Relais and Chateauing it Thru
Normandy and Brittany

Chateau d'Audrieu
14250 Audrieu, Normandy, France
Tel.(33) 02 31 80 21 52     Fax: (33) 02 31 80 24 73
email: audrieu@relaischateaux.com
 www.relaischateaux.com/audrieu

Overall Impression -

1) Guest Rooms -

2) Dining -

Our first stop was this elegant 18th -century house on the outskirts of the village of the same name, about a 30-minute drive from Caen, capital of Lower Normandy. Our room was spacious and quite comfortable, though the decor and furniture were showing signs of wear. The bathroom, however, was as well-equipped as anyone could wish -a welcome change from memories of French plumbing of autre temps! The real eye-opener of the Chateau was the kitchen. A series of delicious meals, impeccably served, more than satisfied our hedonistic desires. The restaurant is in three prettily decorated rooms and is open to the public. It is a magnet to epicures from the surrounding towns and there is never a vacant table at dinner.

3) Area Attractions - Normandy

Visiting the area's notable sites is easy, without having to take to the high speed highways. Local roads are well-surfaced and sign-posted; they took us through lush countryside and picturesque villages, at the center of which there is, usually, a roundabout ablaze with multicolored flowers. Traffic is light and the locals do not drive like the crazies of Pa-ree. We were pleasantly surprised by the paucity of tourists at the places we visited.

Not to be Missed:

• The Invasion beaches, particularly Omaha, where the Americans overcame a brutal battering on D-Day.

• Utah Beach and the American Military Cemetery near Ste. Mere Eglise, where the sight of endless rows of grave stones gives one an emotional jolt.

• Arromanches, where immediately after D-Day, the floating "Mulberry" harbor was constructed, without which the Allied Armies could not have been supplied. Be sure to go to its superb historical museum whose displays and films bring to vivid life these dramatic events.

• Caen, rebuilt after the destruction of the invasion, is a handsome city. Visit the Memorial Museum, a well-planned and poignant re-creation of mid-20th century history.

• Bayeux, an unspoiled Medieval town, home of the tapestry that tells the story of William of Normandy's invasion of England in 1066.

• Honfleur (above) is the old fishing port on the Seine estuary with its narrow, multicolored houses clustered around the inner harbor. It is a delight to wander through the winding streets of half-timbered houses, in and out of the many wine stores, all of which are busy promoting Normandy's own liquor, Calvados, the apple brandy that comes in many different flavors. Tasting is de rigeur - but driving shortly after is not such a good idea.

• Deauville (above) and its magnificent beaches, immortalized in the paintings of Eugene Boudin, is the favorite playground of Tout Paris, who spend August at the Casino and the Racetrack.

    Not up to expectations:

• Mont St. Michel, our last stop in Normandy on the way to Brittany, was an ill-planned jaunt that did not turn out too well. Visits should be at low tide to make use of the parking lot at the foot of the Mount. When we arrived, the incoming tide had submerged the lot, necessitating parking a mile and a half away and trudging over the causeway in the face of a bitterly cold wind and driving rain. At the foot of the rock topped by the Abbey towering far above us we asked a weary-looking returning traveler if there were elevators to ease the upward journey. "No, only many, many, many steps," came the reply. We passed on it (we did not climb the Great Pyramid in Egypt, either).

Manoir de Lan-Kerellec
22560 Treuberden, Brittany, France
Tel: (33) 02 96 15 00 00 or 47 47 Fax: (33) 02 96 23 66 88
email: lankerellec@relaischateaux.com

Overall Impression -

1) Guest Rooms -

2) Dining -

All the rooms of the Manoir, including the restaurant and the breakfast room look out over the Atlantic and down to a bay strewn with many islets. The house is stylishly decorated. We were shown to our room, a small suite with its own deck, where a bottle of chilled Champagne and a basket of fresh fruit awaited us - a charmingly hospitable touch. However, nothing is perfect - certainly not the kitchen at the Manoir. After several uninspired meals I was reminded of an old story of a lady who, when asked her opinion of a resort in the Borscht Belt, said, "The food was awful ... and such small portions!" But it was not nearly that bad; it was just that it was such a contrast to the Chateau d'Audrieu. The misfortune was that it was the only game in town, as the village boasted no restaurants.

3) Area Attractions - Brittany

Entering Brittany is like going into a different country. Originally settled by Celts from Cornwall in England who brought with them their own language, Breton, a variant of Welsh, is still so much alive that all signs are in both French and Breton.

• St. Malo and Dinard are two of the best-known resort towns scattered among the distinctive countryside, whose coast is composed of granite cliffs.

• Treubeurden (site of the Manoir de Lan-Kerellec) is far to the Northwest on a rocky headland of the Rose Granite Coast. This is a place for hikers. Walking or driving along the cliff roads which are named the Corniche Bretonne is rewarding, especially for the photographer. From Trebeurden we headed South, all the way across the Breton peninsula to La Baule.

• La Baule is another favorite resort of the urban French, situated on a large bay with a beautiful sandy beach; the waterfront has an uninterrupted facade of posh hotels and apartment houses and, of course, the obligatory Casino. Behind this there is a bustling town of fashionable stores, restaurants and art galleries. La Baule is a resort of a similar category to Cannes on the Mediterranian or Deauville on the Channel. If, however, R and R is not enough for the intrepid traveler we have some interesting excursions to recommend in addition to this imposing manor house on the beach front.

Castel Marie-Louise
1 Avenue Andrieu, 44500, La Baule, Brittany, France
Tel: (33) 02 40 11 38 48 Fax: (33) 02 40 11 48 35
email: marielouise@relaischateaux.com

www.relaischateaux.com/marielouise

Overall Impression -

1) Guest Rooms -

2) Dining -
We unreservedly recommend this hotel. Our room was large and comfortable, beautifully decorated in the Fin de Siecle style, with its own 21st Century bathroom. The food and service were so good that we never thought to visit one of the restaurants in the town.

3) Area Attractions
From La Baule to the pretty fishing village of Le Croisic is a drive along the eerie rock formations of the Grande Cote. Only five miles away is the medieval walled town of Guerande which is worth an hour's stroll.

Further North, but an easy drive, are the historic towns of Vannes and Quimper (above) - a more central base for touring than Baule. Walks through both towns are very rewarding.

No matter where one goes, country, coast or villages, Brittany is a very different and impressive part of France.