Most Americans have heard the word “Normandy” in the context of World War II, as well they should have. The D-Day invasion centered there in 1944 was a watershed moment in the conflict, and involved enormous sacrifice from allied troops.
But while World War II history is an important reason to see northern France, it’s not the only reason, says KPLU travel expert Matthew Brumley.
Begin in Paris
Heading north out of the French capital, stop in Giverny, home of Claude Monet.
“Anyone who has seen ‘Water Lilies’ in their dentist’s office will recognize the Japanese ponds they have there, and the gardens of Normandy they have there,” Brumley said.
Visit Monet’s house, including his bedroom, garden and kitchen, “which anyone who loves food would die to have,” Brumley says.
Give it a full day to have time for the Museum of Impressionism and a nice dinner. It’s about an hour north of Paris. Drive there in a rental car, or hop on a bus.
Monet to Van Gogh
Auvers-sur-Oise was home to Vincent Van Gogh for a short time, at the end of his life. But it was a productive time, too.
“He painted 80 paintings during his time there,” Brumley said. “They have these wonderful placards up that show you the spot where Van Gogh stood when he painted the little church, or he painted the little tavern.”
In northern France, you don’t just look at paintings – you’re in them.
“I recognized so many of the sites. The little church, the fields in the area, the little tavern,” Brumley said. “These are paintings I’ve seen my whole life.”
D-Day
In Normandy, near the D-Day beaches, American flags still fly beside French flags outside some homes.
“There’s a lot of appreciation for what happened so many years ago,” Brumley said. “You can still see huge bomb craters – they’re still finding bombs every now and then.”
Artificial harbors built by allied forces are still there.
Museums chronicle the history. And there’s an American cemetery near Omaha Beach that any visitor should see.
“That’s one of the greatest ways you could pay your respects to these heroes that were there so many years ago,” Brumley said.
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”Going Places" is KPLU's weekly exploration of travel topics. Matthew Brumley is the co-founder of Earthbound Expeditions on Bainbridge Island, which provides small-group travel to clients including KPLU. Listen to previous episodes of "Going Places" using the links below, and suggest future episodes in the comments section.
