One of the things I managed to do while living in Paris was to visit Normandy. I associate my first trip with a lot of positive emotions, impatience and high expectations, which were completely justified!
Normandy is a French region located in the northwestern part of the country (bordering the English Channel to the north). The region is extremely picturesque! It has a lot of history and captivating views - now I understand why the famous artist Claude Monet bought a mansion with a huge orchard right there - in Normandy (village Giverny). Also called "Norman yard" - the garden occupies an area of more than one hectare.
Walking through the beautiful and colorful beds, you can see how much desire and love was invested by the artist to create this heavenly place. I would say that the icing on the cake is the famous lake with water lilies, which has inspired the master of Impressionism for years. Just above the lake is a Japanese-style bridge, decorated with white and purple flowers, and beautiful weeping willows surround the magical lake. Here you can see a wide variety of exotic plants, shapes and colors. It should be noted that only the eye of an artist could combine colors in this way. Some of the plants that you can see in the colorful garden are: roses, daffodils, tulips, Latin, Irises, Оriental Poppies, Peonies, Azaleas and others. In the part with the lake besides the Lilies, live Bamboo, Ginkgo Biloba, Maples, Weeping Willows and Japanese tree Peonies.
The village of Giverny is about an hour and a half away by car from Paris and is really a place I would recommend to be seen- I think connoisseurs of this type of art would appreciate the beautiful gardens that have inspired Monet for years).
After a pleasant and inspiring walk we headed to the next stop - Rouen! The city is located on the River Seine and is the center of the Normandy region (about 2 hours by car from Paris). Rouen is distinguished by its beautiful medieval architecture, many museums and interesting churches. In its central part, the city consists only of Norman-style houses that have successfully preserved the spirit of the Middle Ages.
The weather was great for a walk, despite the clouds that were setting. We were able to see some of the great landmarks such as the Cathedral of Our Lady, the clock tower and the church of Jeanne d’Arc.
We've spend the rest of the day in Douville, where we ate fresh seafood . 
Normandy brings a very specific note of coziness and tranquility… perhaps the result of a combination of green and endless plains… of old but preserved houses (telling so many stories), of beautiful churches and cathedrals made centuries ago. Even the rains (which I don't like so much) add coziness and suit this region so well.
When time seems to have stopped, and in front of you rises a majestic abbey, built on a rocky island… among huge sandy shores - that means that you are in front of Mont Saint Michel. Apart from the abbey, the place is also well-known for its tides, which are the strongest in Europe and one of the strongest in the world. It has happened that at low tide the water receded for miles into the sea.
Luckily for me, we spent the night in a beautiful house near Mont Saint Michel and had a full day to walk around the island. We managed to catch the tide and later the ebb. At low tide we had the opportunity to tour the island (actually walking on the bottom of the sea). The water had left behind only floating sands - which we enjoyed as little children. I managed to get to my knees in the icy water - my heart and soul begged me to stop there… the water was about 3-4 degrees.
We walked around the island and enjoyed the really beautiful views. We ate seafood and waited for the tide. The restaurant had a great view of the sands, which gradually disappeared under the invading waters. For the first time in my life I saw such a strong tide! It was amazing, how quickly the water managed to flood this huge area, which until a few minutes ago was used for taking walks.
When we went home and reached the gates of the island, we had to take off our shoes and roll up our trousers because the water had rushed inside. We hurried to catch the sunset so as to take some pictures of the beautiful colors.
The house we rented was in typical Norman style with a beautiful and huge yard. The landlady was extremely kind and hospitable. She had made for us a delicious breakfast with home-made products, and in the evening she gave us a bottle of delicious cider, which was produced in the area.
On the way back we passed through Honfleur and Le Havre. 
Unfortunately, we arrived in Honfleur shortly before dark and did not have much opportunity to see the city well, but we managed to eat really tasty food!
Normandy is a wonderful place to relax, and an even more wonderful place to explore. 
I can't wait to go back and eat the delicious salty butter and fresh seafood, breathe the humid air and admire the beautiful views that fill up the whole region.
