Bits of Brittany and Normandy

I got such great information from you all about Burgundy and Alsace that I'm coming to you again for info on the other side of France: Normandy and Brittany. To be more specific, we will be in the Dinan/St. Malo area of Brittany, then Mont St-Michel (I know, so touristy, but so amazing), and then a day or two rambling around the Pays d'Auge, home of Camembert, Livarot, and Calvados. I lived near the Pays d'Auge for about a year, but it was about 17 years ago, and at that time I had no money and no car. So I know how lovely it is but I don't know/remember specifics about places to eat or stay.

We will be on a budget but with the ability to splurge if necessary. No dieting will be involved.

I attended a conference in St. Malo about three years ago, and while all the meals were included at the conference, a friend and I snuck off for one big night on the town. We wanted to sample the local specialty, the plateau de fruits de mer, or seafood platter, typically a two- or three-tier extravaganza of local seafood. Many restaurants and cafes advertise one, so we asked a local shopkeer for his recommendation. He recommended the big bustling place right near the main gate through the town walls (I'm pretty sure it's called Cafe St. Malo or Le St Malo). I had worried that so prominent a place would be touristy or overpriced, but he assured me: "Monsieur, vous ne serez pas déçus!" (You will not be disappointed.) And we were not.

The setting was glorious, sitting on the terrace in the shadow of the town's great walls. This was mid-June, so it stayed light till nearly 10 pm. We ordered a platter called the Corsaire, priced at about 80 Euros, as well as a reasonably priced bottle of Sancerre. Within minutes, the waiter brought us an armamentarium of little picks, scoops, and claw crackers. Then came the platter, piled high with the most pristine seafood imaginable: two beautiful crabs facing off on top, langoustines, shrimp, 18 raw oysters, and a plethora of smaller cockles, snails and periwinkles. It was all pristine, unquestionably the freshest I have ever had. I highly recommend it.

I will see if I can track down the exact name and address for you.

One place I really liked was the Hotel de la Marine, in Arromanches les Bains.

http://www.hotel-de-la-marine.fr/

It's *right* on the water, the food is good, the atmosphere is nice, and there's lots to do in the town at the various invasion memorials/museums.

http://www.arromanches.com/

Another thing: be absolutely sure that you drive around on the backroads with an empty wine bottle or two (screwcap is best). Every time you see the sign "Calvados fermier" STOP! and fill your bottle with calva. One of the most wonderful things in the potable universe.

And have cidre wherever you can--there are some most excellent versions lurking in the craziest places (like at the calva fermier's place!)

Have a great time!

Geo
PS. are you going to go see the tapestry? and visit the cemetary?

I would definitely like to sneak the cemetaries in there; I'm not so sure about the tapestry since I've seen it twice already and I don't know if my traveling companion is interested. We'll have only a day or so for the Normandy countryside, so I think we're concentrating more on the food/wine aspect of the area rather than the historical. But who knows! I'm leaving my options open. I really wish I had more time there, but hopefullly I won't have to wait so long to go back this time...

I spent a month on a farm near Dinan years ago. Ask around in Dinan to find the restaurant on the ramparts of the town. They have an upstairs restaurant and garden and a few hotel rooms upstairs if I am not mistaken. The garden restaurant served carefully prepared classics. But the highlight of our visit was dining one night in the hotel's casual and inexpensive option: a cavernous stone hall located downstairs in the ramparts. The hall was lighted only with a roaring fire, and we had the feeling of going back centuries as we devoured delicious roast meats and local wine. In no way is this a "medieval times" type recreation, nor a tourist trap. Instead, it was the simply prepared feast of quality ingredients we were hungry for after too many precious, obsessively constructed meals. I'd also suggest you take the walking tour of the town to get some of the history behind the beautiful half-timbered buildings.
Not a lot of great options in Dinard -- casino town-- but check out some of the local cafes routier--truck stops--for cheap, fresh plateaux de fruits de mer.

If you go to Honfleur on the coast, our best meal there was Vieux Honfleur, which is right on the mini-harbour. This place was recommended by owner of a restaurant in Paris. If you eat outside, you'll have great food and a great view. Check out the Erik Satie museum while you're there.

We had a great dinner in Rouen, and found a wonderful bakery, but the names are long since forgotten. The old quarter of Rouen is quite wonderful. From Paris to the coast, stay as much as possible on the Route des Abbeys, where you'll see some great old ruins and go through charming small villages. The route basically follows a river (the Seine, I think).

In Dinan, our best meal was at a place just outside the town's walls, on the river. Find the street that leads down the hill to the river, and there is a place right on the water. Great location and, as always, great food.

The town of Bayeaux didn't do much, the the museum which has the tapestry is great. You first see a short film explaining it, and then you walk through a long replica that explains each of the pictures. By the time you walk through the actual tapestry (with heaphone explanations), you have a real feel for what you're seeing. My teenagers loved it, too.

Enjoy,
Jonah

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about the Vieux Honfleur--I can second Jonah on that: excellent seafood, and eating outside is wonderful. Another very nice place is Le Chat Qui Peche--worth visiting just for the name! Plus, the church of St. Catherine's is an amazing sort of construction, like an upside-down boat. It's a nice little town, with a well-preserved harbor.

Geo

Josephine Hyde said:

check out some of the local cafes routier--truck stops--for cheap, fresh plateaux de fruits de mer.

How can you not love a country that has platters of fresh local seafood at their TRUCKSTOPS, for goodness sake!! Bill Reilly, I feel sorry for you...