The heartland of France offers a scenic countryside and is a little like Middle America without the warm welcome. It's not Paris, and the French country folk are anything but the stereotypical Snobby, Oh-So-Cultured Parisians.
I had a nice time in Lisieux last weekend, a small town in Normandy's Pay d'Auge known for its horses, apple trees and a regional apple liqueur called Calvados. Liseux is home to the huge Basilique Sainte Thérèse, named for the patron Saint of Liseux. It is a magnificently ornate Romano-Byzantine structure, and one of the largest churches of the 20th century. Its location offers a beautiful, panoramic view of the city and surrounding countryside.
The city was hosting the Foire aux Arbres, where hundreds of vendors lined the streets selling trees, garden plants and flowers. It was cold and we stopped into a corner café/bar for something warm. Inside was a mix of locals taking a break from shopping and weekend travelers like us. Outside, happy shoppers were making their way back to their cars with armfuls of bushes and plants.
The Corner Café
Waiting for my hot chocolate to arrive at La Rotonde, I decided to wash my hands. In France, when it comes to public bathroom facilities, I've learned not to get my hopes up. There was a small sink to the right and a men's urinal straight ahead filled with several blocks of solid toilet bowl freshener. Another door to the right housed a single toilet. Squeezing out some liquid soap, I realized that the two handles on either side of the tap did not turn. With no paper towels to wipe the soap off of my hand, I thought about going back to the table to flag down the waitress for a napkin. A man walked in, obviously a local and obviously a regular. I commented that the water didn't work. "Peut-être c'est en panne" (maybe it doesn't work), he mumbled, turning his back and preparing to water the bowl freshener blocks (did I mention that most bathroom facilities in corner cafés are shared?). I looked down and noticed a pedal on the floor under the sink and stepped on it. The tap began working and I quickly washed my hands. I didn't bother to use the electric hand dryer before returning to my table. By the time the waitress stopped by, my hands had air-dried.
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