Page 91 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - France

DRIVE 7: Normandy’s Wild West 89

PLAN YOUR DRIVE
Utah Start/finish: Bayeux to
Beach
Ste-Mère- Pointe Mont-St-Michel.
Église Grandcamp- du Hoc
Maisy Number of days: 3–4, with half a
Ste-Marie- Omaha day each in Bayeux and on Mont-
Beach
du-Mont Vierville-sur-
Mer American Cemetery St-Michel.
St-Côme-du-Mont
Port-en-
PARC RÉGIONAL DES Bessin-Huppain Distance: 285 km (175 miles).
MARAIS DU COTENTIN
lsigny-sur-Mer Road conditions: Roads are in
St-Vigor-
Carentan le-Grand good condition. In the bocage
Le Rata Bricqueville BAYEUX country, the maze of tiny lanes is
CAL V ADOS sometimes erratically signposted.
Graignes St-Jean- Molay-Littry
de-Daye When to go: From May to
La Tuilerie
September it is usually bright and
L‘Embranchement Castillon sunny, without being very hot.
Les Champs- St-Clair-sur-Elle
de-Losque From late July through August the
Vire CERISY- coast is very busy. In winter it is
LA-FORÊT BALLEROY
Le Mesnil- almost empty, but ocean winds
Vigot
make it very atmospheric.
Saint-Lô
St-Gilles St-Jean- Opening hours: Mont-St-Michel,
des-Baisants
Marigny the Bayeux Tapestry centre and
other major museums in Bayeux
MANCHE Condé- are generally open daily all year,
sur-Vire
Dangy without closing for lunch. Many
Torigni-sur-Vire smaller châteaux, abbeys and other
Montipinchon
attractions are closed during the
winter season.
Tessy-
sur-Vire Main market days: Bayeux: Sat;
HAMBYE KEY
- Barneville-Carteret: Thu, Sat;
Villebaudon
Drive route Coutances: Thu, Sat; Granville:
Wed, Sat; Avranches: Sat.
Abbaye de Hambye
Shopping: There are many farms
Montaigu- around the Cotentin peninsula that
les-Bois
sell their own produce direct to
callers – especially ciders, Calvados,
fruit preserves and meats such
Villedieu- as duck pâtés and rillettes or
les-Poêles Andouille sausages.
Major festivals: Bayeux: D-day
festival, Jun; Fêtes Médiévales, Jul;
Cerisy-la-Forêt, Lessay, Hambye,
La Lucerne: Abbayes Normandes
Brécey
festival, Jun–Sep; Granville: Carnival,
Feb; Shellfish festival, Oct; Mont-St-
Sée
Michel: Nocturnes, Jul–Aug.
DAYTRIP OPTIONS
t Isigny- This route easily divides into three
le-Buat
separate day trips. History enthu-
siasts can spend a day in and
around Bayeux; families can enjoy
the Cotentin coast; and Mont-St-
Right Norman Abbaye de Michel and its bay are ideal for
Cerisy-la-Forêt, see p91 nature lovers. For details, see p95.