# Day 14 Schleswig Holstein in Normandy

The next part of the trip will take us up to the peninsula 'Cotentin'. I'm not exactly sure why it's called a peninsula. Maybe you can somehow get from one side to the other on water through channels and river courses - just like Schleswig Holstein is cut through by the North Sea-Baltic Sea Canal. Well, there's a bit of Denmark attached to it. Here, the upper tip is surrounded by the English Channel.

And very close to this peninsula are the Channel Islands Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney, which can be seen in good weather.

We have good weather - finally.

We reach the east coast first and are greeted by numerous signs for Utah Beach. This was the northernmost section of the landing in Normandy. There are also numerous memorials and monuments to visit here.

But we won't do that now and continue driving. The landscape here is rather flat and we drive partly inland, but also partly along the coast promenade. In the larger towns, the harbor - brasseries invite you to stop, and here too you can find plenty of seafood on the tables.

We stop in the town of Barfleur to take a stroll. There is a parking space for motorhomes directly behind the town center on a dam. Behind it is an expansive bay with turquoise water (probably due to the sunlight). It is low tide now and the bay is dry.

The town center is dominated by a large harbor basin. Here too, all the boats are high and dry. The tidal range here is already enormous.

The town is described as one of the most beautiful places in Normandy - these reports exaggerate a bit. It is a nice place with small streets and many houses with typical granite stones. And around the harbor basin there are a number of brasseries and restaurants where you can sit and enjoy excellent seafood.

We only had two beers - we had dinner in the motorhome later.

In the evening, you could watch the tide play after the tide had filled the harbor basin again and all the ships had water under their keel.

The next morning greeted us with sunshine and - water behind the dam again. It was 12 hours later and therefore high tide again.

Our drive now took us along the north side of the peninsula. And what we were presented with made our hearts beat faster and our mouths water. The landscape became hilly and the roads curvier. Thanks to the inclines, we also reached a higher elevation, so now we could look down at the sea from above.

After Cherbourg, the largest city in this region and ferry port across the Channel, the drive got even better. The landscape now had to be maneuvered through with concentrated steering. And that was really fun. The curve enthusiasts will understand me.

The drives through Norman villages, the detours to the outermost coastal sections with the lighthouses, the surprising openings of the landscape, and the view of the beaches - all of this could be enjoyed with shining eyes.

And everywhere at the sights, motorhomes were parked in free spaces, which were also suitable for overnight stays. You can camp here for free.

But we didn't want to do that, a campsite with showers and sanitary facilities lured once again.

On the west side, the map showed a lot of large sandy beaches and dune landscapes. The camping community has also discovered this area and offers excellent pitches.

We chose the La Grande Large campsite near Pieux.

However, there is one hurdle to overcome in this really beautiful area. La Hague is home to a huge nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. And on the coast stands one of the many French nuclear power plants, recognizable by the huge overhead power lines under which we drove.

That already caused a queasy feeling.

Now for a resolution to the title of this post.

The drive through the hilly landscape and the many cows and cattle in the meadows strongly reminded me of Schleswig Holstein. I always thought of my cousin Hans, who runs a farm with a lot of cattle in the hilly part of S.H.

The beaches and resorts on the west coast also exist in the northern country. I had a lot of deja vu during the drive.

By the way, the campsite is a great 5 star site with direct access to the sea, very clean sanitary facilities, and a heated swimming pool. But that is only used by the children. The grown-ups grab their wave boards and go out into the sea with wetsuits.

Well, we'll watch that from the beach.