First published November 2016 There are many potential problems to think about when taking a fairy (or fée in French) for your wife. The Lord of Argouges ignored them all that fine summer day when he spotted a young lady about to take a swim in a refreshing forest pool. She was
Manche
All our posts from the Manche region.
Genêts and the man who saved a million lives in WW1
First published April 2017 A walk through Genêts took us to an old church and a very unusual memorial. The memorial is for General Louis Auguste Adrian. An understated man who probably saved more lives in WW1 than anyone else. A brilliant man with a modest background Louis was not a famous general, he could
The life of a small harbour; Le port du cap Lévi, in Cotentin
First published August 2017 The top left of Normandy is the Cotentin Peninsula and within that, the Val de Saire. A region with timeless pockets of wildness and a shoreline that has been battling the sea since time began. All around its maritime boundaries are ports; from stately Cherbourg to little stone
Ducey, a distillery and the saving of le château des Montgommery
This article was first published February 25, 2017. If you drove through Ducey a little over thirty years ago, the only memorable sight would be an abandoned distillery decaying on the corner of Rue du Gén Leclerc. Observant travellers may have noticed a high roof behind the crumbling buildings, but most
The terrible tale of the Ravalet children, from Tourlaville
First published October 2016 A million footsteps have covered those made by Marguerite and Julien de Ravalet, growing up in Le Château des Ravalet long ago, but their scandalous story will never disappear. Theirs is a true story so shocking it shook 17th century society and stained the name of Ravalet forever.