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Normandy’s people still have a special old-fashioned reverence for farming, fishing, cooking and eating that is quickly visible in its patchwork of working family farms, in fleets of small fishing boats plying its bounteous waters, and in small busy restaurants abounding in traditional drinks and dishes. Our trip, based in Honfleur and Bayeux, included visits to a Calvados distiller, an oyster farm, the Normandy Invasion Beaches, Mont St. Michel, a farm raising salt-marsh lamb, and more.

Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1    
Travelers arrive at Hotel Mercure in Honfleur. Welcoming reception. Dinner at Le Bréard, Honfleur.

Day 2
Walking tour of Honfleur with local guide. Lunch with cooking demo by Susan Hermann Loomis at l’Auberge de la Source, Barneville-la-Bertran. Guided Calvados tasting with local expert. Dinner at La Fleur de Sel, Honfleur.

Day 3
Visit to 15th c. Norman manor and cheese making tour. Lunch at Domaine St. Hippolyte, St. Martin de la Lieue. Visit to family Calvados distillery, Domaine d’Apréval. Dinner on your own in Honfleur.

Day 4
Scenic tour of the Côte Fleurie; coffee in Deauville. Seafood lunch at La Crémaillère, Courseulles-sur-Mer. Visit to La Calvadosienne Oyster Farm. Arrive at Churchill Hotel in Bayeux. Optional guided Walking Tour of Bayeux and its cathedral. Dinner on your own in Bayeux.

Day 5
“Foods of the Bayeux Tapestry” talk with Dun Gifford. Cooking demonstration with Susan. Lunch at La Fringale. Visit to Bayeux Tapesty Museum. Dinner at Coline d’Enzo.

Day 6
Visit to salt-marsh lamb farm on the Cotentin Peninsula. Lunch at l’Auberge de la Baie, Ardevon. Tour of Mont Saint Michel Abbey. Dinner on your own in Bayeux.

Day 7
Early-morning guided visit to the Bayeux Market. Homage to D-Day at the Invasion Beaches. Box lunch. Farewell Dinner at Le Pommier.

Day 8
Transportation back to Paris for flights home.