Normandie Part II - La Boulangerie House

We stayed the full week in a self-catering accommodation just north of St. Lo in the middle of what was the scene of vicious hedgerow fighting in June and July 1944. There is little sign of the fighting now, though, and much of the countryside is quiet and peaceful.

Our home in Normandie was a two bedroom, two story 17th Century bake house in a remote corner of a larger farm complex. We ate all of our meals at the house, each one a Normandie recipe served up by Elizabeth using meats and vegetables provided by trips to local markets. We even had an automatic dishwasher - yours truly!

Outside the old bake house on our 'private' drive.

Cooking up a Normandie specialty.

Getting ready for an evening snack by the hearth.

Normandie Part I - The Places

Hello all! We just arrived back from France at 6am this morning after a great trip. After eight days and seven nights in Calvados country we are a bit pooped but have nevertheless begun the always important 'trip documentation'. This is no small task as we shot over 500 photos during the week prior to any editing or deleting. We will try to post several series of photos here based on different themes.

Our first series will be 'places' - some photos of the spots visited, especially when we actually have someone in the picture. We were all over the Normandie region over the week from Dieppe in the east, where our ferry deposited us last week, to St. Malo and its great walls to the west. We traveled as far north as Cherbourg at the end of the Contentin peninsula to Vire and Argentan on Normandie's southern border.


Elizabeth and the kids at Mont St. Michel.


















Cora and Owen at Longes Battery near Arromanches.









Cora and Dad in the 1000+ year old market in Caen.

Cora's Drums are a Hit

Not only Cora has enjoyed the new drum set she acquired this summer. Several other suspicous characters have been spotted giving it a go on the drums recently at 62 Redgrove. Maybe you can help identify them-

This yob has also been spotted at the Hatherly local after hours and is considered an ASBO threat.

The 'mature' drummer seen here drove these children to fits of epilepsy. The poor children....

This confused drummer, trying to play a piano with these sticks, is believed to be a distant relative of Posh-Spice.

Elizabeth's Birthday Bash

The crowd was not huge for Elizabeth's birthday but it was a rowdy one! The Lewis family attended (a bit late we might add) and several Valez boys were seen running around the house at several points. Elizabeth certainly enjoyed her gifts and the entertainment provided throughout the evening, especially from Mix-master Dave and Man-Skirt Jason.


Elizabeth, David and Sharon prepare to enjoy the triple chocolate cake baked by Owen.

Lucky for us all the Brazilian group 'Ketchup' stopped by to bust some dance moves.

The Valez boys graciously offered to help finish the cake and ice cream.