Normandy - Brittany - Loire Valley

Rouen

We arrive in Beauvais right on time, but we have to wait in a long line at the Hertz office to pick up the car. Finally we set off in the direction of Rouen.

ROUEN is a city with a pleasant old town, characterized by the typical half-timbered houses (which will accompany us throughout our trip in northern France) and by the famous Cathedral to which Monet dedicated a series of paintings, portraying it in various shades of colour. In this regard, we happen to attend an evening light and sound show which, inspired by Monet, projects onto the cathedral's façade the same colours used by the painter in his paintings devoted to it.

The hotel, located right in the pedestrian zone, next to the cathedral from which it takes its name, is of medium-low quality. But after all, so is the price!

We have lunch, as will become a pleasant habit for every day of the holiday, with baked goods bought in the countless boulangeries (bakeries) found everywhere. One specialty is the "croque Monsieur": toast topped with an abundant layer of cheese. For dessert we choose a "gauffre" (the equivalent of the German Waffel), that is, a hot grid-patterned wafer with a filling of your choice (cream, chocolate, jam, etc.).

Dieppe, St. Valery en Caux, Fecamp, Etretat, Honfleur,

Wake up early, breakfast and then off we go, toward the Normandy coast known as the "Alabaster Coast."

First stop at DIEPPE; a seaside town characterized by a castle (not very interesting) perched on the sea.

Then a quick stop at ST. VALERY EN CAUX, a colourful little harbour with lots of boats.

Next, a stop at FECAMP, where the main attraction turns out to be the Bénédictine palace.

It is a luxurious building that resembles an abbey but is actually the production site of the sweet liqueur Bénédictine (an herbal distillate). We tour the palace with its beautiful, richly decorated rooms, the distillery complete with tasting, and finally the shop with typical products.

We then head to ETRETAT, the most beautiful spot on this stretch of coast. There are tall cliffs dropping sheer to the beach, including the cliff with the "hole," often depicted in images of Normandy. It is also possible to reach the top of both cliffs via an easy path.

The little town is pleasant too; very cheerful and colourful with the charming little houses that characterize all of Normandy.

But the best is yet to come! We head in the direction of Le Havre (without stopping, as it is a rather dreary city), drive across the famous and evocative Normandy Bridge (toll of EURO 5.00) and reach one of the most beautiful stops of our trip: HONFLEUR.

It is a romantic little town located right at the point where the Seine flows into the Atlantic.

The town's old centre develops around the VIEUX BASSIN, a picturesque water basin with many boats, surrounded by the typical local houses and by many charming restaurants and bars with outdoor tables (where we obviously have dinner based on mixed grilled fish).

The central streets are characterized by old half-timbered houses, embellished by abundant blooms of geraniums, housing many typical little shops. We buy a few souvenirs to bring to friends. My choice falls on packages of galettes, in beautiful tin boxes decorated with images of the place. These are sweet biscuits made with the special salted butter of Normandy.

Our hotel is a small château a few steps from the centre. Although its common areas are quite well kept, the room is not comfortable at all (too small and too hot for the consistently rather warm climate of these August days).

Caen, Fougeres, Mont St. Michel

We leave beautiful Honfleur and head to CAEN. It is a rather large city that does not spark our enthusiasm. Not even the castle/fortress that dominates the city strikes us as interesting. After a few minutes we leave the city and, with a small detour, head to FOUGERES.

Here the landscape changes. We find ourselves in a beautiful village, already in Breton territory, characterized by a large fortified castle and picturesque waterways crossing the oldest part of the town. We are particularly fascinated by the old wash-houses and the well-kept little squares.

We leave Fougères to reach the famous MONT ST. MICHEL, the last town of Normandy, on the border between it and Brittany.

We try to figure out where it is possible to park, given that we will have the fortune of staying overnight in one of the few hotels inside the Mount.

So we get the key from the reception to park in a safe spot, above the dam (where the tide will not reach), whereas daytime visitors are required to park in places that, at sunset, will be submerged by the water.

Our hotel is in a half-timbered house right on the Grand Rue leading to the Abbey. We set off to visit the latter, but the street is so crowded with tourists (mainly Italians and Japanese) that we can barely make our way. Nevertheless, we struggle up to the top of it, visiting the rooms, the beautiful cloister and admiring the evocative landscape from above. But it is too early for the arrival of the high tide.

At 7:30 p.m. we wait with curiosity for the tides to come in. With about a 30-minute delay, the waters arrive slowly but quite visibly and transform the Mount into an island connected to the mainland by a single strip represented by the elevated road.

St. Malo, Cap Frehel, Fort La Latte, St. Briec, Dinan

First stop of the day is ST. MALO. Here we visit the vieille ville, entirely surrounded by fortified ramparts and lapped by the sea. We walk along the ramparts admiring the view and the narrow streets full of shops where we make a few purchases.

Having time available, we follow the coast to CAP FREHEL, where we reach FORT LA LATTE (a small fort on the sea) and visit the exterior of the Lighthouse that dominates the high coastline. Thus we happen to pass through ST. BRIEC, where we admire a picture-postcard landscape.

Last stop of the day is DINAN. This is a beautiful little town in Brittany, characterized by old houses and cobbled streets. There are also many little shops and a charming river port. So we visit the cheerful town; we climb to the top of the clock tower to admire the view from above (watch out for the bells ringing when you are up there!) and reach the picturesque little river port. We decide to have dinner in one of the charming little restaurants at the port with a terrace on the river. However, the port can be reached via a long downhill walk which, on the way back, turns into a steep and exhausting climb. Dinan has no nightlife; all the charming places open during the day close early in the evening. We are left with only the bar of our comfortable hotel, located right in the centre.

Locronan, Quimper, Concarneau, Loctudy

We set off early once again, heading for LOCRONAN. Here we take a leap into the past: an atmosphere from another time in the small stone village, entirely pedestrian, with cobbled little squares and typical shops. In short, a fascinating place with a medieval atmosphere. We buy bottles of Breton beer in a shop dedicated to it and visit the interesting Celtic bookshop.

Next stop QUIMPER, which, although on paper it seems interesting to us, disappoints us a bit, perhaps because of the crowds and the parking difficulties.

We then head toward CONCARNEAU, a fortified village on the sea that in our opinion is excessively touristy. Through a drawbridge we enter the fortified town, but we realize that the excessive invasion of shops and noisy visitors clouds the charm of the albeit characteristic little town. We have lunch with crepes or savoury galettes, which always represent an economical solution for a complete and tasty meal, and we set off toward LOCTUDY, the last stop of the day, located in the PAYS DE BIGOUDEN where we will stay overnight.

Loctudy is a tiny fishing village. There is nothing to visit here; just a quiet place to rest. In fact, we treat ourselves to a long soak in the whirlpool tub available at the hotel "Le Bretagne," found, who knows how, on the internet. It is a very modest hotel, reminiscent of a British Bed & Breakfast, but which nevertheless has some comforts. We have dinner in one of the few restaurants present in the place, tasting the "Demoiselles de Loctudy" (prawns fished locally) and an abundant three-cheese pizza in which Roquefort reigns supreme (the equivalent of our gorgonzola).

We also buy at the local boulangerie the very good Breton Flan (or Far). A very good baked custard, on a thin layer of sponge cake, sometimes enriched with fruit or simply plain.

At this point we can safely say that, if Normandy is preferable for its enchanting landscapes and charming little houses, Brittany certainly excels when it comes to sweets.

Vannes, Les plessis bourré, Tours

Before leaving Brittany entirely, we make one last stop at VANNES. It is a beautiful little town with a pleasant pedestrian area with typical houses. The river crosses the town, providing a charming inner harbour right in front of the main square, cutting through the well-tended gardens of the palace and lapping the picturesque old wash-houses.

Immediately afterwards our tour of the Loire castles begins. The first castle is LE PLESSIS BOURRE', a little north of Angers. It is characterized by having one of the widest moats (practically a lake), while the interiors are so-so.

We then reach TOURS, where we will stay overnight for 2 nights. Tours immediately proves to be a disappointing city, excessively multiethnic for our tastes. The only noteworthy point is a little square in the old town, surrounded by half-timbered houses and crowded with bars and restaurants with outdoor tables where we have dinner.

We advise anyone intending to visit the Loire castles NOT TO STAY OVERNIGHT in Tours but to prefer places like AMBOISE, equally strategically located but decidedly more pleasant.

Loire Castles: Langeais, Chateau de Reaux, Azay Le Ridau, Villandry, Amboise

There are many castles to visit on today's agenda.

We start with LANGEAIS, where the castle located in the town centre is rather austere and not even the interiors are noteworthy. However, the village around the castle is very charming.

We then notice nearby a small private castle, family-run, LE CHATEAU DE REAUX, and decide to visit it.

You should know that here, all the castles, even the smallest ones, private and not mentioned in tourist guides, are open to the public.

You can find many brochures about them in every castle you visit and at hotel receptions.

We then visit the castle of AZAY LE RIDAU, with a beautiful moat but with not very interesting interiors.

We then go to VILLANDRY, where the castle with the most spectacular garden of all is located, with interiors that are not very luxurious but decidedly charming.

The last stop is the town of AMBOISE, a charming village nestled on the Loire where there are no fewer than 2 castles: the castle of Amboise in a dominant position over the town and then, a short distance away, "Le Clos Lucé," the former home of Leonardo da Vinci.

The central pedestrian street is nice with lots of souvenir shops.

We return to ugly Tours and decide to have dinner outdoors, in front of the fountain of the Hotel de Ville.

Chenonceau, Chaumont, Cheverny, Chambord, Vendome, Orleans

Today too we have many castles to visit. We give priority to the most spectacular castle of all: CHENONCEAU. The castle is built directly on the river, supported by arches that span the river across its width. It is even possible to rent small rowboats to go along the moat, the canal connected to it, pass under the arches and go around the castle. The interiors are rich, but the main attraction, in our opinion, is represented by the kitchens that occupy all the basements, with beautiful copper pots, old stoves and large fireplaces.

We then visit the castle of CHAUMONT, where a long walk awaits us to reach the top of the castle. The exteriors are not much, but the interiors are among the best. We also recommend a visit to the stables, perfectly reconstructed complete with background "sounds."

It is the turn of the castle of CHEVERNY which, in Max's judgment, has the best and richest interiors of all.

(All castle interiors may be photographed without, and sometimes with, flash).

Next is the majestic castle of CHAMBORD (the largest, the most famous but also the most chaotic to visit). Here there are both richly furnished rooms but also many practically empty spaces.

We make a last stop in the town of VENDOME, crossed by a small canal but which turns out to be less scenic than promised by the guidebook.

Finally we head to ORLEANS, where we have booked a hotel near the station.

Orleans is a city we do not like; however, we find a narrow street more pleasant than others, with little outdoor restaurants squeezed one against the other. There is a line for the Italian restaurant, but we are lucky. Dinner is good and the portions of moules (marinated mussels) are more than abundant.

Sully sur Loire, Chantilly

We visit our last castle on the Loire: SULLY SUR LOIRE. It too is surrounded by a scenic moat, with interiors, however, partially in need of renovation. The village is pleasant and very quiet. The park around the castle resembles an Impressionist painting.

We then set off for CHANTILLY, north of Paris, trying to avoid the city's traffic. We manage quite well, using the outer ring roads around Paris. In Chantilly there is a large castle surrounded by an "immense" park rich in water. The castle's canals can be navigated with small collective boats. The interiors house an art gallery with important paintings, the grand apartments and the small apartments (which unfortunately we do not manage to visit). You can also visit the adjacent royal stables, the largest in France.

Today is my birthday and we spare no expense. For the night we have booked a castle. However, although it is a very scenic hotel, the service leaves something to be desired (the room was not yet ready at 5:00 p.m.; our luggage left scattered in the corridors).

We nevertheless take advantage of the comforts the hotel offers, such as the indoor pool, the sauna and the whirlpool tub placed in every room (even in the cheapest ones, like ours).

Unfortunately it is our last night of vacation.

But in the morning we help ourselves at the abundant breakfast buffet until we burst (given the price, better to take advantage!). Then we sadly head to the nearby Beauvais airport where our Ryan Air plane awaits us, dutifully taking us back to Italy.

And now, some indication of the costs incurred: (reference year 2004)

- round-trip flight EURO 80.00 per person

- Car rental EURO 290.00 (for 10 days)

- Car parking Bergamo EURO 80.00 (for 10 days)

- Average cost of overnight stay and breakfast EURO 80.00 (total per room)

- Average cost of lunch EURO 5.00 per person

- Average cost of dinner for 2 at a restaurant EURO 30.00 (total)

- Cost of a bottle of mineral water at a restaurant EURO 4.00 (advisable to order de l'eau plate)

- Average cost of castle admission EURO 7.00 per person.

- Cost of highways In Normandy and Brittany almost always FREE.

Dani and Max

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texts by Daniela

photos by Max