A light veil covered the Norman sky for part of the afternoon this Saturday.
Like the strange screed that seems to weigh on the stay of the first Parisian holidaymakers, who landed in the region.
Originally from Charenton-le-Pont (Val-de-Marne), Gaëlle, Christophe and their two children come to Normandy for the first time.
They chose Granville, the seaside resort in the South Channel.
“Really, we immediately got a nice impression of this place.
The old Norman houses, the sandy beaches.
And we tell ourselves that it must be wonderful in normal times, when the terraces are out and everything is open.
But there, frankly, we feel that nothing is the same.
We especially needed to escape Paris to come and take a breath of fresh air.
It was almost an emergency.
So we took a week here for rent.
Except, I'm not going to lie to you, we don't feel that usual joy at the start of the holidays.
Everything is closed.
We see people walking masked on these beaches.
It is even a little heavy.
"
"Leave at 1 pm to return on time"
60 km further north, Pascal, Valérie and their two children, originally from Rambouillet (Yvelines), chose the west coast of Cotentin and Barneville-Carteret where they stayed for three days.
“We canceled our ski vacation.
But there was no question of staying in the Paris region.
There, we were really starting to get fed up.
As we had already come on a weekend and we really loved it, we thought it was an opportunity to come back and discover a little better.
So we're not going to complain.
We already have the chance to see the sea. But for the rest, it's really weird not being able to enjoy anything else.
And the worst is the curfew.
To find yourself locked up every four at 6 pm at the lodge ... Besides Sunday, we must not leave after 1 pm to be back on time.
Suddenly, the last day is almost wasted… ”
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However, if we are to believe the frequentation of the Biscuiterie de Sortosville-en-Beaumont, one of the flagship gastronomic attractions of the region, the context does not affect tourism.
The store is always full and, in the parking lot, Ile-de-France license plates are legion.
“It's really good that at least these atypical stores can stay open.
We have fun buying regional products.
Things to taste tonight, and others to bring back.
After the hike this morning, it gives balm to the heart, like a real vacation.
We can tell that people are wandering around wondering what they can do.
So as soon as we find a place like that, normal, with life, we are sure to rush there.
It's no coincidence that there are so many of us here.
It's still nicer than wandering like ghosts in front of closed bars and restaurants, waiting to come home because of the curfew, ”explains Agnès, who came from the 20th arrondissement.