The last time I ambled along the D-day beaches in Normandy, I was sixteen years old and surrounded by a small group of garrulous students. We toured the memorials, posed for awkward group photos, indulged in traditional French fare and trolled the proverbial souvenir shops for disposable mementos. But my greatest keepsake wasn’t the t-shirt or wall-hanging I’ve since misplaced that sealed the experience but rather the firsthand exposure to French culture. Everywhere from Chartres to Mont St. Michel with a stop in Paris in between held powerful sway over me long after I returned from the trip. So much so that I began to envision an entirely different course for my future. There were gaping holes in my ambition but I wanted life to lead me to France. Four years later, it did.
So when we began to plan a weekend away with another couple, who are far better traveled in France than we are, I was particularly keen on returning to Normandy. For my birthday several years ago, C took me on a day trip to Deauville, Trouville and Honfleur which was hardly enough time to eat the region’s bounty of apples, butter, cream, and salted caramel. Last weekend, we more than made up for that missed opportunity to indulge, beginning with a tour of the Pierre Huet calvados and cider distillery along the Cider Route at the heart of the Pays d’Auge region.
We timed our visit perfectly as they had just begun harvesting some 40 different apple varieties earlier in the week so the estate was active. We were blown away by the protracted process and heady scent of transforming apples into cider and Calvados and surprised to find how well sparkling cider paired with Pont L’Evêque, the soft pungent cheese produced in the Normandy town of the same name.
Armed with bottles of Pommeau (apéritif) and freshly pressed apple juice and gurgling bellies, we made our way to Beuvron-en-Auge, a quaint and sedate village (population: 230) within the Calvados region of Normandy. A handful of bed and breakfasts and shops peddling antiques and salted caramel gift sets line this tiny town but the real reason to pass through is for the Michelin-starred restaurant
Pavé d’Auge, housed in the former market hall. The decor is old fashioned, with exposed beams, a functioning fireplace and thick velvety chairs but at pace with the surroundings. The menu is rooted in traditional regional fare (think dairy-rich, meat and fish) with generous portions to match. We felt we had traveled back in time but the experience was memorable, right down to the little extras to commence and end the meal.
To the casual eye, Normandy resembles much of postcard France – labyrinthine streets, hidden passages, storied manors, verdant expanses and fields of cows- but it’s also a place freighted with historical significance. Bayeux, our last stop, was the first town liberated in the Battle of Normandy (and one of the few to remain entirely intact during the war) so it makes for a suitable starting point for a tour of the D-Day beaches and memorials. Its rich history dates back to the 11th century when the
Bayeux Tapestry was commissioned, for what it is perhaps best known, Today, the 70 meter embroidery is part of the
U.N.E.S.C.O. Memory of the World register.
The Notre Dame de Bayeux cathedral was equally as majestic, even more so once the skies cleared and autumn brights illuminated the cobblestone streets around town. We ensconced ourselves for the night at Hotel Poppa, a recently renovated hotel particulier a short walk from the cathedral. The bed and breakfast has four separate rooms of various sizes (seriously, just look at these rooms) and offers a copious breakfast. We left refreshed and intent on returning to Bayeux just for another stay in Poppa.
After only two days (not nearly enough time to absorb the region’s many gifts), our mini pilgrimage for local eats and culture ended right where my love affair with France began.
Hotel Poppa
32 Place Charles de Gaulle
14400 Bayeux
Tel: +33(0)2 31 22 41 90
La Cale (great for weekend lunch)
28 rue de Southampton
14960 Asnelles
Tel: +33(0)2 31 21 48 78
Pavé d’Auge
Le Bourg
14430 Beuvron-en-Auge
Tel: +33(0)2 31 79 26 71
{More Normandy photos HERE}
