Le Petit Normand

Dinner was at Le Petit Normand.

It's located at 35 Rue Larcher. If you don't have a reservation, arrive when the restaurant opens.

When in Normandy, have cider with your meals. It's one of the 4 "Cs" in Normandy--cider, camembert, cream and calvados.

I ordered the €24.40 3-course dinner. For the first course, I chose the seafood platter--bulots (sea snails), shrimp and 3 oysters.

One of the main course options was Grilled Entrecot (rib steak) with Camembert (2nd C) Sauce. The steak was tough.

Veal Chop Served in Cream (3rd C) Sauce with Mushrooms. I loved the mushroom cream sauce.

Apple Tart Served with Vanilla Ice Cream. If this had Calvados (apple brandy), I would have hit all 4 Cs in 1 meal.

Chocolate Cake

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Arromanches

Arromanches is located 11 km and 20 minutes northeast of Bayeux. This small town is part of Gold Beach in the British landing zone. The Allies decided to build their own port here and in 12 days, Port Winston was created. It was the brainchild of Winston Churchill.

The town is essentially one main street.

D-Day Landing Museum on the harbor. €8 admission fee includes 2 videos on the building of the artificial harbor. 

Quintessential French carrousel on the harbor front.

Section of floating bridge

Remnants of the artificial harbor

Close up of a section of the artificial harbor

It's a 10-minute hike up a steep hill (or take the free train, operating daily Jun-Sep and weekends Apr-May, Oct-mid Nov) to reach the Arromanches 360 Theater--a multiscreen theater showing the film "Normandy's 100 Days." Admission is €6. I didn't find the film that interesting.

View of Gold Beach from the bluff where the theater is located.

Looking west, you can see the remnants of the artificial harbor.

View of Arromanches from the theater.

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Monument to Reporters

Nearby is the Monument to Reporters.

A grassy walkway lined with monuments listing the names of reporters who have died in the line of duty from 1944 to present day.

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British Military Cemetery

Just a block northwest of the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum, you'll find the British Military Cemetery.

The inscription on the Memorial reads "In 1944, the British came to free the homeland of William the Conqueror"--ironic in that William the Conqueror invaded Britain in 1066. 

Cross the busy street to reach the gravesites.

There are 4144 simple gravestones in the cemetery. Soldiers from all countries (including Germany) are buried here. Only US soldiers are not found here--the US requires its soldiers to be buried on US property.

Remembrance poppy, originally inspired by the WWI poem "In Flanders Fields." It symbolizes the sacrifices made by the soldiers.

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Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum

On the outskirts of town, a 15-minute walk from the Cathedral, you'll find the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum. Admission is €7 or you can purchase a combo ticket, including either the Bayeux Tapestry Museum or the Museum of Art & History (MAHB).

Tanks outside the museum

Inside, you'll find timelines and maps of the Battle of Normandy. I found the exhibits boring but my history-buff husband found it fascinating. 

Heavy equipment used in WWII

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L'Insolite

Lunch was at a creperie, L'Insolite.

L'Insolite is located at 16 Rue des Cuisiniers.

There is an outdoor patio, which is quite pleasant, unless there is a smoker. Smoking is no longer permitted inside French restaurants but you can still smoke on the patios.

Of course, we had cidre--25 cc pitcher of apple for €2.90 and 25 cc pitcher of pear for €3.10.

Complete Livarot--€8. It had egg, ham, cheese, onions and mushrooms.

Laicrue--€7.80. This was filled with egg, ham, hot camembert, green salad & tomato.

The inside of the Laicrue.

Normande--€7.20. Calvados, cooked apple, apple compote. Added Caramel Beurre (butter caramel sauce) for €3.20. Not sure we needed the caramel sauce; it was too sweet.

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Sites Around Bayeux

Conservatoire de Dentelle (lace conservatory) is located across the street from the Cathedral courtyard. You can step inside to see lace makers at work. Lace making was an important industry in Bayeux in the 1600s.

Outside, look for the Adam & Eve carving on one of the wooden posts. This is why the building is nicknamed "The Adam & Eve House."

If you don't want to walk, you can take the tourist train. It leaves from the TI for a 35-minute tour through town--€6.

Join the locals in the early evening and walk the 2.5 km path along the Aure River. 

Start at the waterwheel behind the TI.

You'll find houses backing up to the river's edge.

Wash houses along the river.

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