Here are a few apple related pictures taken during a cycle tour I made from Cherbourg to St Malo in August/September 2004. I took the ferry out from Portsmouth to Cherbourg, cycled down stopping the night at Briquebec, Coutances, the bay of Mt St Michel and a last night at St Malo before taking the St Malo to Portsmouth ferry back again. I haven't tried to place the pictures on a map as these scenes were very typical of the region.
This interesting picture shows some branches being propped up to prevent them bending over and perhaps breaking due to the weight of a heavy crop. This is a very sensible thing to do if you have the time, we have had apple and particularly plum branches break several times due to weight of crop and usually try to save the situation by cutting off fruit-but then you get less fruit come harvest. I think this winter I am going to cut some hazel sticks with forks in then and use them like this.
An equally amazing but more formal picture below shows an espalier pear planted against a farmhouse wall.
There were several old stone apple mills being used as ornaments, of course the French while celebrating their ancient traditions are modern wherever it suits them and no doubt the apples are milled with modern stainless steel gear.
and here is another
It was never far from one orchard to the next, hence my recommendation
to visit Normandy in apple blossom time-no use bothering with Kent as they
have lost so many orchards, but here in Normandy they love and use them.
I drank cider at every meal, never came across the same brand twice, and
never had any that I didn't enjoy, one or 2 were only average but most
were delightful. There is clearly a lively tradition of making and using
cider which is of course the best way to preserve the orchards and make
sure new ones are established.
I don't think I saw a large orchard, or cycled more than a kilometre without seeing a small one. As well as small orchards, there were remnant of orchards where most of the trees had been lost, leaving a few venerable old pommiers, often leaning over at funny old angles but still bearing. Most of the fruits were very small, typical of the cider fruit of this region. Don't ask me any names!
Reaching the bay of Mont Saint Michel, I stayed the night at a lovely little place an hour's cycle from Avranches (murderous place to cross from north to south on a cycle) where there were only 2 main courses on the menu-duck and lamb from the salt marshes, a very short wine list and local cider. I of course had the lamb with cider-lovely. Opposite the guest house was a small orchard with some sheep.
Heading west towards St Malo, as pleasant a day's cycling as I ever enjoyed with constantly changing vistas across the salt marches and flat agricultural land towards the marvellous mount, I stopped for a picnic and some more local cider again-its all right, its only 5% and I had a good rest before moving on. Of course I wouldn't have touched the Calvados at lunchtime. Here is a mobile still with Mt St Michel and the flat agricultural land in the background
The mount is wonderful, and should be visited, allow at least 5 hours. I don't want to put too many non-apple pictures in what is a mainly apple related travelogue, but couldn't resist the one below.
Please feel free to download and share any of these pictures for personal use (the pictures make great screensavers) although I do assert my copyright if you make any money from them. I have a few more from earlier trips which I will try to find time to put up later and hope to get to Normandy in spring 2007 to photograph the apple blossom.