Normandy May 2009
6am on the 9th May 2009 sees us again under the sea journeying to Calais. This time we will turn right at Calais and head along the channel coast to Normandy. We have planned a stay in France for a while as all we have done before is pass through.
We are immediately struck by the scenery of "Picardie". The undulating greenery reminds John of the South Downs. Our first stop, for breakfast, is at a very nice service station; it is part of a nature park on the Somme and is very peaceful. Man made lakes adjoin one side of cafe, full of what appear to be Carp some of which are huge. On the other side of the lakes there are reed beds and pathways to allow you to explore the wildlife. There is also an observation tower, which gives a wonderful view of the area. A contrast to the noise and carnage that must have been experienced here during the Battle of The Somme. A very pleasant stop and unlike anything you would find beside a British motorway! See www.baiedesomme.fr and click on the link for the Aire Autoroutiere de la Baie de Somme.
We continue our journey towards Le Harve, traversing the twin bridges, one over the canal, the other over the Sienne (one more major European river crossed to add to the Rhine and Danube).
From here we head towards Caen and then leave the motorway for our first taste of French rural roads and countryside.
Our destination is the town of Saint Sever Calvados, a town which manages only a couple of lines in the "Rough Guide to Normandy and Brittany" but one which we are to find is an ideal base for touring Western Normandy.
There are many Gites (self catering) and Chambres d'hotel (B&B) available in the area both French and British owned. Many are in the countryside but we chose the town as we live in the countryside in the UK and wanted to experience French town life, plus we enjoy the cafe culture of sipping a drink while we watch the world go by.
We arrived in Saint Sever around 2pm just as the market was finishing and the town was quite lively. Our cottage was just off the main street, a typical French town house. Unfortunately what we hadn't considered is that French stairs are not UK stairs. They were narrow and winding and almost impossible for me to negotiate with my MS problems. We managed a couple of nights but then with the help of the Irish owner of a local bar/coffee shop, we managed to locate and rent a very nice apartment just off the Mayoral Square. Again British owned but much more conducive to my mobility issues. See Village House in Useful links page.
The Village House - Saint Sever
View from one of the apartment windows
During our 2 and a half weeks in Saint Sever we grew very fond of the town and it's people. The shopkeepers are very friendly and Jake as usual became very well liked.
The main street in Saint Sever.
It is a small somewhat parochial french town. Not a lot happens there, just a quiet place to sit and ponder life whilst sipping french coffee and eating french pastries, or enjoying a glass of local cider.
The Bar Bocage, owned by a lovely young couple Marc (French) and Dara (Irish), is the place to be.
The locals outside the Bar Bocage
It is lively, used by most locals and serves a wonderful "Chocolate a la Maison" - Hot Chocolate with local Kirsh. A couple of those and you sleep like a log.
There is a friendly pizzeria where we had a wonderful salad followed by freshly baked pizza. They also run a takeaway service which seems popular. There will soon be a new restaurant opening in the town in one of the local hotels. This has recently been bought by British owners and is in the process of being renovated.Other than these there are a couple of local cafes who serve Plat du Jour meals, and a couple of very nice delicatessens who serve takeaway ready prepared food.
For sight seeing the town has a very nice Abbey which originates back to the year 1070 and has some beautiful stained glass and small delightful gardens to walk around.
The Abbey taken from the Town Square.
It originally had a monastry but this is now the Town Hall.
The Town Hall of Saint Sever
Even just a walk around the outskirts of the town is very pleasant and there are some interesting sights.
This old apple crush has been turned into a lovely display but also shows the history of the area which is well known for the Calvados Cider.
The side roads are nice and quiet and with the warm weather we saw lots of butterflies and birds.
In the cemetery, there is an area dedicated to foreign war graves and it was comforting to see the Union Jack being flown over these.
Outside the town is the Forest of Saint Sever which has many walking areas, some very nice ponds/lakes and also the Castrale la Motte, a fort from the middle ages.
The good thing about the town is that it makes an excellent base for touring. Within easy reach there are many major tourist areas. You can go north to view the Normandie Beaches and visit Caen and Bayeaux. West is the coast with towns like Granville and Jullouville, and beyond this the popular tourist attraction of Le Mont-Saint-Michel and the North Brittany coast.
View of Le Mont Saint Michel
We visited this area and can recommend the beaches, well Jake liked them anyway.
Beach at Saint Cast Le Guildo in Brittany
Jake enjoying the Beach
We certainly hope to return to the area and explore more. The weather was so warm we spent many days just relaxing on the balcony so it will be good to go back and see more.