June 5, 2024 We had visited Saint-Sauveur-Le-Vicomte in the past with hopes of identifying the location of a picture of Dennis’ father, but we had been unsuccessful. This time, we hit the jackpot! We first stopped at the medieval chateau to speak with the historian. The small museum had testimonials of people who lived in… Continue reading Saint-Sauveur-Le-Vicomte, France
Category: Europe
Ravenoville, France
June 4, 2024 Ravenoville is a community of 250 inhabitants, about 1.5 hours’ walk from Sainte Mere Eglise, where the paratroopers first landed during the Liberation. Dennis made a sign, and we hitched to the Eternal Heroes Memorial ceremony to which Dennis had been invited. Dennis had been here previously, and the olive tree sampling… Continue reading Ravenoville, France
Bayeux, France
June 3, 2024 Bayeux is a town in Normandy, 10 kilometers from the English Channel coast. The medieval center contains cobbled streets, half-timbered houses, and the towering Norman-Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame. In the cathedral courtyard, a tree was planted in 1797, and they project a 360-degree film onto the trunk. There is also the Tapisserie Museum… Continue reading Bayeux, France
Valognes, France
June 1, 2024 We arrived in Valognes on June 1. This town, which the Romans called Alauna in the first century, still has ruins of Roman baths and an imposing theater with more than 3000 seats. In the 15th century, Valognes became the economic and administrative capital of the Cotentin peninsula. In the 17th century,… Continue reading Valognes, France
Uplyme and Lyme Regis England
Dennis wanted to visit the Jurassic Coast in Dorset County to explore the beaches and hunt fossils. Since it was a bank holiday weekend, most accommodations in Lyme Regis were unavailable, but we managed to snag a room at the Westley B&B in Upland, a town just 1.5 miles from Lyme Regis. The B&B is… Continue reading Uplyme and Lyme Regis England
Penzance, England
May 24 Lamorna Cove to Penzance (Day 11) This is our final day on the South West Coast Path. I am not sad that it is an easy 6.5-mile path, 1.3 on paved roads. Knowing this in advance, I took my hiking sandals to change into after Mousehole (mow-zel) for the final walk into Penzance.… Continue reading Penzance, England
Land’s End, England
May 22 St Just to Land’s End (Day 10) The cab driver picked us up at 8:40 for an early start in St. Just. We arrange to be collected at Land’s End instead of the scheduled destination. We walked for 1.75 miles before leaving St. Just and getting onto the tough path. I fell twice… Continue reading Land’s End, England
St Ives, England
May 19 Hayle to St Ives. (Day 7) Dennis woke up with a cold. After taking Day-Quil, we were shuttled back to Hayle for a 6-mile walk to St. Ives. The path was 2/3 paved. Since our accommodation does not include breakfast, we stopped at the Birdies Bistro for brunch. It is located near the… Continue reading St Ives, England
Hayle, England
May 18 Portreath to Hayle (Hale) (Day 6) The day began hazy but mild. We were shuttled back to Porthreath and then took a taxi to Gwighian Beach, cutting out six miles. The cabbie gouged us, charging us 20£ for a 6-mile drive and asking for currency. It got cooler in the afternoon up on… Continue reading Hayle, England
Portreath, England
May 17 Parrenporth to Portreath (Day 5) We took the taxis to St. Agnes (Aggie) Head Viewpoint, shortening our walk by four miles. I have no qualms about (cheating?) shortening the mileage. The day is brilliant, the weather is perfect, and the views are indescribable–even pictures do little justice to the majestic sights. At first,… Continue reading Portreath, England