Adventures, Arrows & Apple Caramel!
We kicked off our second day in Normandy with a brilliant morning of activities at the château. First up was archery, where we learned how to handle a bow and arrow; and some of us even hit the target on our very first try! After that, things got a little more mysterious as we took on the sensory trail. Blindfolded, we carefully followed the trail across the château grounds, relying on teamwork and our other senses to find our way. It was challenging, funny, and a great way to build trust with each other.
In the afternoon, we headed off to Caramels d’Isigny, a traditional caramel factory in Normandy. We were warmly welcomed by Claire, who gave us a guided tour and told us all about how their famous caramels are made. We got to see the workers mixing, shaping, and hand-wrapping the caramels ready for the shop. Best of all, we got to taste some! We tried two caramel fondants (non-sticky), a caramel popcorn, and a sticky apple-flavoured caramel; which ended up being the favourite. They were absolutely délicieux! After the tour, we had our first shopping opportunity of the trip and there were so many tempting treats to choose from, it was hard not to spend all our euros here!
Our final stop of the day was the powerful and historic Pointe du Hoc. This important WWII site was once home to heavily fortified German bunkers and gun posts. On D-Day, the U.S. Army Rangers scaled the cliffs under heavy fire to capture the site. It was incredible to see how well it has been preserved—we explored bomb craters, concrete bunkers, and gun pits, which really helped us understand the scale and sacrifice of what happened there. While we were visiting, we also had the chance to meet members of the British Air Force, who kindly shared stories of their service and even let us hold their VE Day flag. It was such an honour, and something we’ll never forget.
Back at the château, we had lots of time to play on the grounds and gardens and we rounded off the day with a fantastic dinner, enjoying a hearty serving of boeuf bourguignon—absolument délicieux! After dinner, we took part in a brilliant session called Dance Mania, where we danced to classic hits like YMCA and discovered new favourites like APT and Les démons de minuit. The energy was high, and the smiles were even bigger! We got ready for bed in record time, still buzzing from the fun, and we’re all really excited to visit the town of Bayeux tomorrow.
