THEATRESS TRAVELS | Caen, France

My friend and I recently made a fleeting 48hr visit to Caen; a tiny little city in Normandy, France. We didn’t really know what to expect when we arrived; we’d booked it solely for the purpose of visiting friends so other than a few pictures on google images we were going in blind but we immediately fell in love with this quaint little area.

We were staying in a beautiful little studio apartment which we booked through Airbnb and just so happened to be in the most perfect location. We were right on the main street, surrounded by cosy little bars which just so happened to be the place to be on a Friday or Saturday night. There was an amazing little bakery close by which served gorgeous pastries and fresh crepes being cooked outside during the day – the smell was glorious.

The streets of Caen are gorgeous pebbled affairs which transport you back in time to its Medieval roots. This city is filled with history and nowhere quite says Medieval like the Chateau – right in the centre and surrounded by lush green hills which make the perfect picnic spot on summery days. There are 2 gorgeous Abbeys worth visiting while you’re there; Abbaye-aux-Hommes and Abbaye-aux-Dames. Both offer impressive architecture and gorgeously well kept grounds to while away a couple of hours.

In terms of food – my favourite topic – I highly recommend a visit to Rue de Vaugueux, a gorgeous street filled to the brim with lovely little eateries. We ate in the pizzeria ‘Abracadabra’ which I can definitely recommend. We also thoroughly enjoyed our meals at Pizza Rustica over on the other side of the Chateau (as you can tell, we really enjoy Italian). The streets are lined with lovely looking restaurants, cafe’s and bakeries. I wish we could have tried more whilst we were there! You’re bound to find something you love.

My absolute favourite thing about this little city is how authentic it feels. When you go to Paris, everything is aimed at tourists – signs are written in English and everyone speaks to you in English. Not in Caen. Everything about Caen is French, just the way it should be. You have to embarrass yourself trying your best to remember that little bit of French you learnt back when you were 14 and it’s great! We were so proud of ourselves every time we managed to figure out what someone was saying to us AND reply!! I wish we were there longer because in 48 hours my French honestly came on leaps and bounds so I can only imagine what a week would do!!

If you’ve not explored this wonderful part of the world, pop it on your list! You won’t regret it as you wander down the beautiful pebbled streets singing along to Little Town and Tale as Old as Time with your basket of freshly baked bread. Okay, that might just be me, but seriously if you want a taste of authentic France, head to Caen!

I made a little video montage of our trip. The clips were actually filmed on snapchat as part of a jokey vlog situation we sent to our friends but I thought I’d put a few of the clips together! Enjoy!