Darcy Hughes

My first thought when waking up in Bellengreville was: Pete’s coming. After a six-hour flight, he drove another two to meet me in the middle of nowhere. I had just one eye of mascara done when I heard him running up the stairs of my Airbnb, and, despite his profound exhaustion, he stood in front of me beaming.

We divided our four days in France evenly between Normandy and Paris. We began in Honfleur, a small seaside town with a large basin in its center that reflected yellow shop lights in the evening. We found a nice restaurant for dinner but struggled to order food (a recurring issue). Pete wasn’t expecting a lump of lentils wrapped in cucumber and decorated with an enormous lettuce leaf when he ordered something that we guessed would be salmon.

The next day we drove down the Norman coast to Mont-Saint-Michel, a 1000-year-old walled village. Its function has evolved since its original construction – known for its church, it later became a fortress and then a prison. The beauty of the weather complemented the beauty of the structure. The most impressive view was of the expansive low tide from the summit.

The next day we went to Bayeux where we saw the eponymous Bayeux Tapestry depicting the legend of William the Conqueror’s siege of England. Luckily we had an audio guide to explain the drama of each of the 30 woven scenes. The construction of the tapestry, as well as its story, was remarkable.

Our time in Normandy was slow and leisurely while Paris was rather hectic. We had made too few plans and struggled with too much car trouble. Word to the wise: never bring a rental car to Paris! The traffic rules are mere guidelines and parking spaces are non-existent.

Between all the chaos, however, there were moments of quiet awe. The Louvre, the Tuileries, and Luxembourg gardens all offered us visions of that legendary Parisian romance.

Despite all the magnificent splendors of the city, our favorite moment was the delicious simplicity of good bread, cheese, and meat that we foraged for from three different shops on our last night. The incredible quality made for a memorable feast.