NORMANDY

Three names are connected without hesitation with Normandy: Calvados: Camembert and Cider. This is the Pays d'Auge. At Pierrefitte-en-Auge. This little village is approached through a charming motley collection of old farm buildings leading to a little bistro, "Les Deux Tourneaux".
The core of these cultures is to be found in the region between Caen

Cheese Pont l'Eveque

and the lower Seine, a rather secretive land, hidden among hills and valleys and forests. Chequerboard manor houses, and chateaux, half-timbered farms form the background of this rich countryside, being the heart of the production of Normandy's delights: cider, Calvados and cheese.
An advice: being in any important tourist centre, ask always for the maps "Route du Cidre", "Route du Poire", "Route du Fromage", or "Route du Camembert". The region is enchanting, a countryside just like in a postcard: thatched roofs, winding brooks, narrow dirt roads, (like invented for horse riding and VTT, refreshing chapels, charming gites and peaceful hamlets jumping out of century old image books.
Let's first have a look at one of the capitals of Normandy's cheeses; PONT L'EVEQUE. Located between Lisieux and the sea, it gives its name to of the three regional cheeses.
Being half destroyed by last war, the charm is almost gone, but there is still has a square, soft cheese, with a full flavour and it comes in a box. The only interesting features in this town are the grand church, Saint-Michel, well restored since the war with dramatic stained glass windows.
North of town, on the RN 177 is the PERE MAGLOIRE CALVADOS distillery and museum, on the route of Trouville. Guided visits every day from 29th of March to 1st of Nov 10.00-12.30 and 14.30-18.00. July-August 10.00-18.00. Here you can discover all there is to know about apple brandy (the famous Calvados), and its associated crafts during a 45 min tour. Look also at the model of the El Calvador a Spanish galleon washed ashore in 1588, which gave its name to the department and the brandy. Take the D 579 and the next turning to the right, the D 5580, leading up into the hills of the Pays d'Auge, at the PIERREFITTE EN AUGE village, built on the slopes of a hill, in a hilly environment and very green. This little village is approached through a charming motley collection of old farm buildings. A 13th century church has excellent paintings inside.
You can continue to SAINT HYMER, another cute village made of only a handful of buildings including a pleasant restaurant and a huge abbey church. Visit the church, of a surprising wealth for such a small village.

Route du cidre(Copyright Guilbert Guillotin)
Click on picture to visit his site or here)

Via DOUZLE, along the A 13, on the main N 175, a roadside town, pick up marshlands that pick up in the sea. A couple of miles to the south you pass BEUVRON EN AUGE, a well-conserved village with a manor, farm products and several restaurants. Now follow the cider route, a 40 km trail which wanders among these hills, most of which are closed and private. Like VAL DE RICHER, home of the great 19th century statesman François Guizot, built on the Val de Richer abbey where Thomas Becket was first abbot.

Camembert

A score of farms in this area have a signpost outside advertising Cru de Camembert, where also cider and Calvados can be sampled and bought. CAMBREMER is a town considered as the capital of cider and Calvados, a quiet village where each May producers bring their cider, Calvados and "pommeau"(a sherry strength aperitif made of Calvados and aplle cider). Calvados differs from other Normandy Calvados in that it is made by a double distillation process. A good place to see the huge copper stills in action and for a tour is CALVADOS BOULARD at C on the D 48 in COQUAINVILLE.
Returning on the N 13 you arrive in Lisieux.

Bibliography:

A holiday history of France, by Ronald Hamilton (London-Hogarth press), Region Normandie, ses merveilles, ses cicatrices, by Louis Letellier (ed. Cloison, Rouen 1995, La France des petits chemins: Normandie, by J. de la Valléé (ed. Cité presse, Paris 1998), Archives Départementales du Calvados, Caen),Le cidre, la pomme, le calvados
by Paul Robin Le camembert, Camembert mythe national by Pierre Boisard -En pays d'Auge, by Jean Chennebenoist

Cotentin peninsula

Cherbourg