[France Summer Vacation] Day 08: A day trip to Normandy

Baby is a history buff, and being a supporting wifey, I will follow him on his interests whenever we travel. He booked a full day tour to Normandy during our Paris trip.

Normandy is one of the most visited landmarks in France because of its role in the history of the World War II and the Normandy Landings. While it is also widely known for its poignant cemeteries and war memorials that run along scenic beaches, Normandy itself is a rich region with full of hedgerows and farmlands which are quite unique. 

The tour started at 7am and we had to get up early to make our way to the meeting point, which was at the HOTEL PULLMAN PARIS TOUR EIFFEL.

This day trip from central Paris to Normandy started in an air-conditioned bus which took us 3 hours to reach Normandy. We enjoyed a scenic drive through the French countryside towards the northwest coast in order to discover and tour the site of the D-Day landings.

First stop - we took a stroll along Omaha Beach, one of the toughest landings for the Allies during the invasion. Omaha beach was one of the sectors given to the Americans and this was the one that faced the hardest resistance from the Nazis. We spent some time admiring the ocean view, and took some random photos before we hopped back to the bus for the next stop.

Second stop - we visited the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, where nearly 10,000 US military war dead lie in this most humbling tribute.

We then arrived at Arromanches - an authentic small Norman town which left a deep impression on me due to its quaint French buildings of yesteryear. We were given an hour to roam freely around town in order to get our lunch and do some souvenir shopping.

We settled our lunch at Brasserie d'En Face, and it is a little restaurant with a simple menu.

We tried the famous apple brandy - Calvados, and it was terrific!

The burger was delicious and the Moules Fries were great too!

Baby was fascinated by the military-inspired souvenirs, and bought a couple of gifts back from the town.

We returned back to the tour bus to the next location - Arromanches 360 Circular Cinema. The admission tickets were part of the tour package.

The film is projected on 9 screens in a circular cinema, and this immersive experience took us back on a journey to the D-Day Landings. This 19-minute long film definitely brought us back to the Battle of Normandy. The purpose of the Cinema Circulaire 360 was to keep the memory of the allied invasion alive, as WW2 is a BIG important event in France.

Our last stop before heading back to Paris was Juno Beach!

Juno Beach was one of five beaches of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944 during WWII. The Canadians on D-day fought for freedom, and it is possible for people to enjoy the tranquility and beauty of this beach today.

We reached Paris around 8pm, and it certainly was a long day indeed! My visit to Normandy was pleasant, as the people were great and the scenery was spectacular!

My trip was coming to an end soon, do continue to stay tuned to my last day experience in Paris!