Fantastique for the family
EMMA DEADMAN TAKES HER CHILDREN ON THEIR FIRST OVERSEAS HOLIDAY AND FINDS FRANCE TO BE FAMILY FRIENDLY
‘JUST try it,” I urged my three-year-old. She hesitantly moved the ‘moule’ closer to her lips – then, gulp, it was gone. It was met with just a shrug. Obviously the accompanying frites made more of an impression.
The traditional French supper at our Siblu campsite’s café was the perfect end to the perfect first day of our first family holiday abroad.
With children of six and three, we didn’t want to trek too far, and so the Domaine de Litteau in Normandy, was an excellent choice.
Within easy reach of Caen’s port, we were off the ferry and checked in in less than an hour.
Boasting a covered swimming pool with waterslide and shallow toddler area, the small, but perfectly formed, holiday park is perfect for children. A couple of outdoor play areas, BMX track, climbing ropes, zip wire and giant swing complete the package. The café, a tiny shop and quaint bar make it for the adults.
There’s entertainment every night, although we only stayed for the children’s part, which included games, competitions and dancing. The hosts spoke in French and English, and while we were in the minority, it was easy enough to get by
Our mobile home had two bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as a large covered terrace, and was just a few minutes walk from the site’s entertainment hub.
Siblu owns 17 holiday villages across France and the Domaine de Litteau site lies on the edge of Cerisy Forest, an ideal base for exploring the historic region of Normandy.
We visited Omaha Beach at Vierville-sur-Mer, Normandy Beach at Arromanches and Juno Beach at Courseulles-sur-Mer, all around a 30-minute drive away.
The area is steeped in war history, and for many visitors we saw, filled with memories of loved ones who died fighting for their country.
Arromanches, in the midst of the D-Day beaches, still has the evidence of the giant battles that took place. Giant concrete blocks are dotted in the sea, all that remains from the Mulberry Harbour towed over from Britain in June 1944.
Despite the sombre reminders of the war effort, the town is a delight, with cafés, bakeries and boutiques lining the streets. In fact, ‘utterly charming’ is how I would describe many of the villages and towns between Litteau and the Normandy beaches.
One such is Bayeux, just a 20-minute drive from the Siblu site. Cobbled streets and half-timbered houses abound, with the towering Notre Dame Cathedral at its centre.
Indeed, the beautiful interior of nearby patisserie Confiserie Reine Mathilde is worth a visit alone! It’s filled with rows upon rows of exquisite pastries, cakes and macarons – something we bought and devoured in a small courtyard to the side of the picturesque cathedral.
But the main thing the town is known for, of course, is the Bayeux Tapestry.
An embroidered cloth from the 11th century, it’s almost 70 metres long and depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England. It’s displayed in all it’s magnificence inside the Bayeux Tapesty Museum.
I admit that history isn’t really ‘my thing’, but the audioguide (included in the admission price) takes less than half an hour to describe the scenes and features. A simpler child’s audioguide is also available.
It really is worth a visit, but be quick – last year the French president announced the tapestry would be loaned to Britain for public display. It is expected to be exhibited in London in 2020, and will be the first time that it has left France in 950 years!
A little further afield from Litteau (around an hour-and-a-quarter) took us to picture-perfect MontSaint-Michel. This magical island, which emerges from the sea off the coast of west Normandy, is topped by a medieval monastery.
It’s a very impressive, if not lengthy, walk along the causeway towards the island. A shuttle bus from the car parks travels along the route continuously, but approaching the island on foot added to the magic. The steep, narrow village street leading up the abbey boasts fascinating, quirky buildings, now converted to restaurants, boutique hotels and shops.
The views from the very top were exquisite, and while we never actually saw the island surrounded by sea while we were there, we watched the tide coming in, and various intrepid walkers beginning to get cut off by the water.
We spent another day visiting various food and drink producers in Normandy.
A trip east took us to the E. Graindorge cheese dairy, a family business in the heart of the Pays d’Auge.
Visitors can wander through a corridor of glass-protected galleries, looking down on all the different stages of cheese production from the time the milk arrives until the cheese is packaged. My children loved it here – the whole ‘from field to fork’ concept was really easy to understand.
The visit ended with a tasting of all the factory’s cheeses. I can’t lie, they weren’t exactly to my taste, but bought two of their specialities. The car smelled of them for the rest of the holiday.
Further north, in the heart of picturesque town of Pont-l’Evêque, was a tasting tour far more up my street: the Calvados Experience.
Calvados is a traditional apple brandy made in Normandy. Lasting just over an hour and fifteen minutes, the tour is multi-sensory and fascinating, for adults and children alike. It begins with an introduction to this famous apple
brandy, then continues ues with the story of the region and an immersive tour of a typical pre-war Norman village, complete with a farm and market place.
We learned all about the life of the apple tree in the orchard room, discovered the secrets of Calvados production in the apple-press and fermentation room, and found out more about the art of distillation, ageing and blending. The visit concludes in the tasting bar, where an expert will guide visitors through the three steps of the art of tasting: the eye, the nose and the palate.
Here, an expert guided us through our samples. (You can drink both and still be well within the legal limit to drive
– we checked!). Children aren’t left out of the tasting either, enjoying freshly squeezed apple juice instead.
A short drive further north to the coast took us to the pretty port of Honfleur, where restaurants battle for space along the cobbles surrounding the central harbour, and the streets are packed with exquisite historic buildings.
Honfleur has long attracted artists
– we saw many easels lined up – and is an enchanting town in which to wander. As the day drew to a close, we returned to Domaine de Litteau, to finish our first time abroad with another portion of moules frites for me, and a muchheralded Orangina for the children.
The perfect end to the perfect stay.
MAKING LIFE SIMPLER
WE STAYED at the Travelodge Portsmouth, a couple of minutes’ drive from the Brittany Ferries terminal, the night before our journey to France.
Our spacious family room was super-clean and had everything we needed, and the free parking underneath the hotel made for a
smooth getaway the following morning. See travelodge.co.uk for more details. The Brittany Ferries journey from Portsmouth to Caen takes six to seven hours. We opted for a cabin onboard, which was a great decision. It had two lower ‘settees/beds’ with two pullouts overhead, and an en suite shower room. It gave us space to escape from the hustle and bustle onboard, and made sure we were refreshed ready for the journey ahead.
Children were entertained with a programme of events including a clown and quizzes, a soft play room and cinema.
Brittany Ferries operates the longer routes from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth direct to Brittany and Normandy saving miles of unnecessary and costly driving.
Travel overnight by luxury cruiseferry in the comfort of your own cabin with en-suite facilities, or be whisked across the channel in as little as three hours.
We travelled from Portsmouth to Caen and back. May fares start from £165 each way for a car and family of four. Book online at brittany-ferries. co.uk or call 0330 159 7000.