Some examples of what you can pack in to a long weekend in Normandie:
Arrive Friday, leave on Tuesday.

Weekend 1:
Day 1:  arrive at gite,  unpack, pop to the supermarket and get a bit a food in plus a bit of shopping to take back home with you (lovely inexpensive wines, delicious cheeses, fresh bread, chocolate etc).  Have an early night!

Day 2: Visit Caen –

either: visit the town of William the Conqueror.  Visit his castle, the museums, the Men’s Church (built by William as penance to the catholic church for marrying his cousin against the Pope’s instructions), the women’s church (built by William’s wife for the same reason).

Or, Visit the out of town shopping centre in Mondeville (on the peripherique) where you will find a hypermarket, clothes shops, furniture, shoes, restaurants, jewellery, chocolatier, almost anything you could possibly want!

Day 3: Visit Granville, the harbour, walk around the old town (with the garrisons from the war). Have lunch in one of the Harbour restaurants. In the afternoon visit the Christian Dior gardens (the house is open during the summer months and usually has an exhibition of Dior works, the gardens are open all year).

Day 4: Hop on a ferry from Granville and head over to Jersey where you can hire a car and drive around the island for the day before catching the ferry home again in the evening.

Day 5:  Homeward bound, take the coastal road (if you are heading to Cherbourg) and stop off en route for lunch by the sea.

Come back soon for another long weekend where you could:

Day 2:  Head off towards Giverny to visit Monet’s Garden. Take the D675 out of Caen and drive through lovely villages and towns such as Pont-l’Évêque and Pont-Audemer.

Find a hotel/auberge for the night just outside Giverny.

Day 3: visit the gardens and house at Giverny, wander through the pretty village. Then head for home, perhaps via Lisieux.

Day 4: If the sun is shining, take a relaxing day at the beautiful, safe sandy beach at St Martin de Brehal (just 20 minutes away).  Take a picnic or get something to eat at the cafe/bars there.