Normandy Part II: Visiting Deauville

There are so many reasons to visit Deauville. For one, there is a train that comes straight from Paris in two hours. And you can get everywhere on foot from there.

And then there is the American Film Festival held each September and you see the residue of celebrity here

And here

Here are some of the people who stayed in our hotel.

That’s Al Pacino, by the way. Sorry it’s blurry, but he looks so young doesn’t he?

And him.

Looks different without his spidey outfit, huh?

Them

And them

He needs no name apparently.

And neither does he.

Well, if you’re into that sort of thing.

There’s the glamor,

the shopping, the wealth.

The real estate market

Okay, I’m not actually sure the Villa Strassburger is for sale.

Or you could just slum it out here, for instance.

There’s the marché (it means market).

Ooh cheese

Well, this market is not more special than the next, but the pictures were nice.

You can go for the restaurants.

Apparently the two most common French last names are Martin and Dupont. Sometimes it’s spelled with a « d » (Dupond) and sometimes with a « t .» This café made a play on words and said it was Dupont with a tea. Cute huh? Get it? « T » « tea? »

Never mind.

If you can’t eat gluten (like me) they serve omlettes for breakfast which is super rare. And they make a mean hot coffee with cream.

And you don’t have to pay 30 euros per person like the breakfast at the Normandy Barrière.

There’s the glamor of the hotel itself, the Normandy Barrière where you can take your apératif here.

(Except we don’t drink).

And then sit here in La Belle Epoque (this means « Beautiful Era » and lasted from 1871 to 1914).

(That’s a view on the Casino).  Do make reservations. And do check out the menu prices posted outside of the hotel by law because you won’t find any prices on the menu indoors.

Lamb. The plates arrived piping hot, I’ll say that much.

A pretty dessert with chocolate decorating the plate.  No, we didn’t lick it off.

But otherwise you’re paying for the ambiance in this place. The real place to go is Le Yearling. It’s out of the way but you can go there on foot.

Looks unassuming, doesn’t it?

Uninteresting portraits, but we’re right by the cozy fire.

The room, fairly empty that night.  The world doth not know.

Ah, but the food.  This is pidgeon, by the way.  Yes, pidgeon.  Birds of Paris watch out, because it was goooooood!

You know that the chef is personally making your dish while you wait. Nothing mass produced about it.  Here is scallops with a leek and potato purée.

And here is what a moelleux should look like.

This tarte is flaming. Can you see the flames?

I’m trying to decide what to eat.  I wiped off the string of drool before Sir shot the photo.

I’m happy with my choices.

And it’s literally half the price of La Belle Epoque.

You can go to Deauville for the beach.

Or you can go for the horses.

Who are everywhere.

Even on the beach.  (See them back there?)

And on the racetrack. (Okay, there are none at the moment)

And getting absolute priority over cars.  Over everyone.

With rooms for the horses and rooms for their jockeys.

Wow, Deauville certainly lived La Belle Epoque.

And it still does. Farewell Normandy Barrière!  Stay tuned for (much shorter) Normandy, Parts 3, 4 and 5 on Etretat, Honfleur and the Thalassotherapie Spa.

P.S.  It took me so long to write this and upload the photos that I just couldn’t crop and play around with lighting.  I just couldn’t!  I know this last picture could use a crop and lots of the city pictures were gloomy from the weather.  But I cannot …. continue.

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