Bonjour France! After a bout of serious procrastination, the lucky victor of our annual "where should we go for holidays?" lottery turned out to be the promised land of stinky cheese. We thought we were clever by dodging the peak European holiday season, but alas, no one had told us about the Rugby World Cup. It turns out we weren't the only visitors to this fine country after all. Tant pis. I guess you can't stroll into France and expect to have it all to yourself. Anyway, go Brave Blossoms (they’re the national rugby team of Japan)!

To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t overly thrilled before the trip: I don't speak a word of French and I hadn’t driven in France much, so my primary concern was just how we'd manage. Turns out that we managed pretty well: I was even able to buy pain au chocolat in French when things got really desperate! The plan was to embark on a road trip in Normandy and, after that, rendezvous with friends from my wife's Zürich days in Paris. Especially Paris, the City of Light, strikes me as dirty and chaotic. They say it's the world's most romantic city, but to my nose, it's more eau de pee and cigarettes, and there are too many rats and humans living on the streets.

Paris may not be a well-oiled machine, but it is unquestionably a work of art — a colossal gallery of life and culture! The art museums, especially the Louvre, are nothing short of extraordinary. I'd never experienced such a highbrow art overdose (and very, very sore feet) as during our extended weekend in Paris. Enjoying the company of our old friends was the highlight of the trip.

I might not be Paris's biggest fan, but Normandy, with its postcard-worthy landscapes, is a whole different story. I was excited about visiting the World War II battlegrounds, and the trip to the monastery island of Mont Saint-Michel turned out to be even more breathtaking than I had imagined. Honfleur, a quaint fishing village along the English Channel, felt like something straight out of a movie. The road trip was a relaxing breeze. French roads are in good condition, and people drive with a sense of civility (except in Paris, which is a hell hole). We managed to avoid major traffic snarls and simply relished the drive, the views, and our quirky weird little rental car. Nope, we didn’t get a French car, we got something better: a Chinese Volvo knock-off SUV called “Lynk & Co”. The name alone is a mystery. Who is this Lynk character, and who are the company they're keeping? I’ve never driven such an oddball before. The car has technically all the latest features, yet everything feels so haphazardly designed. Lynk and their company didn’t try to actively murder us (although their parent company does sponsor murder), thanks for that, but they did try to drive me nuts and get me ticketed in the process. No cigar, Lynk, I’m not your Co.

Service in Normandy was top-notch everywhere we stayed. People are friendly, helpful and things just worked. After Paris, it felt like visiting a foreign country. If the worst thing about France is the coffee, then the best thing is undoubtedly the food. For instance, we dined in a pescatarian restaurant called L'Hippocampe, and I absolutely adored it. That's saying something, considering what an unapologetic carnivore I am. I’d also like to give a shout-out to the Vietnamese restaurants we frequented: thanks to their French connection, the Vietnamese places seemed to be particularly good.

French pastries deserve a honorary award. We grabbed our breakfasts from bakeries like the locals, and that seemed like an efficient and mouthwatering albeit unhealthy way to kick-start the day. It was also rather fascinating to observe the French love affair with baguettes. I now have a whole sub-category of travel photos labeled “French people casually carrying baguettes in every day life situations”. I might need to consider adopting this French best practice.

All in all, the trip was a triumph. The pinnacle was spending a couple of days with friends and immersing ourselves in high culture. The low point was the COVID we both got upon returning home. It was our first rodeo, and an experience I don’t wish to repeat anytime soon.

Hope you enjoy the photos. I tweaked the order a little bit so that I could end with my favourite picture.