Coutances Tourist Office have produced a leaflet for a circular walk in Gavray. It’s number 9 in a series of 22 countryside walks in and around the Coutances area. You can download the leaflets from the website here. Alternatively, you can buy a copy in one of the tourist offices. On one side of the leaflet…
Hambye Abbey is a delightful 12th century abbey just a few minutes drive from Hambye in Normandy. It was once a thriving monastery but fell into decline with the last monks leaving shortly before the French revolution. It’s set in a valley in a calm and tranquil site of natural beauty. Despite being quarried, the…
Perhaps the best description of the weather in Normandy is that it’s changeable. And, yes, it rains (sometimes) but that’s how Normandy dairy products such as Camembert cheese taste so deliciously creamy. There’s no rainbow without the rain. It’s also said that on some days you experience four seasons in one day with perhaps sun,…
The high tides at Mont-Saint-Michel are very popular with tourists lucky enough to experience them. They only happen on around 20 days each year with two high tides each days. The high tides mean that Mont-Saint-Michel is cut off from the mainland and it becomes an island. It’s quite an impressive sight to see particularly…
For a real taste of Normandy life, why not visit a local market? Throughout La Manche region of Normandy markets are held every day of the week. The list below gives details for each day. The majority of markets are open in the morning from 8 or 9am and finish around 12 – 1pm. This…
Are you thinking about a winter trip to Normandy but are concerned there might not be enough to do? While it’s true that the main tourist season is Easter to the October school holidays, Normandy doesn’t close down completely. This Top 10 list will show you there’s no shortage of activities even in the winter…
For many people one of the highlights of a holiday is trying different food and drink. Whether that’s in a supermarket, at a local market or in a restaurant, it’s great fun. France is very passionate about food with local specialities being a particular favourite. Restaurants usually offer à la carte but set menus are…
Introduction to Normandy indoor leisure parks For a rainy day (or even a very hot day ) there are a number of indoor leisure parks in Normandy. Activities range from mini golf, trampolining and ball parks to go-karting rollerskating and climbing walls. Royal Kids There are various sites dotted around France; the Normandy locations are…
You can find the best pizza in Gavray at Les Quat’Z’Arts which provides a takeaway service only. So you simply ring your order through and then go and collect it from the shop. Orders take around 30 minutes or so to prepare and are freshly cooked. There’s just one size of pizza and it will…
If you’re looking for some family fun, then the Coutances maze is open every day during the summer holidays. You can find it between Coutances and Gratot on the D57 and it is well signposted as ’Labyrinthe de Coutances’. It is close to the déchetterie (recycling centre) for Gratot which is also signposted. The maze…
There are three Gavray boulangeries all serving amazing breakfast pastries, bread and cakes. They’re all within a hundred metres of each other but are all equally as busy. I refer to them by the colours of the shop front so we have a red one, purple one and a yellow one. They each have a…
The Andouillerie de la Baleine is a delicatessen in Gavray making a local speciality of andouille. It’s a sausage made of diced stomach and intestines seasoned in pepper and salt for a week. Perhaps not for the faint-hearted! The savoury mixture is then placed in individual intestines, smoked over beech wood and cooked for 6…
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