Keeping up with the Koske's: January 2015

We wanted to break up the drive from Belgium to Le Mans. I asked my French travel advisor (colleague in next office). He said we should stop in Honfleur a little town on the Norman coast. Unfortunately there were no hotel rooms available, which should have probably told us something. So we decided to stay in Rouen a larger city about and hour or so inland from Honfleur which actually worked out well and had we not stayed in Rouen my favorite day of the trip would not have been as cool.

On the way from Belgium we stopped in a coastal French resort town called Neufchâtel-Hardelot for lunch. I had some more moules et frite, the last of the trip. The town seemed like what I would imagine the Jersey shore on the off season would be like. A little ghost town-y resort area that was slightly run down (older). After lunch, some gelato, and a walk down to the beach we continued on toward Rouen. Rouen is a decent sized city with an old town that has some very interesting architecture. Once we got checked into our hotel we took a little walk around the old town and found a little park so Oliver blow off some steam. Not wanting to go back to the hospital for infected fingers we kept a keen eye on Oliver, but he was glad to get out and run around.

Moules et Frite...YUM!

Oliver and I looking for shells

Lindsey and Meme near the beach stairs

Rouen Architecture

Cathedral in Rouen

Poppy and Oliver riding on a merry go round

The next day was my favorite day of the trip outside of the racing. Why? Hard to put my finger on it. It was very road trip-y. We saw some cool things that one would have never saw unless you were driving across France. The goal for the day was to make our way to Honfluer to check it out. Between Rouen and Honfluer winds the Seine River and along the river abbeys were built (Route des Abbayes). We followed the river to one of the more impressive ones, Abbaye de Jumièges. Abbaye de Jumièges was founded in the 7th century and its existence as a monastery ended during the French Revolution. Now all that exists are impressive ruins. It resides in a tiny little town, not even one stop light or round about. We checked out the ruins of the abbey in a park like setting. Oliver was able to run around while we walked amongst the ruins. When we were done at the abbey we found a little tavern (La Taverne Des Moines) for lunch. When the waitress delivered our charcutrie et fromage (meat and cheese) plate the first thing Oliver did was pick up a good size piece of Camembert cheese and start munching on it. Frog legs, Camembert that's on every kids menu, right? After some Trappist beer, some fabulous cheese and meats we hit the road towards Honfluer.

The Abbey Towers

Abbey Ruins

More Ruins

Oliver trying to stand like Poppy

Eating Camembert for Lunch

OH MY was Honfleur busy no wonder there were no hotels. There was a festival going on, Fete des Marins or Sailors Festival which has been occuring since 1861. So, there were people everywhere. Luckily we were able to find parking spot not far from the main 'square', which is actually an old dock area surrounded by picturesque shops, restaurants and houses. We had told Oliver that there was a merry go round and if he was good he could ride in it. He was good all day so first thing was first, merry go round rides (no need to have a Paris repeat). After we finished there we took a break in a cafe where we got a little ice cream and a beer. Then we headed outside and Oliver spotted another merry go round with helicopters and motorcycles, so he had to ride on that as well. It was about that time that we noticed the boat parade leaving the harbor and a fire boat spraying it's canon into the air, so we watched some boats go by. On our walk back toward the old dock area we ran into a park and let Oliver play some. I texted my French travel advisor and asked him were we could find a tower o' seafood.

**Side Note** A couple years ago while planning our first trip to France we watched an episode of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" on the Breton area of France. In that episode Anthony obsesses over a seafood tower and becomes a bit confrontational with his producers wondering when he gets to take one on. So we (Dad and I) decided that while in the town of St. Malo, in the Brittany region during our first trip, to take on a seafood tower or plateau de fruits de mer (which literally translates to platter of fruit from the sea). Basically a huge plate/tower of various shellfish. We decided to try the same thing in Honfluer.

He texted me back with a restaurant (Restaurant Les Deux Ponts) and when Oliver was thoroughly tired out (who am I kidding that kid would have played until he passed out) we made out way to take on the tower. We ordered the tower o' seafood, I had a pretty feminine looking drink with Calvados (kind of like apple whiskey) and prepared my head for what was about to come. The tower was delivered and oh what a sight is was oysters, lobsters, langoustine (small lobster), 2 different kinds of shrimp, clams, whelks (sea snails), and periwinkle (smaller snails) all made an appearance on the tower. It was all tasty stuff, but it's a lot of work prying the various edible portions from the hold of their shells. I'm not sure it was a positive calorie meal. Would I do it again? Probably. When the memory of the work it took fades and the coolness of a tower o' seafood sitting in front of you takes over. When Dad and I finally waved the white flag (common in France) on the tower o' seafood we made our way back to the car and hit the road back towards Rouen. The next day we packed up and headed to our final stop, Le Mans.