At the end of WWII, three-quarters of Caen (KAI-ehn; pop.
200,000) had been destroyed and two-thirds of its citizens were left homeless. The city of
William the Conqueror has since been skillfully restored to its pre-war condition and is
now part historical monument, part sizzling university city of busy bars and brasseries.
It makes a good base from which to explore the D-Day beaches and has a decidedly younger
feel and cheaper prices than its neighbors along the Côte Fleurie.