The Normandy high tides make for great photo opportunities. There’s a road under all that water! The photo is taken at Le Havre de la Vanlée in Bricqueville-sur-Mer in Normandy. Watching the tide come in here is interesting as the road floods completely cutting the village off from the coast. The Normandy high tides phenomenon…
Lucerne Abbey is a 12th century Normandy abbey. The photo below is taken from the gatehouse. The abbey is a Premonstratensian monastery that was founded in 1143. The village of La Lucerne-d’Outremer sits in the triangle between the towns of Granville, Avranches and Villedieu-les-Poêles. The building in the photo is the magnificent abbey church. Over the…
There are five landing beaches – Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. Utah Beach is the most westerly of the beaches and is around 50km south east of Cherbourg. It is an extensive stretch of coastline; it goes from the beach beyond the village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont to the beach at Quinéville. Utah beach is separated…
The bread and wine make the perfect accompaniment to Normandy cheese! There are four Normandy cheeses produced in the region – Camembert, Livarot, Pont l’Evêque and Neufchâtel. Camembert takes its name from the village in Calvados where it was first produced. The methods used to produce Camembert haven’t changed much over the centuries. Artisan Camembert…
The Knotted Gun sculpture is an amazing piece of art. I took this shot when I visited the Caen Mémorial Museum, Centre for History and Peace. It’s displayed in the grounds of the museum close to the entrance. The sculpture is also known as the Non-Violence sculpture. The Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd created this…
The old harbour in Honfleur is in the commune of Calvados. It is on the southern estuary of the Seine. The photo is of the old harbour (le vieux bessin). These tall town houses were built in the 16th to 18th centuries by wealthy shipowners. Nowadays the trading ships have been replaced by yachts. The…
This photo of the abbey in Hambye is another favourite from my photo collection. The abbey is a medieval Benedictine monastery that was founded in 1145. This photo is taken from the apse of the abbey church. You can see the flying butters structures overhead and also the church’s tower. There’s no roof to the…
La Maison du Guet in Granville is my favourite building in the town and I take a photo almost every time I walk past it. I love those turrets! The word guet means watch, surveillance or lookout. So this is Lookout House. It’s in the high town in Granville which is the original and oldest…
The photo below is taken in a Gavray boulangerie. This is part of the cake counter and they also sell lots more delicious French goodies. So, what’s the difference between a boulangerie and a pâtisserie? A boulangerie is a bakery and they sell bread. On the other hand a pâtisserie specialises in pastry items. This…
The Christian Dior museum is housed in this stunning villa in Granville called Les Rhumbs. It was Christian Dior’s childhood home and is set in delightful gardens. The villa was built at the end of the 19th century and bought by Dior’s parents in 1906 – a year after he was born. Dior and his…
You can learn about William the Conqueror and his abbey church by heading to Caen in Normandy. The abbey church of Saint-Étienne is part of the Abbaye aux Hommes (the Men’s Abbey). The abbey is a former Benedictine monastery and is dedicated to Saint Stephen. It was founded in 1063 by William the Conqueror and…
A guided walk in Villedieu is one of the best ways to discover this historic town which was established in around 1130. There are 14 orange and brown information boards with text in both French and English to help you on your walk through centuries of history. Practical Information Villedieu is relatively compact although this…
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