Travel: Flavours of Normandy
With its scenic coastline and sumptuous food, Beverley Watts samples the many delights of Northern France…
Many visitors head to Normandy to see D-Day landing sites, the medieval abbey on Mont Saint-Michel or Monet’s garden in Giverny. But if you fancy nipping across the Channel for some amazing French food, as I did, then it’s also the perfect destination.
Granville, France’s leading shellfish port, hosts the Toute La Mer Sur Un Plateau (All
The Sea On A Plate) festival every year in early autumn, and it’s foodie heaven, with market stalls, chefs’ cooking workshops and sea shanties performed by suave bearded mariners.
Surprisingly, the humble whelk is much loved in Normandy. These chewy sea snails have been a poor man’s snack in the UK since Victorian times, but across the Channel, they’re a gastronomic treat. And, fresh off the fishing boats, they are indeed delicious.
My seafood platter – oysters, crayfish, crab and, of course, whelks – at quayside restaurant Mer et Saveurs (meretsaveurs. fr) was served with mayonnaise and tangy mignonette sauce.
Sheer enchantment
Granville has a pretty marina, lively casino and elegant Old Town. From the Pointe du Roc clifftop, there are glorious views of Mont Saint-Michel Bay.
The pink-painted Christian Dior Museum is worth a visit. The designer lived in Granville as a boy, and his clifftop family home, Les Rhumbs, looks out towards the Channel Islands.
My overnight stay at the Hôtel Ibis Port de Plaisance
was the perfect spot to embark on a day trip to the enchanting Chausey archipelago, a cluster of tiny islets 11 miles off the Normandy coast, south of Jersey. At low tide, there are 365 islets. At high tide, only 52.
Local skipper Franck Voidie (voidievoile.fr) knows these waters well, and not only skilfully sails his boat, he also prepares lunch in the galley.
On Chausey’s Grande-Île, I collected seashells on the deserted beaches, and fell in love with one of the tiny ‘gîtes communaux’ holiday retreats, converted from a little school.
Cheese, please…
Normandy is split into five ‘départements’: Calvados,
Orne, Manche, Eure and Seine-Maritime. After getting a Brittany ferry (brittany-ferries. co.uk) from Portsmouth to Ouistreham, I hired a car so I could squeeze in as much in possible. And I mean cheese!
Rich, unpasteurised milk from Normandy cows makes fabulous fromage. I learnt about production at the Graindorge cheese dairy (graindorge.fr/en), set in rolling countryside, dotted with crucifix shrines and wind turbines, in Pays d’Auge. And I was more than ready for the tasting session. Wedges of Livarot, Pont-l’Evêque, Camembert and heart-shaped Neufchâtel (my favourite) went down well with a baguette.
Incredibly, I had room for a ham and olive ‘crousti’flam’ (a kind of oblong pizza) at Le Hérisson (restaurantleherisson.fr) in Vimoutiers.
This tiny Orne commune, badly damaged in the Second World War, was busy restoring a rare German Tiger tank, abandoned in 1944.
My meal was accompanied by nonalcoholic Pommillon, a fizzy apple juice infused with vanilla – a reminder that Normandy has the ideal climate for orchards.
Feeling fruity
The harvests of apples and pears are also turned into stronger stuff – dry cider and the classic brandy Calvados.
Gérald Périgault’s family has been growing fruit trees, and distilling, at La Maison Perigault (calvados-perigault. fr) in Silly en Gouffern for three generations. He’s a charming guide to the farm. I sampled his new pink aperitif ‘Aperigo’, which was very smooth – just as well I wasn’t the one driving!
Circled firmly on my map is Argentan, famous for its lace and home to La Maison des Dentelles, a fascinating museum with delicate examples of this intricate craft from the 16th century. Argentan lace was popular with both French and English royals, and it’s easy to see why.
A steamy sauna at Hôtel La Renaissance (arnaudviel.com) in Argentan is a relaxing treat before dinner.
Chef Arnaud Viel won his first Michelin star in 2016, and each plate of food he serves up is a work of art, including his foie gras amuse-bouche and cones of seaweed butter.
The next day was a much more rustic affair at La Michaudière (chevaldetrait. com) in Juvigny sous Andaine. Located in an old pear orchard, horse-lover Jean Dinard and his family now perform Ferme du Cheval de Trait – an equestrian show starring noble dray horses. It’s a lot of fun, with a cheeky donkey getting in on the act, and all the animals are treated with great respect.
There’s an optional typical Norman meal served for guests on trestle tables in a huge barn.
A generous portion of sizzling roast pork, mashed potato and mouthwatering gravy – with cider, not wine, of course – is followed by a huge dish of cheese. Oh, yes…