INSPIRATIONAL NORMANDY

Text & Photos by David Bowden Translation by Emma Xu

INSPIRATIONAL NORMANDY

Text & Photos by David Bowden Translation by Emma Xu

It's possible to be sitting in a small fi shing village along the Atlantic Ocean on the Normandy coastline within just a few hours of touching down in Paris at Charles de Gaulle Airport. This coastline is one of France's most picturesque landscapes, and it's easy to see how the sun and the scenery inspired so many artists, musicians and composers as well as being a destination that attracts a variety of holidaymakers.

Discover the harbourside marina in Fécamp. 费康的港口风光。

诺曼底灵感海岸

诺曼底海岸线的风景冠绝法国，那儿的光影与美景激发了众多艺术家、音乐家和作曲家的创作灵感。如今，无数游客纷至沓来，只为惊鸿一瞥。

Admire sculptures in the gardens of Les Jardins d'Étretat.景观花园中的人面雕塑极为醒目。

Alabaster Coast

Parts of coastal Normandy are known as the Côte d'Abâtre (Alabaster Coast) because of the mineralrich white chalky cliffs that form the backdrop to sandy beaches lapping the Atlantic Ocean foreshore. These cliffs mirror the White Cliffs of Dover on the other side of the English Channel.

Painters such as Delacroix, Miro, Maupassant, Renoir, Picasso and Monet were attracted to these parts, and many produced some of their fi nest works here. Visitors to Eugène Boudin Museum in Honfl eur can see the works from many of these great French landscape artists.

As painters who embraced modernity and the unique use of light, the Impressionists revolutionised art in the 19th century. Today, they are considered very popular in the scope of the medium, and their works rank highly amongst the world's fi nest cultural relics.

The dramatic white cliffs of Aval along the famous Aiguille provided inspiration and also enlightened these painters. One of the best places artists would journey to was Les Jardins d'Étretat, a landscaped garden located just above the small town of Étretat not far from Le Havre near the mouth of the River Seine.

These picturesque gardens created by landscape architect Alexander Grivko, feature sculptures surrounded by meticulously manicured shrubs. Over-sized sculptures of young faces are in stark contrast to the natural surroundings.

Villa Roxelane, situated on the garden's highest vantage point is where Madame Thébault, a famous actress of the time and Auguste Lecanue, a landscape painter, fi rst planted scrubs in the chalky soil in 1905.

The area and the avant-garde gardens appealed and inspired famous Impressionist painters such as Claude Monet who worked extensively in Normandy.

Étretat is famous for its white chalky cliffs.埃特尔塔镇以白色峭壁闻名。

灵感之源

阿拉巴斯特海岸位于诺曼底沿海一带，岸边矗立着重重白垩峭壁，构成巍然奇景。英吉利海峡的多佛白崖与白垩峭壁遥遥相对。

米罗、毕加索、莫奈等大画家均从这片美景中受到启发，画出了传世之作。

造型奇巧的阿瓦勒白色悬崖为画家们带来了无限灵感，坐落在埃特尔塔小镇的景观花园也是一个绝妙的灵感之源。

美不胜收的景观花园由亚历山大·格里夫科设计，园内精雕细琢的特写雕塑被精心修剪的灌木丛团团簇拥。

Left左The Palais Bénédictine.本笃宫。

Middle中Archways in Mont Saint-Michel.圣米歇尔山上的拱形长廊。

Right右Detailed architecture of Mont Saint-Michel.建筑细节。

Abbeys, Monasteries and Palaces

Normandy is home to many places of worship with the most famous being Mont Saint-Michel perched on a rocky outcrop just off the north western coastline near the Channel Islands.

The abbey is one of France's most photographed places because it is so unique in being situated on a rocky granite outcrop almost one kilometre across the tidal fl ats from the mainland. A new causeway, visitors' centre and parking area ensure that visitors can enjoy the sunshine by walking to the abbey via the causeway that crosses coastal fl ats which are either exposed or covered in seawater depending upon the height of the tide.

Being France's fi rst UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mont Saint-Michel not only has a special role to play in French life but it is also important to global culture. This fortifi ed village dating back over 1,200 years is dominated by the abbey on the highest parts while villagers live in the lower precincts.

The abbey is vast with over 20 chambers that exhibit many architectural styles added over the centuries. While open to the general public, specialist tours can be arranged to enable interested visitors to see and experience lesser seen parts of the religious site including views from the very top where massive Gothic spires reach skyward.

Another famous building that could well be mistaken for an abbey along the Normandy coastline is the Palais Bénédictine in Fécamp. This incredible Gothic and Renaissance-styled building is home to the renowned Bénédictine liqueur which is a popular beverage the world over.

While the ornately-decorated palace only dates back to the 19th century, the liqueur was fi rst produced in the 16th century when a Bénédictine monk named Dom Bernardo Vincelli created a secret elixir that was produced for decades but then lost during the French Revolution.

In 1863, Alexandre Le Grand, a local wine trader, rediscovered the recipe found in a book within his vast library. The complex herbal-based recipe was recreated, and the Palais Bénédictine built as a home to what is one of the best known liqueurs on the market today.

Not only is the palace where the liqueur is distilled using numerous secret herbal ingredients, but it is also a cellar for ageing the liqueur, a repository of art, a venue for grand hospitality events and, a boutique for sampling and buying the famous beverage. Visitors can join a guided tour to take in the impressive setting, the spectacular pieces of art and to enjoy guided samplings of the well-known liqueur.

Mont Saint-Michel.宗教圣地圣米歇尔山。

教堂宫殿

诺曼底有很多宗教朝圣地，最负盛名的当属圣米歇尔山——法国第一个被联合国教科文组织认定的世界文化遗产。

圣米歇尔山的山顶大教堂堪称法国最美之地，其地理位置十分独特，位于花岗岩露头之上，四面皆是潮滩，仅有一条堤道可通行。

教堂占地很广，有20多间内室，展示着历代不同的建筑风格。

诺曼底海岸的另一座著名建筑是费康的本笃宫，融合了哥特风格与文艺复兴风格。有名的本笃会甜酒就出产于本笃宫。甜酒由一名本笃会修士发明，后经当地酒商改良而成。

本笃宫，不仅是蒸馏甜酒的地方，也是保存甜酒的酒窖、收藏艺术品的宝库。游客可来此欣赏优美的建筑、珍奇的藏品，当然也不能错过唇齿留香的名酒。

Left左The fishing village of Honfleur.翁弗勒尔渔港。

Right右Dine on the freshest seafood.无比新鲜的海货。

Ports and Bays

There are many ports, bays and marinas to enjoy the sun and coastal location with Honfl eur, Fécamp, Cherbourg, Caen, Cabourg and Deauville standing out.

Cherbourg has one of the most famous harbours along the coast. It is located at the entrance to the English Channel and is a major port for ferries heading to and from Britain.

In addition to its docks and marinas, one of the big attractions here is La Cité de la Mer Cherbourg. This museum is located in the former transatlantic liner terminal which dates back to the 1930s when huge ocean-going cruise boats pulled in here on their way from England to the east coast of the United States.

There are many attractions in the museum including a re-creation of the Art Deco baggage hall for the ill-fated Titanic. While the Titanic did not actually embark from Cherbourg, tender vessels transported 274 passengers from the coastal port out to the Titanic which was moored offshore in the English Channel.

Another highlight was a visit to La Cité de la Mer, to explore Le Redoutable, a French Navy submarine. This is the largest submarine open to the public in the world and an eye-opening experience for all.

If you want another picturesque harbour, head over to Fécamp where there is another marina that is very popular with tourists. Visitors can stroll along the promenade here, dine in restaurants and enjoy local beverages in the town's atmospheric bars.

In days gone by, fi shermen from Fécamp headed out into the Atlantic Ocean in search of codfi sh which were mostly caught in the waters off the Canadian maritime province of Newfoundland. A new museum in Fécamp called Musée des Terre-Neuvas et de la Péche has just opened to celebrate these brave fi shermen and how they contributed to the wealth of the small fi shing port.

Food for the Senses

Seafood is another great reason to visit Normandy where oysters, mussels and scallops thrive in the coastal waters and are served in restaurants all over the region.

Many restaurants and cafés specialise in seafood with some worth seeking out including l'Equipage (beside the harbour in Cherbourg), La Môme du Vaugueux (Caen) and L'Ostréa (Honfl eur).

While Honfl eur is quite touristy, it's well worth visiting at the weekend for the open-air markets that sprawl around the small harbour and to visit the exciting new Normandy Outlet shopping complex that has just opened nearby. Half-timbered houses typical of Normandy line the dock front here creating a magical setting for visitors.

Other local specialty foods and beverage items include Camembert cheese, apple cider, Calvados (apple brandy) and tarte aux pommes (apple tarts).

Left 左Admire the check-in counter for the Titanic.泰坦尼克号展览。

Middle中Visit a submarine in Cherbourg.瑟堡的潜水艇。

Right右Sea gull海鸥。

海港风情

瑟堡位于英吉利海峡的入口，是渡轮来往英国时停靠的大型港口。

海洋城市博物馆是瑟堡的一大景点，馆内有很多吸引眼球的亮点，譬如泰坦尼克号的展览。另一亮点是可畏级核潜艇，目前世界上对公众开放的最大潜水艇，绝对令人大开眼界。

费康的海港风景优美，颇受游客欢迎。游客可在码头漫步，在富有小镇风情的酒吧里品尝特色饮品。

感官盛宴

诱人的海鲜是又一个不得不去诺曼底的理由，那里的沿海水域盛产牡蛎、青口和扇贝，在当地所有餐馆都有供应。

翁弗勒尔非常值得一游，特别是海港周围的露天市场，还有附近的诺曼底购物中心，都是不错的逛街选择。那儿半木结构的房屋是典型的诺曼底建筑风格，它们错落有致地列在码头后面，平添一道怡人风景。

Peaceful coastline.迷人海岸线。

ITINERARY旅行路线

Day 1

飞往巴黎（戴高乐机场）；抵达蓬托尔松——离圣米歇尔山教堂最近的小镇，入住酒店。下午游览圣米歇尔山教堂。当晚在蓬托尔松留宿。

Day 2

前往瑟堡，白天参观海洋城市博物馆，享用海鲜，逛码头周边。当晚在瑟堡留宿。

Day 3

前往卡昂、卡布尔、多维尔及翁弗勒尔，欣赏美丽的沿海风景。当晚留宿翁弗勒尔，可在码头附近散步，看渔船、老屋，在海鲜餐厅用餐。

Day 4

早上去诺曼底购物中心购物，之后穿过塞纳河，往北经由勒阿弗尔，到埃特尔塔参观景观花园。下午去费康参观著名的本笃宫，品尝该处酿造的甜酒。当晚留宿费康，在码头旁的餐厅用餐，夜晚可去泡吧。

Day 5

回到诺曼底大区的首府鲁昂，到市中心参观著名的半木结构房屋，之后返回巴黎。

Tips旅游贴士

•对想欣赏印象派画家注重的光影效果的游客来说，游览诺曼底海岸的最佳时间是夏季阳光灿烂时，抑或八九月份夏季假期结束时。

•诺曼底的一些地区有火车可乘坐；参观小村镇，租车是最佳选择。

•手机翻译软件可以协助识别法语标志、菜单，还能帮忙砍价。