Guest post by Chris Thomas
Feel like it is time to spend a few days outside the UK, but your budget is limited? You don’t have to go far to feel refreshed. But since we are living on an island, you will at least have to cross the channel. That is where Normandy is located, and it awaits you for days of fun, which will enable you to fully let go of your worries, at a reduced cost. To do so, all you need, is a great camping site.
Camping is where you will find All in One Place
If you are thinking of camping as a site where you will have to pitch your tent and sleep on hard ground, then you haven’t looked into camping for ages. Camping sites have become the most interesting way to travel for couples or family, simply because they have it all: Comfort, activities and a natural environment that lets you breathe easy. When you will go camping in Normandy with Canvas Holidays, you will discover a whole new way of traveling, which is similar to taking a cruise, as it provides all the amenities you may need in one place, but with the advantage that you can actually go out and visit towns located around the camp site. These are three to four star locations, that will satisfy even the most difficult travelers.
A Return to Nature
Even the most urban individuals among us have been dreaming of nature, over the last two years. Lockdowns will have that effect on you… But it is also the fact that we were caught inside the city, unable to head to the countryside for a day or two, that created that need for a return to nature. Heading to Normandy on a camping site, will respond to that desire, in a unique way. You may choose one that is located by the lake and enjoy peaceful days relaxing on its shore, reading a book, or you can head out on a canoe for some exercise. Or you may want to try your luck at fishing in one of those beautiful French lakes and have a fresh fish dinner. And if lakes are not for you, then choose one location with a magnificent pool, where you will be able to swim or to play around with the kids.
Visit Normandy
Caen, Rouen, Le Havre… These are but the most important cities that you can discover, while on your trip in Normandy. This region is also one of the most important, in regards to key events that took place during the Second World War, which is a great way to refresh your memory. But the most important location to visit, is without a doubt the Mont Saint-Michel. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was an important medieval pilgrimage destination. Because of its location, at 100 meters above the sea, at low tide, you can actually walk to it, but at high tide, it becomes an island, only reachable by road. A mythical site that one cannot miss, when visiting the region.
Other Sites to See
Claude Monet Gardens and House
On the second step of the podium, of places to see in Normandy, and just below the Mont Saint-Michel, are the gardens and the house of Claude Monet, one of the greatest painters of all time, known as part of the founding fathers of the impressionism movement. Located in Giverny, there are more than six hundred thousand tourists that pass by, every year, to discover some of the locations that he used in his most famous paintings. A must-see for all who enjoy art.
The D Day Omaha Museum
There aren’t many more important war sites in the world than Omaha Beach, in the Calvados. So many people lost their lives on and around it, in the name of liberty and country. Right beside it stands a museum which features thousands of original pieces, gathered from D Day. You can’t miss it, as it is located inside a typical American building, which is truly different from any other architecture around.
Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption Cathedral
Cathedrals are museums without entry fees (well, that is true for most of them). If you pass by Rouen, it is impossible to miss a visit to the most important location in the city. Rouen is the capital of the ecclesiastical province of Normandy, and therefore the seat of the archdiocese. This cathedral holds the rank of Primatiale. It will make you humble, the moment you walk in and leave you in awe.
Le Château de Pirou
Close to the UK, in the Manche department of the Normandy, in Cotentin, you will find the Château de Pirou, which was built in the 12th Century and rebuilt in the 17th. It still had to be retouched between 1968 to 1994, thanks to help of Father Marcel Lelgard. A definite site to see.
