From Normandy to Calvados,  April 23-30, 2012

A journey to the discovery of Normandy with Cédric.

Located on the English Channel, Normandy a region of northwest France is full of historical treasures. Part of the Ancient Gaul, the region was successively conquered by the Romans, Franks, and Norse; passed to England after the Norman Conquest (1066) and during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453); and was restored to France in 1450. Its beaches were the focal point of Allied landings on D-day (June 6, 1944) in World War II... Normandy is a region full of legendary food gastronomy, well known for some rich and powerful cheeses like Livarot, Pont-Leveque..., specialty drinks from apple cider to calvados, and more...
Cédric, a French native, will introduce you to the numerous treasures of Normandy. As a guest in a Bed & Breakfast near Bayeux --a former farm-- you will bask in Normandy traditional and modern conveniences. Others components of this week- long initiation into the Calvados region includes visits to monuments, museums, the Mont-Saint-Michel....
Cédric was born and raised in France and now lives in Tacoma, Washington. For more than twelve years, Cédric has worked in the wine industry: for a vineyard in southern France, as a wine rep and a wine consultant in the U.S. He is looking forward to sharing his knowledge of and passion for France's history, food, Calvados and wine.

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The group will meet in Caen (no airport nearby!)
Monday the 23rd of April 2012
Arriving in Caen by train from Paris. For train information, www.sncf.com
As above, the B&B* is an old restored farm...visit of Port-en-Bessin and the country side of Normandy.

Tuesday the 24th - Visit of the Bayeux Tapestry, a linen canvas made in the 11th century, celebrating the conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy, at the Battle of Hastings. After a lunch in Bayeux, visit of the historic downtown, which offers a rich heritage of timber-framed houses, manors and townhouses...and the visit of the famous Cathedral. The present cathedral was consecrated on 14 July 1077 in the presence of William, Duke of Normandy and King of England. It was here that William forced Harold Godwinson to take the oath, the breaking of which lead to the Norman conquest of England.

Wednesday the 25th - visit of Livarot, village cheese making process, the milk industry...followed by a lunch and a visit of a Calvados distillery...taste of Calvados, the distillation, the cellars and the secrets of maturing the Calvados. You will discover the origins of the name Calvados according to history and legend as well as the tools of the artisans in their original state. Among other things you will find those of the cooper, the saddler, the clog-maker, the basket maker and many tools used on the farms in ancient Normandy.

Thursday the 26th - Visit D-day sites the historical area of the Battle of Normandy. With the village of Arromanches, Omaha beach, colleville-sur-Mer, the American Cemetery and "les canons de la Longes".

Friday the 27th - visit of the Mont-Saint Michel,** also called "The Wonder of the Western World," which forms a tower in the heart of an immense bay invaded by the highest tides in Europe. The Mont-Saint-Michel was used in the sixth and seventh centuries as an Armorican stronghold of Romano-Breton culture. The mount gained strategic significance in 933 when William "Long Sword", William I, Duke of Normandy, annexed the Cotentin Peninsula, definitively placing the mount in Normandy. It is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry, which commemorates the 1066 Norman conquest of England. The Abbey was turned into a prison during the days of the French Revolution and Empire, and needed to be restored before the end of the 19th century.At the same time as the abbey was developing, a village grew up from the Middle Age. It flourished on the south-east side of the rock surrounded by walls dated for the most part from the Hundred Years war. This village has always a commercial vocation.The Mont Saint-Michel has been classified by the UNESCO as a world heritage.

Saturday the 28th - visit of Honfleur a small medieval town. Where the past is in evidence all around, the Old Dock surrounded by picturesque narrow houses, this is with no doubt what catches the eye of every visitor upon their first visit to Honfleur. Free time and a boat tour in the afternoon.

Sunday the 29th - visit of the Chateau de Balleroy design by architect François Mansart in 1626 and took a decade to complete. The cour d'honneur is marked by two stylish side pavilions—an architectural grace note adapted from Italian Renaissance models—which beautifully frame the small, but very seignorial, central mass of the house. Inside, the salon d'honneur is the very picture of Louis XIV decoration. A gallery houses the fascinating Musée des Ballons (Balloon Museum). The companion village to the château was designed by Mansart in one of the first examples of town planning in France.

Monday the 30th of April 2012 - return to Caen to catch the train for Paris.

The minimum payment is the non refundable registration fee of 200€. If you haven't read the policies page, you can do so by clicking here.

To register, click here.

*Dinners will take place at the B&B and will emphasize on traditional cuisine from Normandy and various French wines, Calvados, ciders tastings.
**The visit of the Mont-Saint- Michel requires some walking up a lot of stairs to visit the Abbey.
Pricing is 1998 Euros per person based on a double occupancy room.