Day 24 – A Damp Day in Chartres
Originally published on September 24, 2025. We drove a couple of hours through drizzle on our way to Chartres. On the way into town we spotted a supermarché and stocked up on supplies for our…
Day 23 – Bernay & Lisieux, I Go to Church
Originally published on September 23, 2025. Got up this morning and went over to Bernay, a charming Norman town that turned out to be much bigger than I expected. We sampled some of the historic…
Day 22 – WWII Day
Originally published on September 22, 2025. We started the day in Caen at the Mémorial de Caen, a museum that is much more than just a collection of artifacts. Caen itself was the site of…
Day 21 – The Road to Lisieux
Originally published on September 21, 2025. Well, show of hands—who’s still following this adventure? I know we’re at the point where you might wonder if we’re ever coming home. We are, I promise. But today…
Day 20 – The Road Trip Within the Road Trip
Originally published on September 20, 2025. We gave ourselves a road trip within the road trip today. Leaving Rouen, our first stop was the riverside village of La Bouille. With its narrow lanes, half-timbered houses,…
Day 19 – The Day You Want to Have (Part 2)
Originally published on September 19, 2025. One of the coolest things about Rouen is how the half-timbered medieval houses are everywhere. Around Saint-Maclou, they even form a complete circle of crooked beams and colorful facades.…
Day 19 – The Day You Want to Have (Part 1)
Originally published on September 19, 2025. I still had one lingering stressor: the car. Where I parked last night, you could only buy two hours of parking at a time, which isn’t exactly sightseeing-friendly. But…
Day 18 – The Day You Don’t Want
Originally published on September 18, 2025. We checked out of the hotel and hauled our bags to the car, packed everything in, and… click. Nothing. Dead battery. I won’t bore you with all the sordid…
Day 17 – Antwerp
Originally published on September 17, 2025 I was up before sunrise and slipped out to the Grote Markt, the main square framed by the Renaissance-style city hall and the ornate guild halls that once housed…
Day 16 – We Travel to Ghent
Originally published on September 16, 2025 We left the hotel bright and early at 7 a.m. and hopped the subway to Antwerp Central Station—truly a masterpiece in its own right. Built in 1905, this ornate…