As we left Paris, warnings for extreme heat and reminders to drink water were being broadcasted in the subway tunnels. It doesn’t help that most the subway cars are unconditioned, and opened windows barely helped at all. We dripped in sweat as we lugged our bags up and down subway stairs, as escalators are not prevalent and ADA does not seem to be a requirement for public transit.
However, we did rent a car through Eurocar to drive from Paris to Normandy. Once we set out on our way, we cranked the AC in the car as high as it would go and set out on the quickest route – which definitely was not the cheapest. By the time we got to our destination near Port-en-Bessin, we probably spent about 30 Euros on tolls. We arrived just before dinner at our bed and breakfast, Le Clos Sainte Jean, near the coast:
It was sprinkling and cool when we arrived, a welcome respite from the heat of Paris. Once we put down our bags, we walked down to the ocean:
While we could have used a longer rest, our B&B was quite remote from any city, and the nearest village was a 15 minute drive away, with restaurants closing earlier than in the metropolitan areas. We walked around and did some tourist shopping in Port-en-Bessin, a small fishing village with an important port for the area.
At our restaurant, we learned a bit about the local foods of Normandy. Phillip had a dish with all sorts of seafood in a mushroom cream sauce, while I had a chicken called “Normandy Style” which was similar to Phillip’s dish. For dessert, I had a rice pudding dish called Teurgoule, which apparently is seasoned with cinnamon and simmered overnight in a cast iron pot, developing a caramelization on the top which gets mixed in when served.
