France Day 6: Chilly dips and a side car trip

We spent the morning exploring the property and googling how to operate the dishwasher. The temperature at 9:30 am was just 65 degrees, yet the kids convinced both of us to open the pool and swim.

Grandma and Ale kept watch poolside, towels at the ready for little ones with purple lips and chattering teeth.

Today we had 2:30 pm reservations for a major bucket list item of mine – riding in a motorcycle side car, goggles and all.

I can’t even remember when I first mentioned it to Amir, but it was for certain more than 7 years ago. Apparently he logged it in the back of his brain and held on to it for just the right time. For my birthday Monday, he even wrapped up a little Indiana Jones motorcycle side car toy to reveal our upcoming adventure.

We parked the mega van and walked along the harbor, checkout the seafood markets and historical markers along the way.

The area is busy with sailboats, café onlookers, dogs on leashes and a parade of rare and expensive sports cars. We picked a random restaurant to grab a bite, atmosphere and efficiency taking priority over haute cuisine. We lucked out and got all three.

We also squeezed in a quick spin on the merry-go-round, our second one this trip.

#1LittleSister wasn’t old enough to ride in the side car, so she stayed back with Grandma. The rest of us spread out in three side cars, each driven by a gentleman from the rental company, Retro Tour Normandy.

The tour lasts 1.5 hours, with stops at two historical sites and a cidery. The drivers were also tour guides, providing historical details and humor.

First stop was up the hill to see the Chapelle Notre-Dame de Grâce. Dedicated to Mary by fishermen for hundreds of years, the interior reflects exactly that. The park surrounding the chapel is gorgeous as well. #1BigSister loved picking wild flowers while #1BigBrother checked out the lookout.

The next stop delivered on panoramic views as well. I’ll have to ask Amir the name of it tomorrow and do an edit as it’s escaping me now.

The last stop of the trip was to the Cidre Pommeau Calvados, a 4th generation cidery, featuring sprawling apple orchards and cascading rose bushes.

I’m hoping to convince Amir to write a post tomorrow. He’s such a treasure of historical knowledge, especially WWII. I wish I could have held on to the historical accounts shared with us today, but my brain is full of mom and doctor things, without room for much else.