Travel France - by Melinda

Normandy - Travel France

A painter's paradise: Monet's Giverny

September 22nd 2006 05:52

Bonjour tout le monde!

I’ve admitted before that I’m not much of an art lover, but for me, this is a must-see. One of the most famous non war-related sites in Normandy is Claude Monet’s garden in Haute-Normandie region.

Giverny can be found on right bank of River Seine. The village is 80 kilometres from Paris and is on the border between the Normandy and the Île-de-France regions.

Monet's 'Water Lily Pond' 1899 (this picture is in the public domain and can be found at wikipedia.org)

This beautiful village was first seen by Monet when he was staring out the window of a train. He decided to move there and rented a house until in 1890, when he had enough money to buy the house and land. He set up the gardens to inspire many of his paintings, including my favourite painting the Japanese Bridge and the water lilies.

Monet lived there in his house until his death in 1926 and members of his family are buried at the village cemetery.

The gardens have become a very popular tourist attraction in the area. For the latest information on the events at Giverny check out the link blelow.

Giverny news and tourism

See you soon
À bientôt
Melinda

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Saving Private Ryan: the real story

September 22nd 2006 05:31

Bonjour tout le monde!

So most people have seen Saving Private Ryan, right? But those who haven't, want to. (like me)

Well, this post will be dedicated entirely to the real story: war memorials and information about the battles which took place in the Normandy region in the Second World War.

A convoy of ships crossing the English channel for the D-Day invasion (This picture s in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code)

The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between Nazi Germany and the Western Allied forces. Operation Overlord, the invasion’s codename, is still the biggest ever seaborne invasion in history. Three million troops crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches on the Normandy coast.

The invasion, which is popular called ‘D-Day, began in the night time with massive naval and air attacks on the German gun battery emplacements. After this came some three million troops who were involved in the invasion. They landed in an amphibious assault on the morning of June 6, 1944.

The battle raged for 2 months and concluded with the liberation of Paris in August 1944.

The strategy and thinking involved in this mission was incredible. The Allies managed to convince German agents of the existence of 2 other battle plans: Operation Fortitude and Operation bodyguard, and that these two plans were more important than any operation in Normandy.

Today, there are still many reminders of the invasion and the beaches attract heaps of visitors every year. The beaches are still referred to by their codenames on maps! You can visit the cemeteries for the Americans and Germans. Many of the streets are named after units who fought there and throughout the streets are scattered plaques and other little memorials.

At Caen, there is a Museum of Peace which is dedicated to, you guessed it, peace, but still has exhibits on the invasion.

See you gain soon
Melinda

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Normandy: more than a battleground

September 22nd 2006 01:41

Bonjour tout le monde!

Sorry about the long time between posts guys. Been busy doing lots of research. Today will actually be my last day of posting on TravelFrance. It’s very sad, but I’m planning to give you heaps of info today!! First we’re going to look at the Normandy region in France, famous as a World War 2 battleground, then do a whirlwind tour of the Loire valley and the port city of La Rochelle.

But before we get there, I’m going to show you around Normandy. Normandy is the geographical region which stretches across northern France. It is bordered in the north by the English Channel with long expanses of beaches and granite and limestone cliffs. There are eight rivers which wind their way through the province. The main cities of the area are Rouen, Le Harve, Caen and Cherbourg-Octeville.

A colourful map of Normandy (this picture is licensed under the GNU Agreement and can be found at wikipedia.org)

Normandy is an area filled with museums and intriguing landmarks. From relics reaching back to the era when the Normans inhabited the area to German gun emplacements from World War 2, this place looks incredible!!!

The next post will deal entirely with the battles on the Normandy beaches. It’s a solemn place and I really think it’s worth a visit.

For the last part of the post a little list of fun facts about Normandy:
1. A minority of the population speak a Norman dialect. It has been influenced by the langue d’oïl, which was spoken in the region in medieval times.
2. Make sure you visit the Mormon cathedrals and castles which are perfect examples of Norman architecture. Domestic buildings are half-built with wood too!!
3. Claude Monet’s waterllily garden at Giverny is a must see attraction because it inspired many of his great works including this one below.
4. Christian Dior was born in the region
5. Camembert cheese, although a French product, is specifically made from Norman dairy produce.
6. The region is famous for its rolling hills, diary farms and apples.
7. Normandy is France’s major cider producing region (little wine is made.)

That’s it for now. See you again soon
Melinda

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