Weekends in Normandy: Honfleur, Villers, Giverny, and Mont Saint Michel

I spent the first two weekends of May in Normandy at

my host family's lovely home in Villers sur Mer. During the 

first weekend, I spent time relaxing in their little town and

took a day trip with my host brother, Gautier, to visit

Honfleur, the quintessential charming seaside town. 

During the second weekend, my host family had invited

their family friends, the Galls, who host another 

Middlebury student, and good ol'Aaron, and together,

the 7 of us explored Claude Monet's enchanting garden and home

at Giverny, learned about their town, Viller's, experience

during World War II in memorial of May 9th, and were

awed by the beauty and allure of Mont Saint Michel. 

My weekends at their house (including the one spent in

March to experience the Grand Marée) are some of my

most treasured experiences during my time in France. 

From trying many of the region's local gourmet specialities  

to visiting many of its historical sites and towns with 

them, these experiences have both complimented

and deepened my cultural experience and immersion in France, 

and have made me so grateful to part of the Monomakhoff family this semester.  

Weekend #1: Villers and Honfleur 

Upon our arrival in Villers on Friday, we drove
to some local farms to pick up some local produce for
our meals. At this farm, we picked up some fresh dairy products
such as whole milk, cottage cheese, fresh creme, and rice pudding. 

Cows!

An apple orchard that wasn't open this weekend, but
we would return here next weekend to purchase:
alcoholic apple cider, pommard, and calvados
(local alcoholic drinks)

The Monomakhoff's house 

The products that we bought at the dairy farm:
Rice pudding, whole milk, cottage
cheese, and fresh creme. 

The view of Villers from their balcony

Visit to Honfleur

Gautier in the heart of Honfleur 

"Colombage" architecture

Walking through the Saturday farmer's market

My new favorite Norman delicacy:
Bulots with dijon mayonnaise

Walking through the town

The Eugene Bodin Museum

His portrayal of Honfleur
in Impressionist style 

Weekend 2:

Claude Monet's House and Gardens in Giverny

Fruits de la Mer for lunch at their house in Villers

We had to move inside due to some light rain.
In this photo, Mrs. Gall is showing Aaron and us
how to properly eat crab à la française!

This plate consisted of:
Crab, Shrimp, Bulot, Smaller Bulots, and Oysters
(plus the home-made dijon mayonnaise that
Mr. Gall prepared)

"Villers during the War" Tour

In light of Victory Day, we decided to tour of Villers and learn

about its history and experiences during World War II. 

While Villers was occupied by the Nazis (until its liberation in August of 1944), 

life in this town was not severely affected or disrupted unlike many
of its neighbors, but instead remained some of its 

Along the tour, the tour guide showed us different places and houses

of certain Nazi leaders, resistance leaders, or other 

points of interest related to this topic.