A few days in… Normandy

Day 1: Honfleur – art 

When you’re in one of the homes of impressionism, there’s no other way to start than with a gentle stroll around town, raising the occasional thoughtful thumb to gauge scale. The Vieux Bassin, in the centre of town, has been the subject of numerous paintings, including an early work by Monet, who studied here under Eugène Boudin. Its close-packed townhouses, ownership of which was a sign of status in the port’s trading heyday, are a colourful sight, and there are numerous cafés in which to sample the first French coffee and pastry of your trip.

Boudin’s students would often paint from Ferme St Simeon on a hill at the north edge of Honfleur, to capture the estuary as the light of the day changed. While this is now a hotel, you can get a similar view from a spot near Chapelle Notre-Dame de Grâce, which is called, not incorrectly, Point De Vue Remarquable. Finish the day at L’Endroit, a former architect’s loft converted into a stylish restaurant that serves an ever-changing spin on traditional Normandy cuisine. If you’re around for the first Thursday or Friday of the month, join them for one of their Jazz Dinners. 

Day 2: Trouville and Deauville – beaches, seafood and polo 

Half an hour west of Honfleur are a pair of towns that offer you a lovely beach day, some superb seafood and the chance to take in a chukka or two. Trouville and Deauville, separated only by the narrow waters of the Touque, or so it appears. Deauville is by the far more glamorous of the two, with a lively morning market every day, a film festival second only to Cannes and the home of the Deauville Polo Club, whom you might be able to catch in action.

Across the water, Trouville is older and a little rougher, but only by comparison. Some beautiful houses line the seafront and there are restaurants and bars right on the sand where you can settle in for a long lunch. Don’t worry about tucking into some Normandy cider with your moules either, because you can ditch the car and make the trip to and from Honfleur on the 111R bus, which runs regularly right up to about half ten at night, although that would be a long lunch indeed.    

Day 3: Fécamp – cycling into the sunset 

In 2018, a new leg of France’s already extensive and superb cycling network was opened. It runs from Dieppe to Fécamp, around 80km, some of which is along the road, but huge stretches of which are made up of quiet rural cycle paths perfect for gentle trundling. The full route would take a good few hours and has some arduous climbs, but is possible in a day if you’re immune to saddle sores. A more manageable chunk is the 40-minute stretch from Valmont to Fécamp. You can drive to Fécamp (or get up early and take the 2hr train) then take the 508 bus to Valmont with your bikes and drift back along the river, having skipped all the serious elevation on the route.

If you make an early start, you’ll have time to hop over to Étretat, where white cliffs have been carved into arches and towers in another scene that’s inspired generations of artists. It’s another half an hour or so on the train and with this many connections the day is starting to get complicated, so it’s probably one to drive. Then you can spend the evening watching the sun go down on the water and painting the cliffs red and gold.  

Day 4: Pont Audemer and Château du Champ de Bataille  

To rest up from the exertions of a day’s cycling, we take a slower-paced wander to some historic sites. An hour south of Honfleur lies Château du Champ de Bataille, built in 1651 for the Maréchal de Créqui. Although it was raided during the French revolution, two rooms have been restored to their original grandeur and the gardens and grounds are magnificent, but if you fancy even more beauty, head ten minutes west to Harcourt Arboretum to wander 11 hectares in the shade of an enormous variety of species.

You could make a full-ish day out of those two, but if you’re heading back to Honfleur in the early afternoon and feel like another stop, drop into Pont Audemer, often known as Normandy’s Venice. The title might be a little grand, but the beamed buildings that hug the waterfront and cluster round courtyards in the town are worth a wander. You can even kayak around the waterways, which might be good practice for tomorrow… 

Day 5: Conde-sur-Vire – canoes and crêpes 

An hour and a half west of Honfleur is the small town of Condé-sur-Vire, on the river of the same name, the gentle meandering of which makes it perfect for a slow day’s canoeing. Rental companies can lend you gear and provide guides and transport, so you can enjoy a leisurely drift along the river in one of Normandy’s most unspoilt areas. Various lengths of trip are on offer with a morning outing from 9am to noon and an afternoon outing from 2 to 5pm. Which you choose depends on whether you’re a task-treat or treat-task person, because this day is really about crêpes. On the cliffs in nearby Torigny-les-Villes is Crêperie des Roches de Ham, where a superb example of the flipping art is served in front of spectacular terrace views that make a perfect sign off to your Normandy trip, unless you also want to see one of the area’s most famous sights.

The Bayeaux Tapestry, housed in its own special museum, lies between you and Honfleur. It closes at 6:30pm in summer and 6pm in winter, with last entry 45 minutes before that, meaning you do have time to head over and take in one of history’s most noted artworks. The alternative, of course, is to have a second crêpe, linger in front of those views, looking out on Normandy and back on your week of adventure. 

 

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