This was our “budget” vacation. Seeing Normandy and the D-Day landing sites has been on our list since we arrived to London. Kelly and Andre also wanted to visit this area but were also on a tight budget since buying their house on Cape Cod. I said to them, “no problem. I will plan a vacation without involving air fare; I’ll find inexpensive accommodations and I’ll find a guide to show us around.”
On Wednesday 26 May, we left London – in a caravan. John was driving Team Mueller and Andre was driving Team Basile to Portsmouth, where we would catch a ferry at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday morning to Caen, France.
Our drive to Portsmouth was easier than expected. We had very little traffic and made it to the Travelodge in two hours. Did I mention we were on a budget? Even if you are broke, avoid the Travelodge chain at all cost. I would hate to see the room under blue light! It was absolutely foul. However, for £49 per room and with each family only having one room…we saved a bundle! To get over the nastiness of the rooms, we put all the kids into one room for a movie while Kelly, Andre, John and I shared some wine, cheese, crackers and of course crisps. You cannot have a nice bottle of wine in England without crisps.
After a very sleepless night at the Travelodge we drove onto the Brittany Ferry that would take us on our 6-hour journey across the English Channel. Six hours sounds like a long time, but this was like a mini cruise ship. We had a nice big “suite” to call home base and turn on movies for the tribe. There were video games, a newsagent shop (magazines, books, coloring books, etc.), a snack bar, etc. We actually ran out of time to do everything – AND, the ferry only cost £325 per family!
We arrived into Caen…and then things got a bit tricky. John and Andre were quick to point out that they were now driving on the right side of the road but the wrong side of the car…so the driver side was on the edge of the road. A bit of a challenge, but they mastered this backwards driving in no time.
Our accommodations were approximately 45 minutes away from the ferry landing. We stayed at the Manoir du Quesnay. Our hosts, Jacques and Alix Fourcade were waiting for us and showed us to The Moat House. We had the whole house for a mere 360 euros a night! The house had a lovely kitchen, living room, t.v. room (with a DVD player and cable), 2 master suites with bathrooms and a 3-bedroom suite with a bathroom (for the six kids). It was perfect.
By the time we unpacked the cars and got the kids settled into their rooms it was late in the afternoon. We asked Jacques what he thought would be good for dinner and he directed us to a great place right on the beach. Naturally, this being France, we were a bit early for dinner. We arrived at 6:00 p.m. only to be told we couldn’t be seated until 7 or 7:30 p.m. That was fine. While John and Andre entertained five of the kids, Kelly and I took Grace (the oldest Basile) with us to find some provisions for the Moat House. We returned to the restaurant and even though they still were not ready for us we sat outside and they offered us wine and olives to pass the time…it was lovely. Dinner was great – kids were full and happy so it was time for bed! We had a full day of touring the D-Day sights on Friday.
Our guide, Gary, picked us up at 9:00 a.m. He only had room in his van for six passengers so Kelly and I followed the van with Kate and Tommy – the 4 year olds were not likely to pay attention to the guide anyway.
The day was amazing. It probably helped a lot (especially with the six kids) that we had absolutely gorgeous weather. However, I cannot say enough to express how breathtaking the sights are. I do not think I need to go into great detail for you…the history speaks for itself. Enjoy some of our favorite photos from the day we saw the D-Day landing sights….
After a very long day of sightseeing, our tour ended at Omaha Beach. We needed the other car so John and Andre took a sleeping Tommy with them to pick up our car while Kelly and I watched the other kids play on the beach. I ran up to a cute shop and bought a few buckets and spades, some water, soda, snacks and a few beers…all made for a perfect way to end our day.
We decided to send the boys for take-out…not a good call. The French really don’t do “take away” other than McDonalds. The kids were delighted but John and Andre struggled to find something edible for the grown-ups. We had plenty of wine and cheese so all was fine. We gave the kids a quiz to see if they remembered all that they learned on our day out...how impressed we were that they remembered so much and were very keen to talk about everything they saw. After our quiz, the kids watched a movie and the grown-ups watched “The Longest Day” after the kids went to bed. GREAT movie if you haven’t seen it.
On Saturday we figured we would do something kid-friendly since the tribe behaved so beautifully on Friday during the tour of the D-Day sights. I handed the book to Jack (per our custom on trips) and he read aloud the kids’ choice…. FESTYLAND! For those Chicagoans reading…think Kiddieland in French. There were a variety of silly rides, water slides and plenty of junk food. Despite the rain and cold, the kids had an absolute ball and really earned their reward for being such troopers the day before.
Just so the entire day wasn’t “wasted” on amusement rides, we drove through Bayeux on our way back to the Moat House to see the Bayeux Tapestry. The Bayeux Tapestry is believed to have been commissioned around 1070 by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, the half-brother of William the Conqueror. The Tapestry depicts the story of William the Conqueror and King Harold, the men who led the Norman and Saxon armies in 1066, when William defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings.
Both families had been to Battle, England (the site of the Battle of Hastings) so the kids were really interested in seeing the tapestry. The town of Bayeux is very charming and had many grocery shops. We decided to bring home some dinner ingredients rather than face another take-out disaster. In addition, our chances of finding a table for 10 in a restaurant that would serve dinner before 7:30 p.m. were slim to none. Meltdowns were imminent so it was back to the Moat House for a home-cooked dinner and movies.
On Sunday we ventured out for Mont St. Michel, a rocky tidal island and a commune. The day was beautiful and the kids actually paid attention to the audio guides…we started to wonder who these children were! We stopped for lunch at a darling little restaurant and that’s when our kids returned….”Mom…Dad…Mom…Dad….can I have ice cream? “I have to go potty.” “I am hungry – when is our food coming?” “Can I have another soda?” “is our food ready yet?” “Kate’s touching me.” “Jack hit me.” “Owen’s not sharing the crayons.” “when are we going home?” “I’m tired” “can we watch a movie tonight?” “when are we going back to London?” “when will my lunch be here?” John finally said, “ENOUGH. Nobody talk or say another word unless you have to go to the toilet.” Owen loudly piped up…”BUT I DOOOOOOO!”
We decided to let the kids ride in either car on the way back to the Moat House. I am not sure what happened, but now Owen loves to sing Taylor Swift songs. He must have been outnumbered in the Basile’s car!
On Monday we had a half-day to spend before taking the ferry back to England. We decided to visit the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach since it was the only spot we couldn’t get to on Friday. We were stunned to silence. It occurred to us as we parked the car that we arrived on Memorial Day. There is not a more humbling place to be than a military cemetery on Memorial Day. Again, I’ll let the pictures speak.
Our budget conscious trip turned out to be the most memorable and rewarding. We all could not imagine a better way to spend Memorial Day abroad, than at the American Cemetery. After a few more stops it was time to head to the port.
The ferry ride was very uneventful – we were hoping kids might sleep in our cabins on the way back, but that was not to be. The car ride from Portsmouth was another story. All six out cold! It was an amazing trip – and even John commented that I saved him money.
CHEERS.
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