It is an ancient tradition to feast on the eve of battle, so accordingly on the night before our expedition to Normandy, Hugh and I feasted big time at a Michelin three starred restaurant called Arpege near the Rodin Museum. I chose this restaurant because, unusually in carnivorous Paris, this restaurant has an emphasis on vegetables and serves no red meat. Dressed in our finery we were handed a huge tome otherwise known as the wine list (see photo) - there were two pages devoted to just champagnes! It was a little overwhelming but the waiter was very nice and helped us out. We had intentions (in part due to the exorbitant cost of the food) of only ordering two courses which we duly did- but firstly with our champagne arrived plate of hors d'ouvres then another. We were surprised but delighted. Then another delicious egg thingy arrived (a signature dish apparently), then our entrees, which they kindly divided so we could taste both, then another appetizer of I think carrots and turnips which sounds ordinary but was rich and complex. By now our eyes were bulging slightly and our main courses arrived - mine was another signature dish of beetroot baked in a salt crust which again fails to describe the dish - it was like eating Christmas pudding - sort of orange and chocolatey and unbelievably rich. Stupidly I ordered cheese and dessert - what was I thinking? I didn't realize that the plate of petit fours was not the desert however the waitress kindly made a box for my apple tart to take home as we were completely full and certainly not fit for battle!
Still digesting I think, we were picked up by Cecile and Gilles the next day for our Norman campaign. It is about a three hour drive from Paris and we reached Bayeux, our first destination, at lunch time before a short stop at the shop of a chocolate factory. I made a careful selection of treats naturally - the chocolates are known as Drakkar, after the Viking-like ships William the Conquerer used for his invasion of England. Cecile had a plan to show us all the best that Normandy, the land of calvados and Camembert, has to offer and she took it very seriously I'm pleased to say! We met one of her lovely cousins Minou for lunch in Bayeux and while not really hungry yet, I managed to have a three course meal anyway. Bayeux is a beautiful old town with the river Aure running through it and of course the famous Bayeux cathedral and tapestry.
Photo: Minou Lesage
However, I was so excited to finally see the tapestry which I have wanted to see since I was in year 8 and our headmistress taught us about the Angles and the Saxons and of course the victorious Normans. It is amazing - the colours are so bright and the figures so well drawn - it is even better than I imagined. It is full of action and drama - the first cartoon-like description of the events leading up to the battle and the battle itself. It is quite graphic with body parts strewn around the place and several rather ambiguous sexual scenes. I was pleased also to be able to decipher some of the Latin description that runs along the top of the 70 metre embroidery. As it was not very crowded we were able to go back to the beginning and see it all again. I don't believe there is any thing like it in the entire world!
Next stop was the cooperative factory shop where they produce the famous camembert cheese - Isigny-Sur-Mer - also butter, fromage frais and other dairy delights. We stocked up before visiting another speciality of the region - the caramel shop. Oh la la - after 30 years of being with Hugh I found out his secret passion - caramels. He insisted on buying a huge bag which I demanded that he keep at work. Carrying armfuls of food and calvados we reached Grandcamp sur Maisy and the house on the sea. After unpacking we sat around the fire drinking calvados and tasting some of the delicious chocolate biscuits we had bought. Our last treat for the day was pizza at a nearby bar which Francois, the nephew of Cecile and Gilles, runs. The wind was blowing fiercely along the sea front but Hugh and I were snug in our fishermans jackets which we borrowed. Not long after we walked in, a blues band called Porion started playing amazing guitars and singing Eric Clapton with a French accent. It was fantastic and a fitting end to our first day in wonderful Normandy.
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