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Some of the towns which can be found a little further away from St Germain sur Ay are: Carteret (25 kms). A pleasant little seaside town, with excellent seafood restaurants offering an alternative dinner venue. There is an excellent view from the cliffs above the town over the sea to the Island of Jersey. In addition there are also nice bathing areas. |
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St-Sauveur-le-Vicomte (20 kms). Dominated by the large castle, rebuilt by the English between 1356 to 1375. There are guided visits round the castle in season. The Abbey, with its romanesque church, is the Mother House of an order of nursing sisters. |
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Valognes (35 kms). Calls itself 'The Versailles of the Cotentin', which is a pretty wild claim. However, there are several great 17th-century houses to visit, and one even older which houses the Regional Cider Museum. Cherbourg (55 kms). Used to be the port of departure for transatlantic liners (including the Titanic, and its deep-water berth still frequently hosts cruise ships. The port is the world's biggest artificial harbour, and was a major objective for the allied forces after D-day. The town of Cherbourg is charming; not too large, with pedestrian streets, picturesque quaysides and good shopping, and a spectacular view from the Fort du Roule on its cliff above the town. Don't miss La Citie de la Mer - Cherbourg's latest attraction with underwater displays and interactive exhibits of sonar, sharks, scuba diving, and a guided tour of a nuclear submarine ! Moving south from St Germain will be found |
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Coutances (26 kms) The Cathedral town of the area, spectacularly built on a steep rock. The crest of the ridge is crowned by three great medieval churches: St.-Nicolas, of the earliest Gothic in style; the Cathedral, the acknowledged masterpiece of Norman Gothic; and Saint-Pierre, late Gothic and Renaissance. Besides these, the greatest glory of the town is its park, the Jardin des Plantes, originally the private garden of the house which is now the town museum. Here, a formal French garden with fountains and floral sculptures is surrounded by an English garden full of shady walks and winding paths, in its turn surrounded by a belt of virgin woodland. The contrasts and the views afforded by this inspired landscaping are worth travelling to see. In the third week of May Coutances hosts among other things the Jazz sous les Pommiers Festival. |
St Lo (45 kms). The capital of the Cotentin peninsula. St Lo suffered 95% damage during WWII and therefore not much of the old town remains although much has now been re-built. A short walk through the centre and along the walls is quite nice and the gothic cathedral (also rebuilt, but incorporating the original towers) is worth a visit. It is home to the National Stud, which is open to the public and, in the second week of August, St Lo plays host to the Normandie Horse Show. |
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Granville (55 kms). Though its assumed title of 'Monaco of the North' may be a little over the top (mind you, there's a casino and an aquarium and some very nice rocks, and the sea here is always of the deepest blue), Granville is nevertheless a major holiday resort with many attractions. Don't miss the view from the Pointe du Roc, or the busy activities of the fishing fleet; stroll in the medieval streets of the Old Town on its hilltop, the walls still intact even to drawbridges and watchtowers. The beach, like all those in Manche, is sandy and clean, but it is unusually small and you have to arrive early to find a parking space anywhere near it. There are fine stretches of beach, however, at the smaller resorts on either side of the town. On the clifftops perch a series of luxurious holiday villas, including the one (pictured) where Christian Dior spent part of his childhood. The villa and gardens now form a Dior Museum. |
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Villedieu-les-Poêles (59 kms) The name means 'God's Town of the frying-pans', and if you need pots and pans, you couldn't go to a better place. Founded in the 11th century by the Order of the Hospitalliers of Saint-John of Jerusalem, Villedieu became known as the 'City of Copper', because of the fine copper working of its inhabitants. You can also visit one of the biggest and oldest bell-foundries in France, where you can get a guided tour in English. The famous statue of 'Iron Mike', which can be found at La Fiere bridge a few kilometres from St Mere Eglise, was cast in this foundry and the mould can still be seen here. The church contains a number of fine examples of post-war stained glass. Le Mont Saint-Michel (102 kms). The most visited monument in France consists of a golden angel on top of a spire on top of a church on top of a monastery on top of a citadel on top of a village on top of a fortress on top of a car park. English people ask, 'Isn't it a bit like St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall?' - and so it is, just as the Statue of Liberty is a bit like a table lamp. During nine months of the year, the tiny streets at the base of the rock are horribly overcrowded and disfigured by a myriad souvenir shops; but as one climbs, the crowds thin out, the monastic calm takes over and the charm and beauty of the place make themselves felt.
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Now over to the east will be found Bayeux (80 kms)
Nevertheless, there's a lot more to see in Bayeux; an excellent Battle of Normandy museum next to the vast Commonwealth War Cemetery; a Cathedral which reads from bottom to top like a history of Norman architecture; a host of small museums and galleries, a lace museum and very good shopping . Bayeux was the luckiest town in Normandy in 1944; liberated on the evening of D-day, it suffered practically no damage in an area where most towns were completely destroyed. A maze of medieval streets can, therefore, still be explored. |
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Please note that many of the shops in this area of France are closed on Monday mornings and some of the Monday afternoon as well.
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What's
to see at Bayeux? Well, yes, the Tapestry, of course. The French call it 'La
Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde', we call it the Bayeux tapestry; needless to
say, it was not made by Queen Matilda, it did not originate in Bayeux and it
isn't a tapestry. It's an embroidered strip cartoon, probably produced in
England soon after the conquest, and designed as propaganda to legitimise
William's claim to the English crown. Note the bit where the two armies are
preparing for battle; the English have weapons and food, the Normans have
weapons and wine.