Moving on to Day 2 in France, we would drive from Paris to Caen, a city that suffered massive destruction during WWII. That was in 1944 when the Allied forces performed heavy bombing to dislodge the German forces.
Caen would be the base for us to begin WWII immersive experience in Normandy region, where we could see (and learn) in person on the devastating effect of war.
For a better story flow, check out what we did on our first day in France or view a summary of our 13-day France itinerary.
Done that? Let’s jump straight into Day 2 on the things we did in Caen city.
Collecting rental car in Paris
We would be picking up our rental car at Gare du Nord station. But before that, check out our US breakfast – Egg Sandwiches from Five Guys.
At €11 for two – that’s considered cheap in France. Absolutely loved the generous veggie toppings!
Our MG 1.3 litre rental car in France
Done with breakfast, we went to Avis – located at the basement of Gare Du Nord station – to collect our car, which we had pre-booked online.
After some checking and test-driving, we were ready to set off at 9.30am to explore North-western France.
1st Destination: Driving from Paris to Caen city
We made two rest stops in between the 4 hours drive to Caen. The first was at Aire de Vironvay Nord, where you can buy coffee from kiosks. Unfortunately, the cappuccino I ordered was too bitter for my liking – insufficient milk too (€3).
Aire Nord de Beuzeville was our second rest stop – it offered a clean toilet and a rather pricey convenience cum souvenir store.
Lunch at Caen City, Normandy
Finally, by 1.30pm, we reached Caen. That was when we learnt that many restaurants in France only operated during meal hours. Most would close by 2pm and this limited our meal options.
We did a quick scan through Google review and saw one that closed a little later, at 3pm. Check out the rather complex menu at Le Patio buffet restaurant.
We had to figure out the permutation and everything was in French. Do we choose main with starter or main with both starter and dessert?
Cultural difference
I decided to go with a “main + starter” and was shown a buffet salad counter. I took only a small portion of what I’d wanted to try from the extensive buffet counter, thinking that I could go back for more.
But when I went for my second round, the buffet counter had closed (way earlier than restaurant closing time).
Seems like once you start eating your main, people would assume you’re done with your “starter”.
By the way, the rib eye steak was generous in portion (280g), but way too raw for human.
I felt like I was a wolf and couldn’t bring myself to eat much of the raw meat (probably classified as “rare rare rare” for my order of “medium rare”).
Checked-into Hotel in Caen City
Done with a mediocre lunch, we checked into Sure Hotel, Caen. The room was decent and even came with a Nespresso coffee machine.
Drawback? The room smelled a little musty, and the property didn’t come with a lift. So, we had to lug our luggage up the stairs – luckily our room was on the second level.
But it’s not a deal-breaker, since this was gonna be just for a short one-night stay.
Things we did in Caen City, France
Now, I’ll show you the few things we did in Caen city.
Did you know? William the Conqueror was buried in Caen, at Abbey of Saint-Étienne (also known as the Abbaye aux Hommes).
1. Caen Memorial Museum (Mémorial de Caen)
This north-west region of France has so many war museums. Due to limited time, we chose to visit the biggest, at Caen Memorial Museum.
We had pre-purchased the tickets online.
The museum was huge and we spent about two hours exploring.
You can even enter a German bunker – we were the only ones there and it felt so eerie and scary.
2. Strolling in City Centre of Caen
Next, we drove to the city centre of Caen. As compared to Paris, Caen felt so safe and clean. Sadly, many shops were closed but the time we reached – at 7pm.
3. Church of Saint Peter, Caen
While strolling through the street, a beautiful building caught our eyes.
Church of Saint Peter, Caen (Église Saint-Pierre de Caen) wasn’t listed as a key attraction in Caen, but we couldn’t take our eyes away from the beautiful structure.
With its strikingly sharp Gothic spire extending to 80 meters tall, the church really stood out in the city.
4. Caen Castle
Thanks to long daylight hours, we still had time for Caen Castle. It’s definitely one of the highlights of Caen city – we caught a nice panoramic view of the city when standing on the castle walls.
Many locals were also having picnic by the castle ground.
Did you know? Caen castle, built in c.1060 by William the Conqueror, was used as a barracks during WWII. It was bombed in 1944 and suffered serious damage.
5. Vaugueux: A medieval neighbourhood in Caen
Where to have dinner? A short walk away was Vaugueux, a historic district in Caen known for its narrow cobblestone streets and old stone houses.
The restaurants here enjoyed good patronage.
6. A memorable dinner in Caen
Instead of dining at Vaugueux, we strolled back to the “city centre”, nearer to where our car was parked.
Luckily, the random restaurant we chose – Cafe de Caen – offered such a memorable meal. See my order – a Buddha Bowl Poulet!
It’s basically a salad that came with lots of veggies, avocado and chicken. Some veggies were unique and given whole (the pink thingy – radish?). As a salad lover, this was truly one of the key highlights of the trip.
The man enjoyed a Turkey main. We then wrapped up dinner with a few scoops of ice cream, and the bill came to about €45.
Parking Tip: Parking in France isn’t cheap. Do your research well. For example, we found a cheap parking (by France’s standard) which cost €5 for three hours (accurate at time of travel).
That’s all for Day 2. Due to time constraint, we skipped some Caen attractions we had earlier marked out, such as:
- L’Abbaye-aux-Hommes (18th century monastery)
- L’Abbaye-aux-Dames (11th century monastery)
- Merville Battery site (German batteries)
- Pegasus Bridge + Memorial Pegasus
Map Location (Caen City)Gare du Nord Station (Paris) >> Rent Car >> Rest Stop (Aire de Vironvay Nord) >> Rest Stop (Aire Nord de Beuzeville) >> Caen city >> Le Patio restaurant >> Sure Hotel, Caen >> Caen Memorial Museum >> Caen city centre >> Church of Saint Peter >> Vaugueux historic district >> Cafe de Caen |
What’s next?
On Day 3, we would continue our Normandy D-day tour, visiting sites where you can see the actual war damage. Stay tuned and don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll be notified when it’s published.
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