American economic dominance

[Pelado]

I messaged him, but Moli can post his tips here for all if he wants. Both my wife and I served our missions in south western France and we have been back multiple times, we just haven't spent a lot of time in Normandy. We are staying in an AirBnB between the D-day Normandy beaches and Mt. Saint Michel:

In Moli's opinion:

1. What is the best D-day beach(s) and memorial cemetery(s) to visit?
2. What is the best time to get to Mt. Saint Michel, and what else is there to do in that region that you recommend?

... anyone else can chime is also!

to answer BFM: I am a three days maximum in Paris kinda person. I suggest taking a day to visit the Louvre and know that it is closed on Tuesdays. If you don't want to visit the Louvre, you really should visit a museum and the best for the dollar is the Musee D'Orsay. Musee D'Orsay is an impressionists heaven, but also head up to the cafe and out onto the balcony for a great view of the Seine and the city.

I booked several different European itineraries including nearly a week in Northern France for when my wife and I traveled there in 2023. Unfortunately, we cancelled most all of our France plans when the country started protesting the change to their public retirement system. Garbage was piling up in the streets, there were large protest gatherings, etc. and my wife did not want to trust that it would all be fine by the time of our trip (though it was).

We had planned to stay a couple of nights in Rouen, a couple of nights in Bayeux, and then one night at one of the hotels in Mont Saint-Michel before spending several days in the Loire Valley and then finishing up in Paris.

What I read about Mont Saint-Michel was that staying overnight there got you a much more relaxing experience. After they close the property for the night and until they open it back up in the morning, you kind of have the whole place to yourselves instead of having to fight the crowds. My wife is not a big fan of crowds of people, so it made sense for us. The rates there are pricier than in Rouen or Bayeux but much less expensive than Paris.

[tooblue]

I want some tips on Normandy. The Mrs. and I are making our first trip to France in early October. We'll be in country 10 full days, not including flight days in and out. I'm just starting to figure out how many days to spend in Paris, how many days for Normandy, and then probably one other area of the country.

I'm not really much of an AirBnB guy and there don't appear to be any Marriott hotels around Normandy so I need to figure out where to stay.

I messaged him, but Moli can post his tips here for all if he wants. Both my wife and I served our missions in south western France and we have been back multiple times, we just haven't spent a lot of time in Normandy. We are staying in an AirBnB between the D-day Normandy beaches and Mt. Saint Michel:

In Moli's opinion:

1. What is the best D-day beach(s) and memorial cemetery(s) to visit?
2. What is the best time to get to Mt. Saint Michel, and what else is there to do in that region that you recommend?

... anyone else can chime is also!

to answer BFM: I am a three days maximum in Paris kinda person. I suggest taking a day to visit the Louvre and know that it is closed on Tuesdays. If you don't want to visit the Louvre, you really should visit a museum and the best for the dollar is the Musee D'Orsay. Musee D'Orsay is an impressionists heaven, but also head up to the cafe and out onto the balcony for a great view of the Seine and the city.

[BigFatMeanie]

Let me know if you want any tips on Normandy. I consider it a second home and hope to do tours there when I retire.

I want some tips on Normandy. The Mrs. and I are making our first trip to France in early October. We'll be in country 10 full days, not including flight days in and out. I'm just starting to figure out how many days to spend in Paris, how many days for Normandy, and then probably one other area of the country.

I'm not really much of an AirBnB guy and there don't appear to be any Marriott hotels around Normandy so I need to figure out where to stay.

[tooblue]

Let me know if you want any tips on Normandy. I consider it a second home and hope to do tours there when I retire.

I will send a private message when I see where they booked the AirBnB!

[Moliere]

We will spend only a few days in Paris and most of our time in Normandy, the only place in France we haven't spent much time in, and then lastly in the Loire valley. Should be lovely.

Let me know if you want any tips on Normandy. I consider it a second home and hope to do tours there when I retire.

[tooblue]

You wouldn't either if you were Canadapoor.

It's a black (Friday) sense of humour

[tooblue]

So poor we built a 6.5 billion dollar bridge Trump won't open because Canada owes the US ... what exactly is unclear, because you all are so wealthy, but hey

Fact check: Canada paid for Gordie Howe Bridge, but doesn’t own it alone

https://www.ctvnews.ca/windsor/article/fact-check-canada-paid-for-gordie-howe-bridge-but-doesnt-own-it-alone/

[tooblue]

Might I suggest an afternoon trip to Les Grottes Petrifiantes near the Chateau de Villandry while you're in the Loire. I think Villandry has the best gardens in the area. We were there in a heat wave (100 degrees), and the Caverns were an amazing break from the heat and a really cool place to check out.

That sounds like an amazing suggestion. My wife served part of her mission in the Loire and that itinerary is all hers.

[Bo Diddley]

As a missionary in London in the 80's, it felt like there was a prosperity gap between the UK and the US. Not that they were poor, just that we had more.

It seemed like they caught up some in the next 20 years, but then with Brexit, they are losing ground. They are not a poor country.

[Omaha 680]

Lol. You have zero sense of humor.

You wouldn't either if you were Canadapoor.

[bluegoose]

We will spend only a few days in Paris and most of our time in Normandy, the only place in France we haven't spent much time in, and then lastly in the Loire valley. Should be lovely.

Might I suggest an afternoon trip to Les Grottes Petrifiantes near the Chateau de Villandry while you're in the Loire. I think Villandry has the best gardens in the area. We were there in a heat wave (100 degrees), and the Caverns were an amazing break from the heat and a really cool place to check out.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Lol. You have zero sense of humor.

[tooblue]

Americans (Utahns) are so wealthy they don't storm stores ...

[Northwestcoug]

Aren't heat pumps cheap in Europe. That's a no brainer, low-energy solution.

The last time we went to the UK we noticed more and more heat pumps.

We also have heat pumps in our house and the separate ADU. It rarely gets above 90 here so we only turn it on when there's been a long stretch of hot days. Works though.

[tooblue]

You’ll likely be fine in late August unless another heat wave comes through. There are tricks to getting by in Paris during the summer. The first is to never rent an apartment near the top floor. Those apartments are cheaper for a reason, because they stay hot. Also, never rent an apartment that has windows that open up onto a busy road. You’ll have to choose between keeping the windows open for cool air or keeping out the noise. Also, be careful when assuming a listing says it has AC as it likely doesn’t have adequate AC. Even in hotels. I once rented an apartment that said it had AC but there was one portable unit for the entire apartment, which had three bedrooms.

My recommendation is to vacation in Normandy, because you’ll very likely never need AC out there…

We will spend only a few days in Paris and most of our time in Normandy, the only place in France we haven't spent much time in, and then lastly in the Loire valley. Should be lovely.