Paris and the Northern French Coast August 2020
August 11-18 2020
as we needed to take holiday in august and many countries still have closed borders or had recently reclosed their borders, we thought we would be safe and stay in one country to avoid being stuck or trapped somewhere. So we decided to drive to paris then to northern coast.
Day 1 August 11 2020
Paris
as we arrived quite late the night before, we had an easy relaxing morning. after that we decided to walk along the seine but in the other direction we normal go. we didn’t last too long as it was way too hot in paris, so we then tried to find somewhere to cool off and then we stumbled upon this restaurant that specialized in salmon. I didn’t know that you would do so much with salmon. We then walked back to the apartment to have a rest and a cool down. Next we were off to one of our favorite restaurants in paris, enyaa. Click on the link to read more about our dinner.
View from along the Seine River
The Eiffel Tower
View from along the Seine River
Carpaccio of Mediterranean octopus
Variations of Salmon
Day 2 August 12 2020
Paris
We walked along the seine but in our normal direction, we were surprised at how quiet it was and how clean the river was. I guess both were a result of the pandemic. we then walked through le jardin des tuileries, it was also not crowded at all as most people were also sheltering under the shade. You don’T realize how little there is to do in such a big city like paris during a heatwave and a pandemic. We then made it in time for our lunch RESERVATION at Nodiwa, I came here on my last trip and wanted to come back as it was so good. They specialize in unagi, one of my favorite fishes especially when cooked in the japanese way. we Then went back to have another little rest as it was again too hot to walk around. They have different set or bento menus to choose from and you can also choose the size of the unagi, but the normal 200g is SUFFICIENT. They recommend added this lemongrass powder ON TOP of unagi, you think it might be a strange combination but it works so well. I can keep dreaming about this and can’t wait until I can go back to have more. after that we walked back to the APARTMENT and had another rest before eating again. it was another DELICIOUS and interesting dinner at pierre sang on gambey, click the link below.
Chocolate Croissant and Apple Pastry for breakfast
Institut de France
Jardin des Tuileries
View walking along the Seine River
Ferris Wheel at Jardin des Tuileries
Musee d'orsay
Jardin des Tuileries
Sakura Menu: 200g Unagi, Umaki (Japanese Omelet), Suimono (hot Consomme) and Seaweed Salad
Bento Satsuki: Two lacquered boxes composed of shirayaki (plain grilled eel), homemade tofu, umaki (Japanese omelet), stewed vegetables, white radish with shiso vinegar and grilled eel with sauce accompanied by rice
Black Sesame and Chestnut Ice Cream
Black Sesame Creme Caramel
Nodaïwa
272 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris
https://www.nodaiwa.com/
Day 3 August 13 2020
Paris
Today we decided to make the trip to versailles, the last time i was there I was a child so i don’t remember much. It was actually an easy drive there and back, not much traffic at all. that is probably due to the fact that most parisians are on holiday in august and in general there are far less tourists than normal due to the pandemic. what an EXTRAORDINARY and lavish place this is. it is unbelievable that this place was built in the 1600’s, we were curious what the cost would be to build this today and it would cost around $200-300 billion. before you plan to go, you should book tickets in advance so that you have a designated time slot for entering the palace, even during pandemic times it was still quite crowded. the palace is truly breathtaking with all the gilded rooms and the enormous, well maintained gardens. This is a must see if you are ever in paris and have a day to spare. then it was back for a little rest before our last dinner in paris at ida, Post to come soon.
Day 4 August 14 2020
paris —> Normandy
so on the day we leave paris the temperature finally drops, however had already decided to drive and explore the northern coast. first stop was normandy, it was DEFINITELY way cooler and less crowded than paris. it was a bit overcast and rained when we got there but then the weather seemed to clear up for the rest of our trip. our first stop was arromanches les bains, which is known as a historic place of the Normandy landings and its SIGNIFICANCE in being a disembarkment port for unloading military equipment in and around d-Day. you can still see many of the landings on the beach and in the water. They have a military museum if you want to learn more about the history of this place.
we walked along the beach which was super nice and relaxing, the town itself isn’t very big, only a few small blocks long. There are a few casual RESTAURANTS around, even a fish and chips joint but we decided to have a sit down meal at our hotel as we had skipped lunch. i was surprised on how crowded it was, it was completely full. Obviously when you are by the coast you have to eat fish or seafood.
Port Alexandre III Bridge
View of the Town
Fried Calamari
Arc de Triomphe
Seafood Stew with Potatoes
Cod Fish with pan-fried green vegetables, olive oil and tomatoes
Hôtel De La Marine
Quai du Canada, 14117 Arromanches-les-Bains
http://www.hotel-de-la-marine.fr/language/en/home-3/
Day 5 August 15 2020
normandy —> Mont saint michel —> saint brieuc
after another nice but shorter walk along the beach, we were off to the next part of road trip, we had seen that there were a few more spots nearby to check out. the first stop which was only 10-15 minutes away by car was the batterie de longues sur mer. it was the location of the german artillery battery during world war ii. There are still four large bunkers containing marine guns and a few more shelters and smaller bunkers in the area. it is always fascinating but at the same time scary to visit these military sites, you come away with a perspective on how war was or could be and the hope that no more wars or world wars will occur in the future.
then it was another 10-15 minutes drive to the port en bessin. a cute little port town which actually reminded me so much of whitby in the UK. it is a very cute little port town with many little shops, cafes and restaurants. We didn’t stay too long as we still had a bit of a drive to our next stop mont saint michel. it is a tidal island that houses a MONASTERY and many MEDIEVAL buildings that are now mostly filled with restaurants, hotels, and shops. There are some people that still live on the island. it is also a unesco world Heritage site, hence why all the tourists were there. upon arriving you have three options to get to the castle from the parking lot. what seemed like the fastest option is taking a bus, it is only a 10 minute ride however that day the lines to get on the bus in both directions were very long. The second option which you have to pay extra is to take a horse drawn CARRIAGE. and the third option is to walk, it takes about 45 MINUTES. we opt for the third option, however once entering the commune we didn’t stay too long, it was super crowded considering a pandemic was going on and it was really hot. however the parts that we did walk around and see were really nice, there are lots of little streets, alleyways going up and down. unfortunately there were too many people there to actually enjoy it, I don’t even want to know when it isn’t during a pandemic and you have all and every tourist from around the world there.
most people then stop at saint malo however all the hotels there were booked and we were pretty tired from the day, so we then drove to the next big town saint brieuc. we then took a little walk around the town, it actually reminded me a lot of the uk, the stone and brick houses, the pebbled streets. then we had an interesting and delicious dinner at le brut restaurant, post to come soon.
Arromanches les Bains
Arromanches les Bains
Arromanches les Bains
Bunker at Batterie de Longues sur Mer
Marine Gun at Batterie de Longues sur Mer
Batterie de Longues sur Mer
Bunker by the cliff at Batterie de Longues sur Mer
Inside a bunker at Batterie de Longues sur Mer
Port en Bessin
View of Port en Bessin
Mont Saint Michel
Mont Saint Michel
Mont Saint Michel
Mont Saint Michel
Crowded Streets of Mont Saint Michel during a pandemic
Mont Saint Michel
Saint Brieuc
Saint Brieuc
Day 6 August 16 2020
Plage de méneham —> quiberon
After breakfast we then drove to plage de menez ham, I had looked up that it was one of the nicest beaches in france and it did not disappoint. it was such a breathtaking landscape the white sand, blue waters and sky surrounded by these huge granite rocks. we had a very nice walk along the beach, it actually wasn’t too cold and some people were swimming. we were starting to get hungry and wanted to try eating at the local restaurant which is also a hotel. but it was fully booked, so we then found a little restaurant in the next town over in brignogan plages, where we both had a huge portion of mussels and fries. it was so good and so fresh.
after lunch we then drove south to quiberon, this was definitely a tourist destination as the traffic going in and out was so much more than we had seen the entire trip. after figuring out the parking situation we walked around, there were certainly many more people around, a lot more shops and restaurants. we had a little sundowner drink at a bar/restaurant on the beach, that was really nice, more in line with a beach holiday versus a road trip but it was nice to just chill out and people watch. we also had some time to kill before our late dinner. we had tried to make a reservation at this restaurant but they were full however the chef was nice enough to offer a table after the first seating. it is a small restaurant that seats maybe 25 people and the menu is very limited with only three appetizer , three main course and two dessert options. the menu changes daily as it depends what the chef finds at the market in the morning but what is always on the menu is lobster, there is even a lobster tank in the restaurant. the food looks simple and in a sense it is however the ingredients are so fresh and of such high quality you actually don’t really need to do much. we stayed a bit later and talked with the chef and staff, which was super interesting, finding out that the world is actually very small and somehow we are all connected in some way.
Plage de Meneham
Plage de Meneham
Plage de Meneham
Moules et Frites at Au P’tit Nice
Brignogan Plages
Drinks by the beach
Tuna Carpaccio with Strawberries
Beef Tartare at Chez Homard
1/2 Lobster at Chez Homard
Tuna with honey, lemon, soy sauce and rice at Chez Homard
Magic Tart, a deconstructed lemon meringue tart at Chez Homard
Sunset in Quiberon
Au P'tit Nice
20 Rue de Keravezan, 29890 Brignogan-Plage
+33 983908209
Auberge de Menehem
Village de Meneham, 29890 Kerlouan
https://www.aubergedemeneham.com
Day 7 August 17 2020
quiberon —> la baule-Escoublac
As we had only really explored the southern tip on the way out we decided to not take the main road but the road along the coast on the westside. what stunning and BEAUTIFUL views, next time we should stay a few days longer maybe during off peak season. and either walk around or bike around the whole area as there are so many different areas, landscapes to see. Our next stop was la baule-escoublac which was recommended to us by a friend. a nice beach town, DEFINITELY more developed than the other places we have been with brand named and more exclusive stores. there seemed to be more beach activities like WINDSURFING and sailing. we didn’T stay too long as we still had to make our way to our last stop. however just north there are huge salt marshes of guérande, where they produce fleur de sel. it was so interesting to drive through them and we stopped by one stand to buy a few bags. we have already tried it at home and the salt is really good.
Quiet morning in Quiberon
Westside of Quiberon
Westside of Quiberon
Westside of Quiberon
Ice cream break
Beach at La Baule-Escoublac
Salt fields of Guerande