Up early to pack, pick up car, and check out of our little apartment. Lance drives us over to Erik Kayser for farewell breakfast – coffee and pastries at a little table under the awning – so Parisien! On the walk back to where we parked, I squeal because I see what is reputed to be the “best” cheese shop in town, and had meant to visit, but it only happened just now at the last moment. Laurent Dubois. Oh the cheese shop of truly discerning palates. The range, the choice, the presentation, the smiles and chuckles from the gentleman helping us. Lance had to pull out all the chains and restraints so I didn’t walk away with 4 or 5 packages du fromage!
Back in the car, we drive about an hour to Giverny, the country home of Claude Moneet – yes, he of the famous water lilies in so many museums, and most strikingly in the rooms that were his gift to the busy people of Paris. So tranquil and lovely – the colors in his house of blue, yellow and white match those at the lodge in suwarrow! We visit his house. First in the studio, then bedroom and kitchen:
and then the gardens around the famously-painted ponds. So many beautiful photo possibilities, but so many tourists streaming through, that I gave up on a pristine shot!
sweethearts on the Japanese bridge:
and more attempts at artfulness:
We walk back to the parking lot, pick up a couple of cups of hot tea to go, and have a picnic one one of the lovely wooden benches. The stinky cheese came out (for Valerie!) and Lance indulged in a beautifully rich chocolate eclair:
On the road again (thank you, Willie), we head into cider country. A specialty in these parts, along with Calvados (apple brandy), apple juices and all derivatives thereof. One of the most amazing things about driving down lanes and through little towns in Normandy is that 70% of the land is cultivate and NO extra watering is needed. There are no sprinklers or anything like that anywhere, in spite of most all of the land, as far as the eye can see, is growing sugar beets, rapeseed for oil, corn and all manner of other yummy green products. Some of our views:
the official cider route:
the countryside:
Beautiful fall colors:
We stop in town and hit the information center in the UNESCO awarded medieval town of Beuvron-en-Auge
to get a recommendation on a ferme at which to stop and sample cider, and pick up a couple of bottles while we’re in there. We end up going to a wonderful old farm, Victot Pontfol
and the barkeep provides us with tastes of all their varieties. We purchase a few more, visit the cave where the cider is aged:
and then walk through the apple orchards. The trees have been pruned to grow almost entirely vertically, and there are so many ripe apples on the ground, I decide to pick up a few to munch on over the next couple of days, thinking all the while of the line “are you saying something’s not right with my apples?”
Daylight is starting to recede, so we head out to our little 15th century farmhouse (the section with the guest rooms was built very recently) in Surville after dinner and a walk through Evreux, and settle into our lovely accommodations.