So we recently returned from a two-week trip to France. We wanted to go someplace special to celebrate our 20 year anniversary and Zeke had always wanted to go to Normandy and see the beaches of D-Day and the American Cemetery. He watched Band of Brothers in preparation.

Once we chose Normandy, we had to do a couple days in Paris and the tickets (on Air France) were quite reasonable. In Normandy, there were so many towns in the region that sounded interesting (and were recommended), that I had to add extra stops to our trip.

Honfleur– a port town where the French Impressionists painted, Rouen– the Capital of Normandy and where Joan of Arc was tried and burned at the stake, Liseaux– home of my favorite saint- Saint Theresa of the Little Flower and Mont St. Michel– the mirage-like city of pilgrims with an abbey, where I’d seen photos long ago and always wanted to visit.

After Normandy, we went to Chambord in the Loire Valley for three days and then back to Paris for a couple days before departing. My husband had sent me about thirty emails on Paris- where to dine, where to drink, where to visit- which I never got around to reading. We also had no reservations for any restaurants, so we just decided to wing it. Many times we just Yelped nearby restaurants when we were out.

The first days in Paris were definitely eat, drink and be merry! Crepes, Escargot, Foie Gras, French Fries, Cream Sauces, French Onion Soup, Souffles, Baked Goods, Candy, Creme Brûlée and of course, lots of wine. I also had a croissant and cup of cafe au lait for breakfast each day.

After a couple days, my stomach objected to all the rich and creamy food and I had to cool it on the over- indulgence. I have to say this about France. For some reason, the coffee is just better there! I had cafe au lait whenever I could; the baked goods, made from scratch, were reliably delicious. It is of course, not uncommon to see Parisians walking through the streets with baguettes under their arms, in their purses, in their bicycle baskets. I’m convinced that it was the inspiration for the Olympic torch of this summer’s Paris Olympics.

Unlike the good ole U S of A (where I recently paid $16 for bread at a chi-chi restaurant) there was never a charge for bread in France. It also came without being requested, usually a sliced baguette in a basket. But the funny thing is, except for breakfast, they don’t serve bread with butter. It’s there to sop up the sauces and juices with your meal, not to load up with butter and scarf down beforehand. Probably another reason French people are skinny. That, and all the walking!

One thing I noticed that had changed in France, was that when I’ve visited before the servers always ask: “Still or sparkling?” for water choices and you were pretty much obligated to buy a bottle of water (which always seemed wasteful to me). Nowadays, you can actually request tap water without getting serious side eye. It was normally served in a reused wine bottle at Bistros and something fancier at upscale restaurants.

We found service to be efficient, but not fawning; they usually wanted to take your order all at once, deliver it and then leave you alone. There were also quite a few of Prix Fixe menus (after all, invented in France), many restaurants served complimentary amuse bouches and Nouvelle Cuisine (little plates of pretty food) is still a thing in France. The opposite end of Nouvelle Cuisine is the Plat du Jour.

Plat du Jour (Plate of the day) is usually served at lunch and it’s an entree (which is actually the first course in French) and a plat (main course) offered for a set, reasonable price. Sometimes a glass of wine or drink is included in the price, sometimes a dessert. We ate many Plat du Jours in France and they were a good, filling meal for a good price. Kind of like Miami Spice, but cheaper and less gourmet.

Bistros abound in France and we had some of our most delicious meals there. There was a Roast Chicken Place (D’Argent La Rotisserie) in Paris and another restaurant, by the Louvre where we’d dined before (Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie) that were amazing and reasonably priced. It’s also possible (although not probable) to get a bad meal in France. More on that later.

After a couple days in Paris, we were off to Normandy, which was the main reason we came to France. Normandy is known for the three C’s- Camembert, Cream and Cider– and we sampled each. The fourth C is the Calvados (apple brandy) that is found all over Normandy.

Since Normandy is in the countryside, there’s a proliferation of apples and cows. I ate so much Camembert on our trip, that I was about to start mooing. Camembert is similar to Brie, but has less fat content (45% compared to Brie’s 60%) and therefore an earthier, funkier smell and flavor. It’s the stinky cheese, we’ve all heard tell about.

Our first stop was Honfleur. We’d gotten a restaurant recommendation from the bartender at our hotel (L’ Escale), but since it was a holiday weekend (November 11th is Armistice Day in France) it was fully booked. We thought we’d “wing it” and just pick a random restaurant. Big mistake. Following common sense logic, we stopped to eat at a spot that was packed with people and had a beautiful view of the harbor.

We sat down, ordered wine and dinner, when suddenly I noticed no one was eating. Everyone was just having a drink, and in a short time, the place was cleared out. So this was a place to have a drink before dinner, not to eat. Ah ha! This realization came too late. Our dinner that night was mediocre, at best. Lesson learned. We actually read in Rick Steve’s Normandy book not to eat there.

In Mont St. Michel, we’d been warned against getting the wood-fired omelette, as we heard it was expensive and inedible, so we looked for a restaurant to eat at besides Madame Pollard. Since it was November and off-season, there were very few alternatives. We ate at one of the only other restaurants open and had a bad meal. We should have taken Rick Steve’s advice and fasted like pilgrims during our time in Mont Saint Michel.

Our breakfast (a buffet) there the next morning was good, however, and I made us little sandwiches to eat on our three-hour road trip to the Loire Valley. I did this all over France, as well as buying apples and nuts to have on hand as easy snacks.

Almost everywhere we went, servers spoke English, so communicating was not an issue. Salads were served with any kind of meal, including my breakfast omelette at our hotel in Paris. After all the rich food, a fresh salad was appreciated as a counter-balance.

The wine in France was delicious and reasonable. We hate American Chardonnay (too buttery and oaky) but love the French Chardonnay. Loire is Wine country and we visited a couple wineries in Amboise, sampling the local wines.

Cheese courses are a thing in France, served after the meal but before dessert, as well as Digestives (like Calvados) to help settle your stomach. The desserts in France were impossibly pretty and hazelnuts and pistachios appeared in lots of these desserts.

Our last meal in Chambord was at a little bistro named Chez Walter. Chez means “at the house of” and it was a homey, intimate restaurant, the perfect spot to go on a chilly night, after a day of visiting Chateaus and wineries. Zeke ordered a dish a lot of other diners got. It was a wooden wheel of Camembert that had been baked and was melty, served with sliced ham, a salad and French fries. The French fries confused me, but then we saw people dipping them into the melted cheese. Yum! And, of course a salad for something healthy. LOL.

This meal actually seems like the perfect “Girl Dinner”, or just an easy meal on a chilly night to eat with a chilled glass of Sancerre. It would remind me of our wonderful trip to France. We are already planning our next trip- to the Burgundy region next time and Paris. Always back to Paris, there’s so much to see. Until next time… Au revoir!

Next Time: Brunch- an Easy Way to Feed a Crowd