Escape to Normandie.
Please excuse the silence, but sometimes you just have to get out of town. Even if that town is Paris.
Normandie is an easy weekend or even day trip from Paris. Of course, most tourists go to see Le Mont Saint-Michel, which is indeed incredible, but if you have time, I suggest checking out some of the region's less-frequented sights, like the Le Mémorial Caen-Normandie, otherwise known as the Peace Museum. Here, you will get an in-depth look at the events leading up to WWII and a detailed history of the war and its aftermath. Exhibits include letters written by soldiers on both sides of the conflict, displays of Nazi propaganda and an astonishing film on D-Day (le Jour J in French).
The museum is not far from the WWII beaches, which are definitely worth a visit. To lift the spirits, though, a better choice might be the beach in Étretat, or maybe a picnic lunch on one of the town's impressive falaises (cliffs). The last time I was there, we stopped in a neighboring town to pick up baguettes from a boulangerie and pâté de campagne, céleri rémoulade and carottes râpées from the local butcher. Once in Étretat, we found a spectacular spot for our picque-nicque overlooking the bay.
The cliffs of Étretat: a great spot for a picnic.
Dinner that night was in charming Rouen, on a side street near one of the impressive cathedrals. I've forgotten the name of the bistro, but it was the perfect place to dine on a warm summer's night and much more affordable than any bistro in Paris.
Dining in the shadow of the cathedral in Rouen.
By the time we returned to the city (about one a.m.), the streets were quiet, the air was cool-ish and Paris seemed almost provincial. Like I said, sometimes you just have to get out of town.
