Invited by a family I met in Paris, I traveled by car to a region called Saint-Jean-le-Thomas in Normandy, northwestern France. Here, Normandy is Normandy of 'Normandie Landing Operation'. So, the American flag flying outside the window was noticeable.
The family spends their vacations at their mother's home in Saint-Saint-le-Toma each time the children go on vacation, often in the small apartments of Paris, often saying that when they relax in a spacious country house, they are healed.
When my mother and aunt traveled to Portugal this time, I was happy to say that my family could use my aunt's villa located right next to the sea.
A friend's Malmatana or Saint Jean Le Toma is a beautiful and tranquil village with tidal flats, beaches, mountains and forests, meadows, and charming homes.
In Paris, Normandy is as far from Seoul to Busan. On the way to the national road, the scenery was wonderful, so I didn't deliberately take the highway, and it took more than six hours, including a break. On the way, it stopped raining and repeating. When it was raining, I could rest for a while in a village or near a lake with a pretty scenery.
Outside the window, horses, goats, sheep, cattle ranches and cornfields continued. At sunset, wild animals such as wild boar and elk seemed to pass through the safari zoo.
It was strange and strange to see a fat white cow that was familiar only with yellow cows. On the wide grassland, the appearance of a cow grazing with a cub or leisurely hanging around is impressive, while the sadness of the Korean cattle eating ugly and uncomfortable in a narrow and cramped space overlaps.
Video capture photo taken by child
When I arrived at the destination, it rained again.
The area in Normandy was originally colder than Paris, and the rain was often falling, so the weather would come and go. Even if it rained a day, the weather quickly stopped and the sun started to glow even after a lot of clouds.
When I went to the tidal waters near the hostel, I could see the Mont Saint-Michel island in the distance. The tide is large, so it is accessible on foot at low tide, but is isolated in the middle of the ocean during high tide. It is a historic site used as a fortress during the 100-year war against Britain and a concentration camp after the Great Revolution. In addition, since the Middle Ages, a number of pilgrims' abbeys have a legendary origin that was built by the Archangel of Michael in the dream of Bishop Ober and is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
When I was in France five years ago, I went to Mont Saint Michel.
The monastery at the top had limited access, and our couple luckily had the opportunity to participate in the Mass. Even though I am not a Catholic, the holy and spiritual praises of the sisters I met for the first time had a dreamy and mysterious experience that touched my soul for a moment. It was a beautiful, serene, carefree mass. Mont-Saint-Michel was a place I would definitely want to go back to if I had the chance, but it was unreasonable for tourists to bring their children during the boiling season. It was a pity that I had to be satisfied with seeing only from a distance throughout this trip, but when I went out for a night walk, the fantastic night view of Mont Saint Michel, shining alone in the middle of the dark sea, was comforting enough.
Google image
Fortunately, there was rain passing from the next day, but the blue sky with the sun shining continued all day.
Birds can be heard in the house of Paris, but the birds are heard in the morning sun in the countryside. In addition, I was drinking coffee, freshly brewed, and I was looking at the laid-back countryside infinitely, so I thought that I had spent a long time and came to this place.
Aunt's house
A friend's mother's house
Friends mother house backyard garden garden
I ate mostly at my friend's mother's house, which has a garden and a spacious garden, and it was as if I was shooting 'three or three meals'. I loved the garden and once I changed the city garden on the roof of the building, I was so excited that I harvested fresh vegetables such as beets, lettuce, green onions, and tomatoes to make salads.
As adults barbecue and preparing meals, the children ran around eating the blackberries and raspberries hidden in the garden. The front and back yards are large and two-story, so children had fun playing in and out of the house. This is why it is better to raise children in the countryside than one. Adults can safely rest in the garden after meals because the children are safe in the fence inside the house.
The French dining culture is good because it is relaxing and relaxing.
We drank cider, an apple fermentation that is famous in Normandy, as an aperitif before a meal, ate slowly with wine, and drank coffee with chocolate. Of course, authentic French meals also have a wider variety of courses between an appetizer entree, a traditional plat, and a dessert dessert. However, we prepared it as simple and casual as possible because we cooked it with friends. Rather, after eating, he continued to eat baguettes, cheese, and cookies while warming up under the warm sunlight and gazing at the green garden and blue sky. I wonder if it's a real vacation to eat and relax.
Children playing inside and outside the house
I went around the village in the morning and went out for a walk in the afternoon.
When I passed the alley, I ate blackberries and walked while looking at the sea. The children ran and ran without a run, and when they met the playground, they played again. Where are the children's infinite stamina so constantly rising?
Everybody meets with a smile and greets them. It is another strange scenery from Paris. There was a horse ranch nearby, so there were quite a few people riding horses in the village alleys or on the beach.
At low tide, we went out to the tidal flat to observe sea creatures.
The soft mud feels good when it is pressed to the bottom of the bare foot, and the feet are deeply pressed to give a timid twist.
Small fish swim in each standing water, and I didn't know that it was time to go to the fun of finding various tidal animals.
There is another kind of beach in about 10 minutes by car, and we visited it more often. I went around 11 am, and the waves were good until 3 pm, so adults grew up and played like waves as children.
In August, shops are tightly closed in every village. There are no people walking on the streets, so they turn into ghost towns, but the towns here have beaches, and shops are full of visitors.
To be honest, I envy those who are lying on a secluded beach, relaxing, relaxing, surfing and swimming, and sunbathing and picnicking.
France also has a history that the country has enjoyed such a long vacation. In 1968, through the '68 Revolution ', students and workers engaged in a general strike to obtain a four-week legal paid leave, and in 1985, 35 hours per week and a fifth-class paid leave were enacted, and the current French vacation culture was established. Most of the French companies in July-August switched to the vacation mode, and the company atmosphere was full of excitement, and all employees went on vacation for at least three weeks, and the work itself became widespread.
When I went to work in Korea, I had to convince my co-workers and my boss about the reason I noticed that taking a week's vacation, and I remembered a day when I didn't even have to act. After taking a vacation like that, after spending a week in a fleeting week, when I returned, I noticed again and suffered irrational guilt.
Our reality of returning to Korean jobs is in Korea, so the cows in the French grasslands and the French who met at the resort were envious.
It was in mid-August, but the temperature was only 20 degrees, so it went cold and went out into the sea.
When the market turned around, I went shopping at a nearby mart and made sandwiches on the beach. The sandwiches made on the fly while enjoying the beautiful scenery are still honey.
When I go back to Korea next year, the vacation period is short, so I won't be able to dream like this European vacation. So, when you can enjoy it, thank you and enjoy it to your heart's content.
Thanks to a family of friends, I was able to experience the 'staycation' that the French send for a while in the French countryside. France has a long vacation, so a region is usually selected for a long stay in one place for sightseeing or recreation. Among the Parisians above the middle class, some of them have vacation homes in their area, like their friends' families.
When we went to Menorca, Spain, our old resort also had French people who came here every year on vacation and spent several weeks. So, how can this French lifestyle be enviable?
In Korea, I hope that the legally paid leave, which is the right of workers, will not only be prolonged to more than 5 weeks, like France, but also be freely available. As the French people did during the 68 Revolution, this is where we have to fight persistently.
When I go back to Korea, I try to excuse myself by making a pledge to work hard for the union and political activities that I neglected as an excuse to be busy eating and living. Then, one day, a dreamy day will come for our children's generation to know the value of work and vacation and to fully enjoy the joy of rest while pursuing a break like France.
