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Brittany & Normandy
Beautiful beaches and bays fringing green pastures and ancient stones...
Brittany Normandy
Normandy
Normandy's coast provides a wonderfully contrasting experience. Honfleur is a charming harbour town with a flourishing art life and summer exhibitions in its salt warehouses. Next are the twin resorts of Trouville and Deauville - the first a working fishing port with sandy beaches, and the second a fashionable spot, where Parisian high society meets for the casino, horse racing and designer shops. Normandy's rural hinterland is excellent for country pursuits, especially among the peaceful meadows of the Pays d'Auge and Suisse Normand's picturesque wooded valleys carved out by the River Orne.
Highlights at a glance...
· Don't miss Monet's magnificent house
and gardens at Giverny and witness his water lilies for real.
· As well as its world-famous tapestry
Bayeux offers a magnificent Notre Dame cathedral, tranquil war cemetery and beautifully preserved Norman buildings.
· Visit Caen's memorial museum to D-Day,
before heading to Arromanches on the coast to see where the momentous events of 6th June 1944 took place.
· Visit a working farm for local feast of
Camembert cheese and tartes aux pommes, washed down with sparkling Normandy cider, accompanied by a little Calvados apple brandy.
· Explore historic Rouen, its cathedral,
marvellous medieval quarter and the Église Jeanne d'Arc, commemorating where Joan was burned at the stake.
Dinan, Brittany Etretat beach, Normandy
Brittany
Brittany's rugged coastal outcrops, quiet sands and secluded coves seem to symbolise the independent nature of this distinctive Celtic region. Its impressively varied coastline ranges from the pretty fishing villages of the Côte d'Émeraude and family-centred resorts of the Côte de Granit Rose, to Finistère's dramatic Crozon peninsula proudly withstanding the brunt of Atlantic breakers. Away from the coast, amid the mysterious, magical landscape of Morbihan lie quaint villages proudly hosting Breton festivals, a deeply-forested countryside, perfect for walking and cycling, and world-renowned archaeological sites, such as Carnac's pre-historic menhirs (standing stones), pre-dating the pyramids and Stonehenge.
· Try the tiny fishing harbour of Cancale for
a true taste of les huîtres, French oysters a little squeeze of lemon juice, a quick flick with the knife and down in one.
Normandy
· For a magnificent sea views, Ménez-Hom
provides a great vantage point looking out over the bay at Douarnenez, home to two splendid boat museums.
· Book a guided tour of Carnac's amazing
standing stones at the Maison des Mégalithes, the roof terrace of which affords views of the menhirs.
Brittany
Highlights at a glance...
· Tour Dinan's old walled town, filled with
half-timbered houses and narrow streets; in July it hosts a bi-annual Fête des Remparts of jousting, fairs and fireworks.
Key · Location of properties
· Catch the ferry to the peaceful offshore
Ile de Sein, a land that time forgot without cars or even bicycles but with plenty of bracing coastal walks and good places to eat.
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We can arrange ferries from many UK ports, see page 455 for details. Car Hire available in France from only £21 per car, per day, see page 456 for details.
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