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.

My heart will always be at sea ❤️

A post shared by Veronica Lavil (@kikalavil) on Apr 18, 2015 at 11:28am PDT

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.

Sitting in old German barracks. #wwII

A post shared by Veronica Lavil (@kikalavil) on May 2, 2015 at 6:55am PDT

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.

Coucou, ça va ? Stepped back into medieval times today. 👸

A post shared by Veronica Lavil (@kikalavil) on May 3, 2015 at 5:20am PDT

On top of the world

A post shared by Veronica Lavil (@kikalavil) on May 3, 2015 at 5:51am PDT

View from the top of the abbey

"I wondered about the explorers who'd sailed their ships to the end of the world. How terrified they must have been when they risked falling over the edge; how amazed to discover, instead, places they had seen only in their dreams." -Jodi Picoult

A post shared by Veronica Lavil (@kikalavil) on May 4, 2015 at 6:12am PDT

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

Bisous, 

Veronica

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