Normandie

IBERIAN TRAVELER - MARIBEL’S GUIDES! MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2012

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Haute Normandie - Rouen, Monet’s Gardens, the Route of the Abbeys and the Alabaster Coast

On a walk through Monet’s Gardens in late October

A JOURNEY THROUGH HISTORIC UPPER NORMANDY

While most visitors dedicate just a few days to explore historic Normandy, on our October journey to this large and diverse region we chose to dedicate two weeks to an in-depth exploration of its architectural treasures, ancient fishing ports, fashionable coastal resorts, beautiful rolling farmland and of course, to the many important battleground sites of World War II’s Allied Invasion.

The Seine River, flowing northwest from Paris into the English Channel, divides Normandy into two areas, Haute (Upper) and Basse (Lower) Normandie. We also divided our recent travels into two parts, commencing in the north, then moving south to Basse Normandie, the picture postcard world of half-timbered cottages, apple orchards, grazing cows, the classic Normandy of the four Cs - Cider, Camembert, Calvados and Crème.

We began our explorations in the Norman capital of Rouen, the lively, cultured gateway city on the banks of the River Seine. Rich in history, it was where William the Conqueror died in 1087 and where 19th century novelist Gustave Flaubert, author of Madam Bovary, was born. Known for its magnificent Gothic spires and superb medieval architecture, 45% of the city was destroyed by bombing raids during World War II. But its beautiful medieval core has been so magnificently restored, it is difficult to imagine the scale of the damage it suffered during the Battle of Normandy.

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Typical half-timbered buildings in Rouen’s historic quarter

THE HIGHLIGHTS OF ROUEN, CAPITAL OF HAUTE-NORMANDIE

Its atmospheric old quarter, Vieux Rouen, is filled with highly picturesque half-timbered homes, and a fine Musée de Beaux Arts, richly endowed with the Impressionist masterpieces of Monet, Sisley, Pissarro and Renoir.

Its Ceramic Museum is devoted to 17th and 18th century Rouen faïence, decorated earthenware.

You’ll also find the great abbey church of St-Ouen in Vieux Rouen and of course the sights associated with Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc), patron saint of France, who was tried for witchcraft and burned at the stake in the city’s historic market square in 1431.

Some of the finest church architecture in France can be found in Rouen, in particular its cathedral, one of Europe’s finest Gothic masterpieces, whose west façade Monet painted 28 times in his studies of changing light.

Abbey church of St Ouen (currently under renovation)

The 16th century stain glass windows of Eglise Sainte Jeanne d’Arc Rouen, salvaged from the original church of Saint Vincent, severely damaged in 1944, are magnificent.

Stain glass windows of Eglise Sainte Jeanne d’Arc Rouen





A few of the impressionist works at the Musée de Beaux Arts

Hand decorated ceramics, Faíences Saint Romain

16th century Gros Horloge astronomical clock

From Rouen we journeyed eastward to the picture perfect postcard village of Lyons-la-Forêt, chock-filled with flower bedecked 17th century timber framed houses (one, the former residence of composer Maurice Ravel) and the hamlet used as the set for the Madame Bovary films. The village sits within one of Europe’s finest beech grove forest.

The house of Maurice RavelMain market square, Lyons-la-Fôret





We then traveled to Claude Monet’s studio-gardens at Giverny and to the ruins of Richard the Lionheart’s Chậteau-Gaillard in Le Petit-Andely.

Falais d’Aval, Étretat

Claude Monet’s house & gardens, Giverny

Ruins of the Abbey Jumièges, dating from the 7th century

Driving west through the highly scenic Seine valley, we explored the evocative Romanesque Abbey Route, including the haunting ruins of Jumièges, the abbey church and gardens of St-Georges de Boscherville and the ruins of St-Wandrille before reaching the dramatic Alabaster Coast, with its eighty miles of lofty white chalk cliffs, some 120 meters high, reminiscent of the white cliffs of Dover and much loved by the Impressionists.

In the pretty port village of Étretat with its shingle beaches and colorful timbered houses, on each side of the beach, we admired these striking alabaster cliffs at their most spectacular, where the wind and waves have carved fascinating rock formations or falaises: arches, tunnels and a solitary “needle” out to the sea, the Falaise d’Aval, immortalized on so many Impressionists’ canvases.

MONET’S GARDENS, ROMANESQUE ABBEY ROUTE AND THE ALABASTER COAST

In the ancient cod-fishing port of Fécamp we sampled the “medicinal elixir”, first concocted from local wild plants by the Bénédictine monk Dom Bernardo Vincelli in the 16th century and now one of the world’s most famous digestifs, B&B, Bénédictine & Brandy, at the wildly ornate, Neo-Gothic distillery, Le Palais Bénédictine.

Le Palais Bénédictine, Fécamp





Our gastronomic discoveries in Rouen included the sleek contemporary bistro Le 37, 37 rue St-Étienne-des-Tonneliers, opened by Michelin starred chef Gilles Tournadre, and the charmingly traditional le Bistrot de Panurge on Rue Ecuyère, where we feasted on its delectable gigot, roast leg of lamb.

Restaurant-Fish Market La Marée, FécampThe perfectly cooked roast lamb at Le Bistrot de Panurge

Country-chic dining room, Le Grand Cerf, Lyons-la-FôretFresh seared scallops at Le 37, Rouen

DINING IN HAUTE-NORMANDIE

We stopped for lunch at the country-cute Le Grand Cerf with open kitchen in picturesque Lyons-la-Forêt, and, on the Côte d’Albâtre, at the family-owned seafood restaurant-fish market of La Marée, on the Quai Bérigny, while visiting Fécamp.

Sausage & Onions on market day in Rouen





STAYING IN ROUEN

For our 4-day base for exploring Upper Normandy we chose a very charming and slightly hidden treasure of a B&B, Le Clos Jouvenet. This little 4-room gem is a quite sophisticated yet reasonably priced 19th century mansion located in a calm, architecturally interesting and well-to-do residential neighborhood, Quartier Jouvenet, on a hill above the hustle and bustle of the city. Yet we were within a 15-minute walk of its compact medieval core.

This very pretty home with its refined décor is surrounded by a walled, tree-filled garden, making it a haven of tranquility. From our large, handsome, well-appointed room we enjoyed a view of the cathedral spires and slept soundly in the comfortable queen bed dressed with fine linens. The house boasts a cozy upstairs library with computer for guests’ use, a designer-chic, antique-filled living room with open fireplace and a charming winter garden where guests can relax in the evening and dine on a light repast of local cheeses, bread and Norman cider purchased at the high quality neighborhood epicerie, charcuterie and boulangerie.

The delicious, gourmet continental-plus breakfasts, elegantly presented on antique silver, china and crystal, can be taken in the formal dining room or in the conservatory facing the garden and are included in the room rate. The owners also provide sun loungers and tables in the well-manicured garden, complimentary W-Fi and off-street parking.

The Clos Jouvenet simply delivered with style all the creature comforts we needed for a truly perfect stay. Thanks to the genuinely warm welcome, attention to detail and excellent touring and dining advice from its gracious hostess, Madame De Witte, we began our Norman adventures on a most cosseting and relaxing note. We highly recommend this lovely chambre d’hôte, one of the very finest European B&Bs we have experienced!

Our B&B, Le Clos Jouvenet, 42 rue Hyacinthe Langlois

The comfortable upstairs library

We highly recommend a Normandy holiday for all lovers of French art, history and literature. Ask Iberian Traveler to prepare a special, very unique, package for you to this captivating northwestern corner of France.



IBERIAN TRAVELER - MARIBEL’S GUIDES! MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2013


Basse Normandie - In the land of William the Conqueror, half-timbered houses, Calvados, Camembert and D-Day

The colorful port of Honfleur

A JOURNEY THROUGH LOWER NORMANDY, FROM THE D-DAY BEACHES TO THE FLOWER COAST

Moving south to Basse Normandie….

To absorb both the history of the Norman Conquest and WW II’s Battle of Normandy and to experience a slice of life in the lovely, bucolic Normandy countryside, we chose for our base the prosperous dairy-farming heartland, Le Pays d’Auge, in the Calvados département. Atmospheric Calvados is the land of verdant valleys, spotted cows, Camembert cheese, sparkling cider and the apple brandy known as Calvados.

As our home base we selected a rural gîte, an artfully renovated former 18th century half-timbered stable, La Vie de Cocagne, surrounded by Normandy’s prettiest villages, orchards, fabled thoroughbred stud farms and directly on the “cider and calvados” routes. The beaches of the Floral Coast lie fifteen minutes away.

From our gîte we filled our market baskets in postcard pretty Beuvron-en-Auge, Cambremer, Beaumont-en-Auge and Le Bec Hellouin, some of France’s very most photogenic villages, toured stately manor homes (Château de Vendeuvre and Saint-Germain-de-Livet), visited Henry the Conqueror’s 11th century fortress in Falaise and sampled the area’s acclaimed soft and creamy cheeses in the villages of Camembert, Livarot and Pont-l’Evêque.





The D-day landing beaches and related World War II sites are, unquestionably, the major points of interest for Americans visiting Normandy. The long awaited Operation Overload, the Allied landing on Normandy coast, one of the most important events of World War II, attracts thousands of visitors year around. Thus, history buffs will want to dedicate at least three days to the Battle of Normandy sites, as they extend for some 45 miles along the Atlantic coast.

History lovers should not miss the following: the unforgettable, state-of-the art museum, Caen Peace Memorial, the lovely city of Bayeux, first-liberated and largely spared of destruction, with its soaring Gothic cathedral and 1,000 year-old, 230-feet long embroidered Tapestry that chronicles the story of the Norman conquest of England, the D-day Invasion beaches, the painfully beautiful and poignant American Cemetery on the bluff above Omaha Beach, the remains of the amazing engineering feat of the massive Port Winston artificial harbor, “Mulberry B”, at Arromanches, ground zero for the invasion, the tragic, jagged cliffs of La Point du Hoc, bravely scaled by U.S. Army Rangers, and the German gun batteries of Longes-sur-Mer.

Further west on the Cotentin Peninsula, one should also visit Ste. Mére Eglise, the first village liberated on D-day and where American paratrooper John Steele famously drifted down in the night, only to be left helplessly entangled on the church steeple, (immortalized in the movie The Longest Day). American Cemetery, Omaha Beach

Omaha Beach, D-Day + 68 years

THE D-DAY BEACHES; OMAHA, UTAH & POINTE DU HOC, SWORD, GOLD AND JUNO

Airborne Monument

Next door, visitors will find the fascinating Airborne Museum housed in two parachute-shaped structures, whose collection is dedication to the aerial landings.

For easy and quick access to all the WWII monuments, we advise visitors use the charming city of Bayeux as their base. Our recommended hotel: the new boutique 4-star Villa Lara, in the heart of the pleasing old quarter.

We also highly encourage visitors to engage the services of one of our recommended private historian-guides or to take a full day small group minivan tour with one of our trusted D-day touring c o m p a n i e s , w h o s e g u i d e s a r e w a l k i n g encyclopedias of the history of Normandy’s chapter in the war.

Ste. Mére Eglise





As an extra bonus, our rental sat just minutes away from the region’s top apple brandy and cider producer, Domaine Dupont, whose products can be sampled at Manhattan’s finest restaurants from Eleven Madison Park to Le Bernardin.

Here we sampled the full line of their wares, from cidre bouché (praised by Eric Asimov in the NY Times) to 20-year old vintage calvados, along with pommeau, a blend of apple brandy and apple juice, and crème de calvados, an irresistibly delicious cream liqueur.

In its neighboring and less formal sister, Trouville-sur-Mer, across the River Touques, we enjoyed a Moules-frites feast, facing France’s most elegant fish market, where one’s dinner comes straight off the boat.

Moules, Brasserie Les Vapeurs. Trouville-sur-Mer

Further east, we wandered the narrow, atmospheric cobblestone streets and artists’ studios of Honfleur, arguably France’s most picturesque fishing port and favorite retreat of Impressionist painters. Honfleur was the birthplace of both Impressionist Eugène Boudin, mentor to Monet, and 19th century composer Erik Satie, and from here explorer Samuel de Champlain, who founded Quebec in 1608, hoisted sails for his many expeditions to North America.

We made sure to pay a visit to Honfleur’s Wednesday organic market on the Place du Marché and to its 15th century church of Sainte Catherine, the largest and oldest wooden church in France, built by local shipbuilders, with naves whose oak ceilings mimic the upturned hulls of sailing ships.

We also found time to explore the windswept, unspoiled Cotentin peninsula in the Manche département, reaching the tiny, quiet fishing village of Barfleur at its northeastern tip, with its grey granite houses softened with white shutters. It is here where the Normans prepared for the Battle of Hastings. Nearby we discovered the lovely and equally scenic yachting port of St-Vaast-la-Hougue, home of France’s finest oysters.

Mairie, Deauville

At the turn of the century, Europe’s nobility flocked here to build their exclusive and extravagant villas-by-the-sea, to race their yachts and patronize this immaculate city’s elegant Grand Casino, its grand Normandy and Royal Barrière hotels and its fabled racetracks. And it is in Deauville where the star-studded American Film Festival is held each September.

On the Côte Fleurie (Floral Coast) to the east, often referred to as the Northern (or Parisian) Riviera, we began in the ultra glamorous Belle Epoque seaside resort of Deauville. Here we shopped with the well-dressed locals at its chic outdoor market in the Place Morny, walked along the famous boardwalk, Promenade des Planches, and window-shopped its luxury designer boutiques.

ALONG THE FLOWER COAST





Our favorite dining experiences were found in St. Vaast at the immaculate, nautical-themed Le Chasse Marée, where we feasted on spectacular oysters, in quayside Trouville on the terrace of the Art Deco Brasserie Les Vapeurs, where we devoured the region’s freshest mussels and haddock, in Cambremer, at the mother/daughter-run, cozy bistro, Au p’tit Normand and in serene Le Bec Hellouin, where we discovered an unbeatable value €19, 4-course gourmet menu at homey Restaurant de la Tour.

DINING IN BASSE NORMANDIE

Oysters for one at Le Chasse Marée in St. Vaast Fresh haddock in Trouville-sur-Mer

Restaurant de la Tour, Le Bec Hellouin

Mushroom season, market day in Deauville

In enchanting Honfleur gourmands should not miss stocking the pantry at the “gourmet emporium par excellence”, Maison Gribouille, and dining (with advanced reservations) at the two Michelin-starred and and Haoabese influenced Sa.Qua.Na., “Savors, Quality and Nature”, by brilliant chef Alexander Bourdas

Au P’tit Normand, Le Bec Hellouin





STAYING IN BASSE NORMANDIE

This 3-bedroom, 2-bath home, La Vie de Cocagne, is surrounded by meadows in an extremely peaceful country setting, just a mile away from the village of Bonnebosc. Inside, we found the house eclectically decorated with a funky mix of contemporary and antique furnishings and very comfortably outfitted for a week’s stay with all the necessary creature comforts.

The well-equipped kitchen, outfitted with stainless steel appliances and a Nespresso machine, was supplied with all the essentials for creating gourmet meals, and we found the fridge thoughtfully stocked with basics (including the famous Norman butter and cider) for our arrival. The open dining/living area offered a dining table for six and a large lounging space with a soaring beamed ceiling, wood-burning stove, I-pod dock, wide flat screen TV offering 300 channels and a DVD library. And the Italian slate rain showers in the downstairs bedrooms came with bathrobes, slippers and toiletries.

Outdoor amenities included private, secure parking, a garden and terrace complete with sun loungers, a dining table for six, a barbecue grill and hot tub.

Across the fence, we found three friendly equine neighbors, a horse and two donkeys (Basil and Chocolate), who came to greet us each day when we returned from our excursions.

Living Room, La Vie de Cocagne

Ask Iberian Traveler to create a highly memorable and totally unique Normandy touring itinerary for you and your friends or family.

La Vie de Cocagne, Bonnebosc



Normandie

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