Phil&Jill

When we woke up this morning Phil said he would like to see the land yachts and have a cup of tea at the Grand Hotel. As he hadn't been able to walk very far pain free, this was quite a challenge he set himself.

So we set off down the gravel path by the marshes of the River Dive.
This time with swans and herons. My first white swan of this trip. They really are a favourite of mine. Two cyclists had a different way to take their dog with them, carrying it in their backpack. Over the cantilever bridge and out to glimpse the sea and the beach.

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However it was full tide, so Phil's first glance at the Normandy coast was entirely different to mine. Still gorgeous just different with the small waves lapping the sand. Hence to his great disappointment no land yachts. After having a picnic lunch sitting on the bench on the Marcel Proust promenade we walked to the Grand and had a coffee/tea at the adjacent Digue cafe and people watched - a great way of seeing French people at leisure on a Sunday.

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To really see how the other half live, we went into foyer with its sparkling chandliers and elegant dining room
The decor was in the style of the Belle Epoch with muted mauve and purple finishing. Then there was a flurry in the foyer as some of the film stars were stepping down the stairs followed by porters carrying their bags and suit bags. We decided to leave at the same time and Phil was very pleased to see his car roll up to take him back to the appartment....in his dreams!!

Walking outside to go down the commercial street of Cabourg we discovered they had put the red carpet all the way down and I read on their website that the stars had walked the whole distance waving and doing selfies with fans on the way to get their awards at the function at the Grand. The casino is adjacent to the Grand and the two buildings make a huge impression on locals and visitors alike.

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...and my star too got to walk the red carpet.

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Feeling very pleased with the day I called into the Tourist Information and got some information about what bus to get to Honfleur tomorrow; Bayeux the day after and more importantly to learn how difficult it is to get from Bayeux to Giverny. She was intimating the best way - cheaper but longer was to go back to Paris and.out again. Not an option we preferred. I did enquire about a taxi but the company quoted 300 euros!!. However we applied our thinking and changed our plans a little. We will now go to Rouen directly from Bayeux and catch the train down to Giverny and see Monet's garden on a day trip. Problem solved we made our way to bed - exhausted but very happy.