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Normandy Niece is doing a recce to Caen on Tuesday to check out a possible venue for lunch on the day of the concert.

If anyone is interested in joining us please post reply.

Well, that sounds nice to me. I like lunches.

a bıt early for an absolute commıtment, but ıt sounds good to me.

We really enjoyed the lunch meet up in Barcelona and thought that it would be fun to do it again albeit on a much smaller scale.
Normandy niece sussed out a couple of restaurants near the Chateau : menus around 15euros.
It is a bit early to make any firm commitments at this stage but just keep it in mind for nearer the time.
Normandy niece likes a party so be warned: no frumps!

Now sorted for accommodation, so add another two possibles for the meet up. Anything from lunch time through to pre-gig aperitifs (vin ordinaire) would be good, sightseeing and collecting tickets permitting. Any developments to your plan Vicomtesse? Any others interested?

A long month ahead...and still no word of the UK leg
B

Hi St. Bruno,
We haven't decided on a restaurant yet as waiting to see how many want to join us.
The plan for the lunch is to meet at a restaurant; to be named, around 12h15 for aperos before lunch. We will need numbers before of course. If this changes we will of course post to that effect. Also as the range of restos is fairly large in Caen centre, what budget would people be happy with?

As you say, pre-gig aperitifs before the concert would be nice, one of us will look in to a place somewhere near to the Zenith for that.

We will be staying at the Hotel Ibis in Place Courtonne, Caen Centre, (near the Port de Plaisance) about 30 minutes walk to the Zenith. Anybody else staying there?
Vicomtesse

Vicomtesse wrote:We will be staying at the Hotel Ibis in Place Courtonne, Caen Centre, (near the Port de Plaisance) about 30 minutes walk to the Zenith. Anybody else staying there?
Vicomtesse

Well, it so happens that I have sussed out Ibis Hotels too and found this:
http://tinyurl.com/yedbcsf

Looks like the Hotel Ibis, Caen Centre Paul Doumer (B, your Ibis is A) is a little closer and a little cheaper.

Just saying and thinking and planning...

Cheers,
Ken(adian)

Quite right Ken but the Ibis Hotel by the Port de Plaisance is the one we personally wanted to stay at and it was just a few €'s more.

A double room is €98 for 2 nights Flex rate (€88 for 2 nights at the Paul Doumer) prices correct at time of booking and are still available. A one night stay, bizarrely still puts the difference at €10 (€54 against €44). Plus we will need to park our car and the Ibis we reserved has private parking onsite and the Ibis Paul Doumer has only public parking in the area, which can be a bit of a hit and miss affair.

Although we only live around 1h20 from Caen and have contacts in the area, we are not really too "au fait" with Caen and are just taking advice from those who know the city well but that of course doesn't mean anyone else should and having not seen either ourselves, is why we have not recommended the Ibis we are staying at, to others.

Another 700 metres to walk to the Concert (and back) will do us good, two of us are overweight and need the excercise

Looking forward to it, only 5 weeks left to wait, Barca seems a very long time ago...........

Vicomte wrote:A double room is €98 for 2 nights Flex rate (€88 for 2 nights at the Paul Doumer) prices correct at time of booking and are still available. A one night stay, bizarrely still puts the difference at €10 (€54 against €44). Plus we will need to park our car and the Ibis we reserved has private parking onsite and the Ibis Paul Doumer has only public parking in the area, which can be a bit of a hit and miss affair.

Hey, did you change your name? Didn't you used to be 'Vicomtesse' I sure wasn't challenging your decision, just saying. Is the parking there free? Could be a decision maker for me too. I think when I checked, I looked for the 'gare' and the venue, and tried to keep going in the same direction But I may still be renting a car if I can put a trip together.

You live in St. Malo? I have lovely memories of visiting there.

Cheers,
Ken(adian)

Don't worry, Ken, it wasn't a sex change, just me taking over from Vicomtesse, as I had done the bookings Very sorry if it come across as though I thought you were challenging.

The hotel make a €10 a day parking charge for using their underground parking and they told me that reserving a parking space wouldn't be a problem at that time of year. The cost in the open public spaces would be around the same I imagine "but" you would only pay for the time in the parking, which overnight is normally free but you would have to ensure that by around 08h00 or so, there was a valid ticket on the windscreen. Put a ticket on at night, the time doesn't count overnight and will run on in the morning.

Yes, we as you know here in Saint Malo we have the Maison du Québec and a statue of Jacques Cartier, the French explorer who claimed what is now Canada, for France.

Do you have tickets for the Caen concert?

Vicomte wrote:Don't worry, Ken, it wasn't a sex change, just me taking over from Vicomtesse, as I had done the bookings Very sorry if it come across as though I thought you were challenging.
Do you have tickets for the Caen concert?

Sorry, challenging was maybe a poor choice of word(s) for me. If it wasn't a sex change, I expect to see the Vicomte and Vicomtesse in Caen
I do not have tix yet and definite plans, but I am getting closer!

I stayed at the Hotel de France de Chateau de something when I last was in St Malo. I look forward to visiting again...digital camera this time.

Cheers,
Ken(adian)

Yes both of us will be there.

A nice lunch, then later on a stroll to the Zenith and some aperos before the concert, then afterwards, perhaps a walk back to the centre and some digestifs to finish a perfect day

The day before we have decided to take a trip to Arrromanches and take in the Mulberry Harbour and Museum, then take a look further inland and finish the day in Bayeux before spending the night in Caen.