Normandy - idyllic for a gite holiday
Normandy is a region of northern France. Its varied coastline includes white-chalk cliffs and of course the WWII beach heads of Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, made so famous during the D-Day landings of the 6th June 1944.
Only 600 metres off the coast is the rocky island of Mont-Saint-Michel and at its summit the soaring Gothic abbey.
The city of Rouen is dominated by the gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, the see of the Arch Bishop and it is where military leader and Catholic Saint Joan of Arc was executed in 1431.
Normandy has a varied culture and diverse selection of food and drinks, from moules and oysters to the traditional dish of Canard à la Rouennaise (duck in the style of Rouen) and the liquor Bénédictine ( a herbal liquor produced by the produced by the Bénédictine monks, but which was invented by Alexandre Le Grand and a local chemist!) and of course Calvados the famous apple brandy of the region.
No visit to Normandy would be complete without a visit to Bayeux, a town on the Aure river Its medieval centre of cobbled streets and half-timbered houses are typical of a lot of towns in both Normandy and Brittany.
The famous 70 meters long,
Tapisserie
de Bayeux (Bayeux Tapestry) is a must see, the 11th-century tapestry depicts the 1066 Norman invasion of England, from the departure to the battle itself. The tour round the tapestry is in a darkened room adds to the atmosphere of this historical artefact and is enhanced by the personal audio devices that detail the scenes you see and explain the story behind the images.
Normady...
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Normandy Tourism Website: click here |
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Museums |
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Shops |
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Normday Landing
Beaches
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War Graves |
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Pont de Normandie |
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D-Day Historical Places |
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Towns to Visit...
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Mont-Saint-Michel |
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Bayeux - Tapestry |
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Rouen - Cathedral and Gothic Churches |
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Caen - War Graves and Memorial
Centre
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Honfleur - Beaches and half-timbered houses |
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Deauville - Beaches and Regattas |
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Giverny - Monet's Garden |
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Things to Try ...
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Calvados (Apple Brandy) |
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Moules and Oysters |
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Cheeses - Camembert and Pont-L'Evêque |
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Canard à la Rouennaise |
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Pré Salé lamb |
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Trou Normand (Apple Ice Cream) |
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Bénédictine |
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