A Day At The Beach July 10, 2010
Posted by tiffany in : Normandy , add a commentSo yesterday we went to the coast in Normandy and walked along the never ending beach (it’s a depositional beach, so it is forever growing). It was nice to take our shoes off and feel the sand between our toes. The water was beautiful but a bit chilly. We joked about the invasion and how it must’ve been (considering it’s such an ideal beach). Our host has said that if we were to get out the beach early enough that there is a chance that debris from the invasion can be found.
There was a lively crab that we stumbled upon in the shallow parts as we walked. With a bit of trouble (evasive maneuvering on it’s part) and a lot of fumbling, our host finally was holding the crab. Also, there were tons of Hermit crabs that scuttled about as the waves receded.
As we walked we saw the high tide line of shells and bits of other debris. It all seemed fairly the same as what you’d find on any beach, except there were Cuttlefish bones randomly along the beach in the high tide line. I knew they came from the fish and the fish lives in the ocean, but I never thought I’d see the actual bone that you’d find in a bird cage just out in the wild! Wild might be an over statement, but you catch my drift. There was also a unique part to the beach which was that the beach is so long there are various places where water seeps out of the ground from about 100 feet away from the actual water’s edge and it makes a shallow river that flows into the ocean. It’s pretty neat in a sense that it also fills any depressions in the sand, so there are various places where it dips down slightly so there is a foot of water where children were splashing around like it was an overgrown puddle. So after having a lovely walk along the beach, we went to a small village on the coast and had a soda at a local cafe.
We people watched and joked around with our hosts for a while. It was a beautiful, clear day so many people were in the town with their dogs and sun block covered children with long sleeves on (the French are a bit over protective in reguards to their children and the sun). Normandy really is a wonderful place (although the best part about Normandy is still the cheeses). I am not a huge fan of sandy beaches and the whole ocean theme, but I must say that this beach is my new favorite.
Today it was not as hot and so Chris and Carl burned the branches that they removed from the trees along the back of their property. It was amazing how tall the flames were and the heat that came off of it was quite impressive.
Back In Normandy July 8, 2010
Posted by tiffany in : Normandy , add a commentIt’s been very difficult to find affordable or even cheap lodging and experiences as the summer progresses. We had a Workaway scheduled in Ireland for the time before we meet with my mother but the couple began hosting a person already, so they canceled on us. We continued looking and emailing other prospective hosts, but with no success. So being optimistic, we looked to the hosts we had in Normandy. But they were full too. However they had friends that need some extra help.
We arrived in Caen, France and received a friendly welcome by our new hosts, Carl and Kris. Their home dates back to the 16th Century and are lovely! There are a couple of cherry trees and a ton of wild cherry trees here that are perfectly ripe and ready to be eaten (needless to say, taking a break here is very nice!).
The work is pretty easy, I have been weeding the grounds with the lady of the house while Chris has been trimming the hedges with Carl.
Tomorrow We’re going to the beach with our hosts since it’s been such nice weather. Exciting!
