Normandy,
France Departments: Manche, Orne, Calvados, Eure,
Seine-Maritime.
Normandy, France Main Towns: Alencon, Caen,
Cherbourg, Deauville, Dieppe, Evreux, Le Havre, Rouen,
St Lo.
Normandy echoes with the history of past struggles:
the Norman Conquest woven into the tapestry at Bayeux;
the perils of Jeanne d'Arc recorded in Rouen; the drama
of the D-Day landings along Normandy's beaches.
The violence of its history is at odds with the
landscapes that inspired Corot, Monet and Pissarro: a
region to take it slowly, by boat, balloon or bicycle.
Giverny is a sleepy village that would be sleeping still
had it not captured the heart and imagination of Claude
Monet. While the great painter's pink farmhouse is
charming and now a museum, Monet's masterpiece was his
garden, still complete with water lilies.
Do not miss William I's greatest tapestry at Bayeux,
the great Norman cathedrals, the half-timbered manoirs
of the gentle Pays d'Auge and, in contrast, the sudden
crags, cliffs, forest and gorges of Little Switzerland.
South from Cherbourg there is an almost continuous
stretch of beach leading to the great landmark of Mont
St Michel. There are designated routes for cheese,
Camembert, Livarot, Pont l'Eveque, made in villages of
the same name in the Pays d'Auge region; other villages
are linked in routes dedicated to cider and Calvados,
with half-timbered cottages tempting travellers to
tastings. On the coast is Honfleur, the most picturesque
of all Normandy seaports and an artists' haunt for
centuries. Visitors will immediately recognise the
picture-postcard harbour filled with yachts and fishing
boats, just a short walk along cobbled streets from the
little wooden church of St. Catherine with its quaint
belfry. Further along the spectacular corniche is
super-chic spa resort of Deauville, with its casino and
racecourse.
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