DAY 2: the market & the medieval

Fourth former George Van Clief writes our travel journal entry for Sunday, March 1, 2026. Enjoy the photo carousels below!

This morning, we attempted to start the day with a much-needed sleep in. However, we were interrupted by Benjamin, with his ‘supreme intuition,’ waking us up at 1:30 in the morning (thinking it was 7:45), showering, and then going right back to sleep. Most people started to stir at about eight and we enjoyed a quiet breakfast in the hostel. Afterwards, we headed to the Sunday market, which spanned a large distance between the river and the castle. Not many people bought souvenirs, but Laurie ended up getting a cool pink shirt which he rocked for the rest of the day.

    We intended on finding food at the market, but most of us were still full from breakfast, so we waited a bit. Liam was unwell in the morning, and had a doctor’s appointment during the wait. We decided to sit in at a cool little restaurant, Les Touristes, nestled in a corner near the mall. Half of us ordered the “croque Madame,” a ham and cheese with an egg on top, which was pretty good.

    After we ate, we headed to L'abbaye aux dames, one of two massive buildings built by William the Conqueror (in the aim to impress the Pope so he could marry his cousin). We received a guided tour in a group, which consisted of different parts of the building which used to be used for the nuns who lived there, and the giant church which housed the remains of William’s wife (and cousin). We had a pretty hard time understanding because the guy giving the tour was speaking French, but we managed. 

 Afterwards, we ventured to le Château de Caen, William the Conqueror’s home. We braved the freezing winds through an outdoor tour with another guide, who helpfully tried to translate some of what he was saying to make sure we understood. We got special access to a part of the castle that other people didn’t, and got to see a cool part of a tower.

    Finally, we went back to the hostel for a bit to recover from the cold, and then headed to le Bistronome, another small restaurant not far away. The food was delicious, but Benjamin went home unsatisfied after stuffing himself with enough food to feed the entire city. 

    Shoutout to Pierce Meza in Costa Rica!