I love weekend trips, and in France, taking a weekend trip is being in some kind of other big historical endroit. I have done a few weekend trips to Normandy, a region in northern France.

The first weekend was in Deauville. It was a relaxing weekend, walking on the beach and taking in the air. I went in a time when I needed to get away from the city and the old host family. I tried going into one of the casinos, but didn’t have my passport with me (and my American driver’s license did not count). It was just a small, relaxing weekend.

A few weekends later, at the beginning of May, I did a group trip throughout the D-Day important landmarks. We walked the beaches, where I sat in one of the old German barracks and looked out at the ocean. I couldn’t imagine the fear on both ends, waiting for the battle to begin. I was awestruck and saddened at the innocent lives that were taken, on both sides.

We also went to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. If you have ever watched Saving Private Ryan, the opening scenes take place at the spot. It honors the American soldiers that lost their lives in World War II and overlooks the ocean. It is taken care of by the American government, and it was touching to respect the soldiers.

Also, on that weekend trip, we hit up Mont Saint-Michel, which is a small island that houses an abbey. It is breathtaking, and sometimes the water surrounds the whole island and is isolated from the actual land mass. I was so excited to be there, since it had been a dream of mine since I was 10 when our Spanish friends sent us postcards from their trip. The view from the abbey is incredible, and it was one of those rare moments that I just felt absolutely on top of the world. I felt unstoppable.

View from the top of the abbey

This view explains one of the reasons I absolutely love traveling.

Bisous, 

Veronica

You can follow more of Veronica: 

Twitter: @kikalavil

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kikalavil

Instagram: @kikalavil