The evening was still warm, yet a subtle chill hinted at the approach of fall. Our campsite dinner was delayed as we struggled to get the charcoal grill started. Eventually, with our hair and clothes smoky, we sat down as fresh fish cooked on the grill. While we waited, we played music and sipped cheap wine from plastic wine glasses. In the end, this is what camping is all about.
Our camping trip in Normandy unexpectedly led us to Petites-Dalles Beach. To our surprise, we discovered that this was the exact location where Claude Monet painted his masterpiece, Cliffs of Les Petites-Dalles. Standing in the exact spot where Monet once set up his easel, on this quiet, untouristy beach, was an unexpected thrill. It made me appreciate how this landscape has inspired people for centuries. The moment became even more special when we learned that Monet's work is now housed in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston — only a few miles from our home, yet worlds apart from where it was created.
We hiked 16 kilometers (10 miles), doing our best to avoid the main road. We were hoping to find a trail along the beach and the cliffs that Normandy is known for. Vanessa was determined to avoid the road, even if it meant trekking through fields and crawling under electric barbed wire fences meant for cows. While we reached the cliffs, we never found the cliffside trail and still spent half the hike on the road.
