Joue-du-Bois, Normandy, France - June 2022


Our friends Tim & Laura invited us out to France for 11 days to cat-sit for them whilst they went on holiday, so we stayed at their lovely house in Joue-du-Bois in Lower Normandy,
made sure Bobbie the cat was fed and watered and then we visited lots of very interesting places, some near, some a bit further!

Le Moulin du Fourneau - Tim & Laura's home
Bobbie in his favourite place
Breakfast on the patio
A stream runs through the bottom of the garden
We saw water voles every day
Damselflies around the stream

What is now known as Dead Man's Corner Museum, was originally a house taken over by German Paratroopers to use as their forward command post during 3 days of fierce fighting against the American 101st Airborne Division. This ended with the Germans retreating to Carentan and the Americans establishing their command post in the house.

A hologram gives us the D-Day briefing...
we then climb into a vintage C-47 aircraft...
get strapped in and undergo a very realistic simulated flight to Normandy

We had a lovely dinner cruise on the Val d'Orne from Putanges-le-Lac, up the River Orne and back again. We saw this heron en route and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.


C-45 Beechcraft
A mini-barrage balloon suspended over a Spitfire
Beechcraft E185
A parachute for dropping equipment

A selection of displays in Le Jardin

A terrapin in the Le Jardin's pond...
...together with a Koi Carp
The biggest insect house you ever did see!
Unusual sculptures in Le Jardin
Lovely tree-lined roads in France...
...wherever you go
The Mazda dwarfed by trees in the garden
Vibrant artwork in Bagnoles de l'Orne
At Roche d'Oetre

Panoramic view from La Roche d'Oetre over the wooded Rouvre gorges

Motor cars from 1899 to the 1930s
1924 BSA bike
Dragster
Jaguar Mk3, Peugeot 908 & Aston Martin DB7
'Le Colibri' offshore powerboat 1987
'Jordan 197' F1 car with snake eye and fang
Old Shell petrol dispenser
Michelin Man compressor
Old French garage layout
Citroen P17 'half tracks' car (1920s)
Citroen P17 chassis
Various panoramas
Lotus Seven 1961
F1 cars

F1 World Champions 1950-2000

Automobile Clubs of the World