At the start of 2022 I wrote a tentative travel wish list for the year and with a baby on the way we really wanted to try and get abroad for the first (and probably the last!) time in a while. We decided to tick off the first on my list; a mini road trip to France. I say mini because I'm not sure you can really call it a road trip if you're simply based in one place and visit only a couple of other places, but we didn't want anything too hardcore and thought it would be the perfect mixture of exploring and chill.
We drove all the way to Normandy from home, via the Eurotunnel. Aside from it being a fair amount of time on the road, it was a very easy and relaxed way to travel and we'd definitely do it again (maybe even with a baby). Once we were in Normandy here's where we visited:
H O N F L E U R
We based ourselves in Honfleur, a pretty little town on the coast with a rustic centre, a harbour and a little beach. It was actually a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be so there was plenty to do and we spent two full days exploring there. Aside from the dreamy breakfast offerings at the boulangerie, the food in Normandy is not designed for pregnant vegetarians; seafood and fancy cheeses are a big feature, but there are heaps of restaurants to choose from if you're not a pregnant vegetarian!
Things we did/saw in Honfleur: Panorama Mont-Joli (a climb to the top of Honfleur for a panoramic view over the town), Notre-Dame de Grace chapel (a pretty old church on the way to the view), Vieux Bassin (aka the harbour), Jardin des Personnalites (a huge and beautiful gardens), Plage du Butin (the beach! At the other end of the gardens), Naturospace (a tropical butterfly and bird house), plus walked round the town, shops and crossed the huge Pont de Normandie on our way into Honfleur.
E T R E T A T
On our second full day in France we drove out to Etretat, which is famous for its cliffs and beautiful views. I can confirm it's absolutely stunning and well worth a visit. The beach is a pebbly one, which I love because it means you don't get sand in your shoes! The cliffs frame the beach on either side; I walked up one, but being five months pregnant I gave the second one a miss and read my book on the beach while Matthew went up on his own. I'd recommend soaking up all the views you can if you're able to because it's so beautiful there!
R O U E N
We stopped off in the city of Rouen on our drive back to the Eurotunnel, as our crossing wasn't until late in the evening. As we only had a few hours there we just had a wander, saw the cathedral and walked to a nice park. It looked like a lovely place to explore, but I definitely prefer the charm of smaller towns I think!
What an amazing place! Thanks for sharing your trip with us, I love the photos :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! It was so nice there :)
DeleteOh wow! Your photo's are absolutely incredible. I love the little side street ones in particular. We've not been to France before, but this looks right up or street!
ReplyDeleteClaire. X
www.clairemac.co.uk
Thank you lovely! The streets were all like that they were so lovely! x
DeleteLooks beautiful! x
ReplyDeleteIt really was! x
DeleteMy parents took a holiday to Normandy when I was a baby and they loved it, such a picturesque place! x
ReplyDeleteLucy Mary
It really surprised me, in a good way! x
DeleteI'd call that a road trip for sure, I've never been on the eurotunnel before! Normandy looks absolutely beautiful! I always adore your photos.
ReplyDeleteCorinne x
https://skinnedcartree.com
Ah you should, it would be such an easy way of travelling with a toddler I think! It was so beaut there! x
DeleteSuch gorgeous photos, I'm dying to do a road trip to France!
ReplyDeleteAh you should do it! We said we'd definitely do it with a baby :) x
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