Picture this: Half-timbered towns with tall cathedral spires, thatched-roof cottages dotted among green rolling hills, fat happy cows and drifts of gnarled apple trees. This is the beguiling Normandy coast of France.
Strategically positioned across from England, Normandy is the closest coastline to Paris. That prime location might attract urban beachgoers, but it also explains why this welcoming corner of France has seen more than its share of war.
In the ninth century, Viking Norsemen swooped in from the north and gave the region its name.
A couple of hundred years later, William the Conqueror invaded England from Normandy (his 1066 victory is commemorated in a medieval tapestry 鈥� more about that later).
A few hundred years after that, France鈥檚 greatest cheerleader, Joan of Arc, was burned at the stake in Rouen by the English, against whom she rallied France during the Hundred Years鈥� War.
And in 1944, Normandy was the site of a Second World War battle that changed the course of history.
For many Americans, Normandy begins and ends with the D-Day museums and memorials that commemorate the heroic Allied landing of June 6, 1944.
But even if the rugged Norman coast still harbours wartime bunkers and military cemeteries, it鈥檚 also home to pristine beaches, enchanting fishing villages and pleasant seaside resorts.
It鈥檚 such a popular getaway that Parisians call it the 鈥�21st arrondissement鈥� 鈥� and with its delicious cuisine and idyllic nature, it鈥檚 no wonder.
Brits consider it close enough for a weekend outing (BBC radio comes through loud and clear here).
Little Bayeux, 10 kilometres inland, makes an ideal home base for visiting the area鈥檚 sights.
Even without its proximity to the D-Day beaches, it鈥檚 worth a visit for its enjoyable town centre, awe-inspiring cathedral (William the Conqueror was present for its consecration in 1077), and the remarkable 230-foot Bayeux Tapestry, which painstakingly details William鈥檚 conquest of England, scene by scene.
For the ultimate Norman experience, though, I prefer to stay at a rural farmhouse B&B.
Ancient stone houses, often owned by the same family for decades or longer, offer simple rooms outfitted with vintage furniture and linens crisp from drying on a backyard line. Breakfast eggs often come from the hens in the yard. It鈥檚 the ideal way to sample everyday life firsthand.
Getting into the countryside is also the key to experiencing the local cuisine. Normandy, after all, is the earthy land of the four Cs: Calvados, Camembert, cider and cr猫me (cream sauces).
When you see 鈥溍� la Normande鈥� on a menu here, expect your food to be bathed in cream and butter.
There鈥檚 no local wine in Normandy, but this region of apple orchards is proud of its powerful Calvados apple brandy and hard apple ciders.
Along green lanes lined with hedgerows, Route du Cidre signs (with a bright red apple) lead tourists to producers of handcrafted cider and brandy.
At mom-and-pop places, proprietors invite you into the kitchen for a taste and a chance to buy a bottle. Bigger outfits happily open up their musty cellars and pressing sheds, offering tastings and tours.
At restaurants here, you might be offered a trou Normand, a shot of Calvados served in the middle of a big meal (it鈥檚 sometimes poured over apple sorbet), with the idea that it will reinvigorate your appetite to get you through the next course.
You鈥檒l also find bottles of the aperitif Pommeau, a blend of apple juice and Calvados, as well as poir茅, a tasty pear cider.
Those ciders and brandies are perfect for washing down the region鈥檚 premier cheeses and cream sauces.
What makes these dairy products so special? It鈥檚 the terroir 鈥� the lush green pastureland brushed by the mild maritime climate. And it鈥檚 the brown-and-white Normande cow, which produces a daily output of five gallons of milk that鈥檚 super high in butterfat. (This stoic breed was nearly wiped out during the 1944 Allied invasion, but has since rebounded.)
The rich milk of the Normande cow is essential to the region鈥檚 iconic Camembert cheese, packaged in its little wooden box.
Runny and moist, the funky raw-milk Camembert available in Normandy is nothing like the rubbery pucks sold at home.
Look for cheeses labelled 鈥淐amembert de Normandie AOP鈥� to get the real thing. The French even control the designation of Normandy鈥檚 thick, unpasteurized cream (AOC cr猫me fra卯che de Normandie).
Here鈥檚 a tip: If you鈥檙e going to splurge on a nice dinner in France, do it in a small Norman town, where fine dining can be a terrific value.
After spending a day visiting the D-Day beaches, I look forward to to the edible and drinkable hospitality that鈥檚 so abundant in Normandy.
Even when the food鈥檚 gone and the bottle鈥檚 empty, the party goes on.
Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.
