one of the most important places of medieval pilgrimage. Benedictine monks started building an abbey here in the 10th century.
Withstanding the assaults of man, time and the elements. The heroic resistance of the Mount to English attacks during the Hundred Years’ War (14th and 15th centuries) made it a symbol of French national identity. Monks left the abbey in 1790, and it was listed as a historic monument in 1874. The whole site has been returned to its former glory thanks to on-going restoration work.

Free evening in Bayeux

Capital of the Bessin area, Bayeux has deep historic roots stretching back to Roman times, although what you see only goes back as far William the Conqueror’s reign – the duke, also King of England by the time, was even present at the cathedral’s consecration in 1077.

The Bayeux Tapestry was probably made in southern England. However, Bayeux, which has long been a wealthy trading town, also has a long tradition in many crafts, including lace and porcelain. This was also an important religious centre, and you will encounter the substantial buildings of former monasteries as you wander around the old town.

Bayeux was extremely fortunate to avoid most of the destruction and tragedy following D-Day that other Normandy towns suffered. For a very brief moment, Bayeux was capital of Free France and General Charles de Gaulle came to give a stirring speech here, arriving hot on the heels of the Allied forces in June 1944.

Friday: D-Day (2)

• Visit of Arromanches Museum

• Discover Longues s/mer gun battery

• Lunch in Port en Bessin

Visit of Arromanches Museum

The permanent exhibition on the Normandy Landings was officially opened on June 5th 1954 in Arromanches by Monsieur René COTY, then the President of the French Republic. It was the first museum to be built in commemoration of June 6th 1944 and the Normandy Campaign. The D-day Museum overlooks the very spot where one of the Mulberry Harbours was constructed and where its remains can still be seen today, just a few hundred metres from the shore.

In the gallery of working models, directly overlooking the remnants of Mulberry B, our guide will tell the remarkable story of this artificial port, from its design and construction to its subsequent use.

The combination of commentaries and practical demonstrations brings the whole operation to life and makes it easier to understand the role of each piece in this vast jigsaw puzzle.

Discover Longues s/mer gun battery

The German artillery battery at Longues-sur-Mer may not have been the most powerful in Normandy, but it was one of the best located to oppose the landings of 6 June 1944. Installed slightly back from the edge of a sixty-meter-high cliff, it was positioned directly opposite the Allied fleet and right between Omaha and Gold landing beaches.

The coastal battery at Longues-sur-Mer, part of the Atlantic Wall coastal fortifications, was built by the German navy in the first half of 1944 and completed in four months. It consisted of four 150 mm guns in concrete bunkers, and one 120 mm gun. In May 1944 the battery was operational, but the firing command post built on the edge of the cliff did not yet have all the equipment necessary for calculating effective fire against naval targets.

On D-Day, the Longues-sur-Mer battery delivered a protracted duel with the Allied fleet, forcing some of the vessels to retreat in order to avoid being hit. However, the five guns of the battery were gradually silenced, some being destroyed by direct hits. Finally, British troops landing at Gold Beach took over the position on 7 June, capturing the survivors of the garrison of 180 men.

Today, the site is one of the best preserved in France and the only onewhere you can still see some of the original cannon, capable, at the time, of firing shells weighing 45 kg at a distance of 22 km. The view from the firing command post, dug into the cliff, offers a vast panorama over the Bay of the Seine.

Lunch in Port en Bessin

“Sweeping views across the sea…”

The stunning backdrop is like a breath of fresh air…a place where culinary delights are served overlooking the inviting sea.  Whether you are eating alone, as a couple, with friends and family or on business, each table is designed to be secluded and private. Come and enjoy a relaxing experience overlooking the sea!

On Omaha Beach

Omaha Beach is one of the two American landing areas in Normandy. 5.9 kilometers long, this beach is 12 kilometers east of Utah Beach. It consists of the towns of Vierville-sur-Mer in the west, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer in the center and the villages of Colleville-sur-Mer and Le-Grand-Hameau in the east. This beach is originally called the Côte d’Or (golden coast). A plateau overlooks the shore and four valleys allow to reach the interior.

The 16th Regiment of the 1st US Infantry Division and the 116th Regiment of the 29th US Infantry Division are designated to attack this beach, divided into four major landing areas. They are named, from the west to the east: “Charlie”, “Dog”, “Easy” and “Fox”. Depending on the progress of the Pointe du Hoc attack programmed at the same time, these units can be reinforced by the 2nd and 5th battalions of Rangers.  These military formations are under the command of Major General Leonard T. Gerow, commander of the 5th US Army Corps, and General Omar N. Bradley, commander of the 1st US Army.

Pay tribute at the US Cemetery of Colleville s/ mer

The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur- Mer is situated on the top of the cliff overlooking the famous Omaha Beach. The cemetery, 172 acres in extent, is one of fourteen American World War II Cemeteries constructed on foreign soil. Beyond the reception building, you will see a magnificent semi-circular memorial. Centered in the open arc of the memorial is a bronze statue which represents “The Spirit of American Youth rising from the waves”. In the extension of the ornamental lake there is a central path leading to the 10 grave plots where 9 387 soldiers are buried among which are 4 women and 307 unknown soldiers.

Train back to Paris