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EUROPE > France >
Normandy
Delightful Suisse Normande
Maureen
Wright
Article & Pictures © 2007 Maureen Wright
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T/T #78
FreeStyle 5.6
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My
first impressions of Suisse Normande were of peace and tranquility.
Roads, uncluttered by traffic leading from one tiny hamlet to
another |
A
two litre bucket of Moules Marnieres, a basket of crisp French
bread with soft camembert cheese accompanied by glasses of cool, local
cider. This appetising fayre could be on offer at any uptown restaurant
but is served, daily, at pretty outside cafés dotted along the
banks of the River Orne in Normandy.
The Orne runs through the heart of a region in Northern
France known as Suisse Normande, an area of outstanding beauty mimicking,
in miniature, mountains and valleys of Switzerland with its sudden,
descending gorges and wooded, green slopes. The beautiful river flows
through weirs and waterfalls, providing a playground for canoeists,
adventure seekers, fishermen and bird watchers. Along its sun-dappled
length a variety of trees shade its banks while fat, cream- or black-spotted
cows graze in lush fields nearby. Here, in this delightful place, my
family and I were privileged to spend a holiday in a comfortable, converted
barn.
We
arrived on a fine, summer afternoon: four adults and two children, three
generations of the same family. Our crossing from Dover to Calais was
pleasant and our drive westwards smooth and quiet. Tourists seemed few
around the countryside, perhaps preferring to motor to the hot spots
of Southern France, leaving this area predominantly to local people
and French holidaymakers. Our accommodation proved to be a long, low,
renovated building, possibly an old cow shed some centuries old, with
a large country-style kitchen. Glass doors opened out to reveal an expanse
of lawns, trees and bushes overlooking a natural pond inhabited by several
otters. An idyllic place surrounded by serene countryside, that our
grandchildren Nicholas and Emily set out immediately to explore.
My first impressions of Suisse Normande were of peace
and tranquility. Roads, uncluttered by traffic leading from one tiny
hamlet to another set amongst, what appeared to be, never-ending miles
of farm land. A spider’s web of tiny lanes, sometimes without
signposts, could lead you into a farmyard or, sometimes, right back
where you started. One guidebook says “this whole area can get
too crowded for comfort during high season,” but we did not find
this to be true during our stay in late July. A quiet relaxing atmosphere
seemed to be paramount.
Our nearest village, Clécy, we found perched on
a hill about 1km from Pont du Vey, an ancient bridge crossing the River
Orne. Set out in a typical French way with a town square, a few eateries,
one or two shops and a wonderful town hall with flags fluttering outside,
Clécy looks down over a patchwork of rolling scenery. Locals
here were friendly and helpful to us, often willing to engage in conversation.
I managed to communicate in spite of my limited French vocabulary and
our grandchildren drew many a smile with their attempts at the language.
Venturing
further a field, but within easy driving distance of Clécy, is
Falaise, birth-place to William the Conqueror, known by the more familiar
name to Normans as 'William the Bastard' because of his illegitimate
birth. The story goes that his father, Duke Robert of Normandy, spotted
a laundress called Arlette working in his chateau. He took a fancy to
the young girl and she, returning his attention, eventually produced
William. His great castle, completed two hundred years after his death,
stands prominently above the town. Severe damage during World War II
has resulted in lavish, modern restoration, but retaining parts resembling
the Tower of London. A spectacular visual and audio exhibition is displayed
in William’s castle telling his life story and invasion of Britain.
His mammoth task of conveying troops, horses, weapons, armour and supplies
in wooden boats across an unpredictable Channel for the Battle of Hastings
was incredible. This feat, in reverse, was to be repeated centuries
later for the D-Day landings, still a difficult operation even with
more modern equipment. Mount the high battlements of this notable, historical
edifice for views far and wide across Normandy or admire “the
Conqueror’s” enormous statue in Falaise town square.
Bayeaux
needs little introduction. Famous for its wonderful tapestry depicting
William’s battle with King Harold, this work of art needs to be
seen to be believed. Commissioned by Bishop Odo, William’s half-brother,
the tapestry is thought to have been sewn by nuns in England and transported
back to France for the inauguration of magnificent Bayeaux Cathedral
in 1077; it still stands in perfect condition today. The seventy metre
long embroidery is displayed in one long strip, under glass, around
walls in a seminary across the river from the Cathedral. It tells the
story of the Norman Conquest of England showing, in detail, every event
leading up to, and during, the great fight. On the edge of Bayeaux, overshadowed
by the Cathedral’s Spire, is a World War 11 museum and War Graves
cemetery. Many symmetrically placed gravestones commemorate different
nationalities of both allied forces and their opponents killed on the
Normandy landing beaches in 1944.
Moving a little south from Caen, towards the border with
Brittany near St Malo, is the abbey of Mont St-Michel. Arrive early
and see, rising out of the morning mist above a swathe of sands, this
breathtaking sight of mediaeval splendour, a rock encompassing a little
city topped by a fortress-abbey. Innumerable well-photographed postcards
and posters cannot do justice to the feeling of awe inspired at first
sight of Le Mont St Michel. Enjoy a walk across a long causeway to enter
through an old fortified gate into a main street that climbs up through
a maze of gabled houses, growing steeper and narrower towards the great
Gothic church known since 1228 as the Merveille – “The Marvel”.
And if all these historical and cultural experiences are not enough,
there are countless chateaux or exquisite churches scattered throughout
the countryside.
Our grandchildren, Nicholas and Emily, equally enjoyed
our outings to historical sites. Most of the attractions we visited
are child-friendly, providing information at adult and younger level.
But to bring a more light hearted approach we spent a great day touring
the excellent Zoo de Jurques. Some people may not like the concept of
keeping animals in zoos but many are currently providing invaluable
havens for endangered species besides working on research to increase
numbers through wildlife breeding rehabilitation programmes. The great
variety of animals at Jurques look healthy and well tended in their
large enclosures. We had great fun watching the antics of tiny penguins,
viewing a pair of beautiful Bengali tigers and seeing, for the very
first time, two rare white tigers from Siberia. We also saw a pack of
wolves, once common inhabitants in Northern Europe, fed by their keepers.
This was an interesting revelation showing strong family ties amongst
these fearsome creatures.
Our most memorable times were spent watching our young grandchildren
swimming and boating on the River Orne. Here there are canoes for hire
to travel up or down the river and an exciting adventure pursuits centre.
To pass the time while the children played, we resorted to sipping glasses
of Normandy cider and trying out various dishes served at riverside
cafés. Local-grown apples, along with cheeses, cream and seafood
dominate menus in Normandy. Chicken and pork dishes often include apples
and this fruit is also used to stuff gateaux or decorate delicious,
glazed, French tarts. The region is renowned for producing cider, pommeau,
a sparkling apple perry, and calvados, a brandy made by distilling cider
and matured in oak casks for several years. Such tipples go well with
the area’s most famous cheese, creamy camembert, eaten soft but
not runny, Pont-L’eveque, whose recipe dates back to the 13th
Century and is matured for up to six weeks, or Livarot, another medieval
cheese, strong and ripened for three months. If cheese is not to your
liking then try shellfish, oysters, mussels and scallops, brought fresh
from nearby coastal towns.
Suisse Normande has much to offer in its variety of activity
pursuits, historical sites, gastronomic delights... or just relaxing
in beautiful surroundings.

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