NORMANDY,
FRANCE
Is of course just a 6 hour trip over the
English channel by regular car ferry, much less by the swift catamarans
if weather permits them to sail. The shortest regular crossing is the
Brittany Ferries boat from Poole to Cherbourg, just over 4 hours. It is
arguably the foremost cider growing
region of Europe, although the Northern Spanish of Asturias and
English West Countrymen might disagree. I have made a dozen or so trips
over the last decade, whether for a shopping weekend, week with the
family or a 3-4 day cycle tour, and observed the apples, orchards and
cider. The cider, or should I say cidre, afficionado will wish to make
a pilgrimage to the land of the Norman conquerors, who as well as
bringing death and tyranny to Britain in 1066, also brought apples and
cider. There's loads on the web, the French are very netwise, just
Google on key words and place names, get a Michelin map from Waterstones, plan
a trip and go.
We live happily near to Portsmouth, from where 2 ferry companies, P&O and Brittany Ferries, steam
to the French channel ports of St Malo, Cherbourg, Caen (Ouistreham)
and Le Havre. Its easy to go out to one French port and return by
another, I can recommend the overnight trip to St Malo, drive cross
country and return via Le Havre which can give a wonderfully rich and
varied 5 day car tour. You can take your choice from the restored
walled citadel of St Malo itself, the incredible Mont St Michel, the
pretty medieval walled town of Dinan, the oyster town of Cancale,
several British, American and German WW2 graves if you wish to see them
(everybody should stand and ponder in a WW2 cemetery at least once),
the orchards of Normandy, the cathedral town of Bayeux with one of the
world's most important pieces of art (the truly amazing Bayeux
Tapestry), a market or two, the port of Honfleur (loved and painted by
the impressionists) with its delightful shops, the curving meanders of
the lower Seine, the big town of Caen with it's renowned peace memorial
museum, the architecture, shops and statuary of Rouen, and the
architectural marvel of the Pont de Normandy bridge linking Honfleur
with Le Havre. And that's before you start on the food and drink-the
cheeses of Normandy are legendary.
cattle in cider orchard near
Honfleur, November 2003
Wherever you go in Normandy you will be offered local cidre as an
accompaniment to food. If you visit one of the outdoor markets, and I
highly recommend the Saturday morning market at Bayeux, (just because I
know it, you will find many others) you will find
local producers offering their own "Cidre Fermier" in other words
medium sweet slightly fizzy cider in 75 cl bottles from their farm. One
of the B&Bs (expat British owned) we stayed in near Bayeux
produces its own cidre. It goes very well with salads, pork or chicken
dishes, or moules frites (mussels and chips). It may be offered by the
bottle or on draft, (by the "pichon") and I've never had any that
dissapointed. The secret of the great taste of Norman cidre is firstly
the traditional French bittersweet apple varieties (from which our
English ones are undoubtedly descended) and secondly the way they make
the cidre so that it retains a certain amount of natural fruit sugar.
English style cider is typically bone dry and around 6-7% alcohol,
Norman cidre is typically somewhat sweet and around 4-5% alcohol. This
is achieved by stopping the fermentation before all the fruit sugar is
turned to alcohol, the techniques for which are beyond the scope of
this short essay (try Andrew Lea's cider site) but are to do with the
nutrition and care of the orchard and the way the fermentation is
managed. I once produced a cider of this style, mainly due to accidents
of weather and blending. I have no idea how it would have matured since
I couldn't keep my wife, my friends or myself from it as it was
swallowed with cries of delight and all 20 gallons were throated within
2 months.
Perry pears carrying a heavy crop.
The hills above Honfleur, November 2003
Orchards are everywhere in the region (try visiting at blossom time),
ranging from the large and intensively managed to the small orchard of
big old trees by the farmhouse, undergrazed by brown and white cows. In
the high streets, bakers (boulangeries/patisseries) offer apple cakes
and tarts which you must try (especially the ones with almonds)
restaurants offer duck, chicken, offal and pork dishes with apple, also
cooked or raw apples in salads. Any dish with "Normande" or "pays de
L'Auge" will likely contain apples, cream or both. The famous Tarte
Tatin is an upside down buttered apple pudding which I once had served
flambe'd at my table with Calvados
-an experience I won't forget.
The apples in the shops as I have stated elsewhere are not only
exclusively French, but usually of the region. You probably guessed by
now, but I like this region and what's more it gives me some hope that
maybe our apple tradition might recover.
My favourite time to visit Normandy is blossom
time or harvest time, when tickets are cheaper and crowds are fewer.
Check out P&O and Brittany Ferries websites: I use both ferries and
refuse to say which
if any I prefer but would point out that one of the
companies has an on-board bakery producing French bread and patisserie
and serves Bayeux Cidre by the bottle in the
bar,
-the other doesn't.
NB what a bummer-P&O ferries have just announced (autumn 2004) they are pulling out of the western channel! I hope Normandy Ferries don't respond by jacking their prices up even higher now they will be a monopoly. I hear they are taking over the Le Havre crossing so that's some comfort..
PS I had a great cycle ride from Cherbourg right down
the Cotentin peninsula and round the bay de Mont St Michel to St Malo in
August/September 2004. Cider all the way, an orchard every kilometre or
so. click here
for a few pictures from that cycle trip.
