My Normandy

Normandy! Beautiful Normandy! Just a sixty mile journey across the Channel and I feel I'm a million miles away from home.

There's something special about the the towns and villages strung like pearls along the northern French coast.

The sea port of Dieppe is famed for it's fish. The crabs and lobsters, cod and plaice. Trawlers side by side with bobbing yachts. People sit outside bars and cafes enjoying piles of the fruits of the sea.

The majesty of Deauville with it's grand Casino dominating the centre of the town. Treuville, it's little sister a few miles to it's west. I can still see my daughter playing at the waters edge with the warm sea lapping around her feet.

The light that blesses Hornfleur brings a fairy tale quality to the ancient harbour, where Monet painted some of his best loved pictures. Shops and bars line the waters edge, and artists sit at easels inspired by the work of the great artists that came before. Narrow steep streets climb ever higher. Cobbles under foot, and timber buildings all around.

Le Touquet is a playground for the wealthy. Surrounded on three sides by lush forest, it's thatched houses like dots amongst the pines. The white cliffs rise from the end of edge of the town and mirror the Seven Sisters just across the water in England.

Inland, apple orchards dominate the countryside. Every barn conceals barrels of cloudy cider and potent calvados, and farms produce the wonderful cheeses which are famous the world over.

The Seine winds it's way south to the ancient timbered city of Rouen, past rural communities which the march of time seems to have forgotten.

Normandy, my Normandy! Forever I will return.