Noel Graveline & Noël Broëlec : The Enchanting Normandy

When the King of France gave Normandy to the Vikings, it became not just another acquisition, but a new homeland that they proceeded to defend valiantly against new intruders. The Scandinavian settlers clearly appreciated the gentle charms of a land that has since been celebrated by a pleiad of artists including such great names as Monet, Flaubert and Proust. They were drawn to the area for its fine coastline and vast beaches, the colour of the sea, its ports and cliffs, its gently rolling farmland dotted with hedges, groves and apple blossom, and its abundance of rivers — the Seine, the Vire, the Orne and the Touques — not to mention Honfleur, Trouville, Cabourg and Rouen... Yet long before Flaubert and the Impressionists paid tribute to this generous land, countless other masters had already left their mark. Sainte-Catherine’s church at Honfleur, Queen Mathilde’s tapestry in Bayeux cathedral, the church of Saint-Etienne at Caen, Notre-Dame of Rouen, and the Mont-Saint-Michel, the “Wonder» of the western world, are among the many masterpieces Normandy is proud to show off to its visitors...