In the autumn of 911 the Treaty of Sainte-Claire-sur-Epte was signed by Charles the Simple, King of France, effectively signing over a vast part of the north-east corner of France to Rrolf Gongu (“toutes les terres de l’Epte jusqu’a la mer”), a viking leader. After years of viking raids and pillaging along this coast, there came a time of peace and rebuilding by the descendants of those raiders, and the “Kingdom”(actually a duchy – self-governing, but owing allegiance to France) of Normandie was founded.

This year there are major celebrations of the 1100th anniversary. For details why not visit http://www.happybirthdaynormandie.com/

For the summer, the vikings make a welcome return to Surtainville – see our posting last summer; and there are many events within the regions listed on the website above.

Happy Birthday Normandie

Bob & Marjory

The catkins are already hanging from the branches

There are even some early daffodils

So why not think about an early spring  holiday?

For March we have a special gite price from £200 – follow the link below to our website -

http://www.hirondelleholidays.com/specialoffers.htm

Brittany Ferries also has a special offer for March for the relaunch of the Poole-Cherbourg service – £59 each way.

http://brittany-ferries.co.uk/offers/ferry/poole-cherbourg

So you can have a week in Normandy for two for just £318!! 

Hope to hear from you soon

Bob & Marjory

Christmas came and went – bitterly cold, but no snow. New Year we celebrated here with french friends

A great time was had by all – including this little character

Made by one of our guests out of a slab of butter (and perhaps after a little too much to drink!), it’s supposed to be a statue of me. Now I know I’ve put on half a stone over the holiday season, but if that’s what I look like, then the New Year’s diet had better be undertaken in earnest.

We finished the evening – or morning – after celebrating both French and English New Years, with a little champagne

And so on to Epiphany and the galette des rois. Epiphany is celebrated the first Sunday after Christmas, as is also the patronal festival of Piereville – St. Genevieve – in the church. But the galette can happen anytime in January. So the 19th the hall was set for the club celebration

the galettes were brought in

the crowns set up

and the galettes shared and enjoyed (love the taste of the frangipane!)

3 people – Marjory being one – were crowned king (or queen) for the day having found the figurines

And so to Chandeleur (Candlemas) on the 2nd February. Last weekend was the Candlemas Fair at Montebourg – unfortunately we weren’t able to get there – perhaps another year. Traditional food for Chandeleur seems to be pancakes !! always thought they were for Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras or Carnival – but that’s something else to follow in about a month.

So Happy Candlemas, however you celebrate it, and best wishes for this year.

Bob & Marjory

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 5,300 times in 2010. That’s about 13 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 13 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 70 posts. There were 111 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 32mb. That’s about 2 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was October 15th with 53 views. The most popular post that day was Le Terrible.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were hirondelleholidays.com, search.conduit.com, en.search.wordpress.com, latestcheapelectricscooters.com, and langkawicentre.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for cyclist, le terrible, swallow, christmas house, and la toussaint.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Le Terrible March 2008

Le Mont St Michel March 2008

“One Swallow doesn’t make a summer” April 2008
3 comments

All Saints and the chrysanthemum (La Toussaint et le chrysantheme) October 2008

Christmas House January 2008

The snow of a fortnight ago vanished almost as quickly. Christmas lights are going up in the local communes.  ”Christmas” events, like the “Marche de Noel” at Pierreville that had been cancelled have been programmed in again -

As the snow melted, there were some surprising survivors

Not sure of their name; but I’m told that they’re not edible. Quite striking as they emerged from the melting snow. Also emerging, though showing some signs of frost damage were the chrysanthemums

Even some of our vegetable garden came through virtually unscathed

Last Sunday we were at the Surtainville’s “Marche de Noel”; and then Tuesday was the Pierreville Club “Buche de Noel”, so Christmas began for us this week, in quite balmy daytime temperatures of getting on for 8 degrees.

The tables were set

 … the room laid out, and the tree decorated

… and even Santa put in an appearance

… the buche, amongst other things, was eaten

… there was drinking, and singing

… and so the first celebration of Christmas is done.

Within the last 24 hours the cold air that has brought snow to England has also reached here; at present with just a smattering of snow this morning. The local forecast is for it to hang about for a couple of days before warmer, wetter weather establishes for next weekend.

We’re keeping an eye out to see whether we do get to spend Christmas with family in England. Whatever your plans, and whatever the weather, we wish you a very enjoyable holiday season.

The main road was just passable

with chains, and for essential services (e.g. the milk tanker!)

Minor roads, and the little roadway into our drive were not really possible

30cms of snow had fallen overnight, accompanied by thunder and lightening. Power lines were down, and homes without electricity, even, as it was reported in the papers “deux pas de Flamanville”(the nuclear reactor). Our power was off and on several times during the day, but we banked the fire and stayed indoors, apart from bringing the wood in. Sunday was a bright sunny day, so we wrapped up well and ventured out on foot to get some fresh bread from the little shop in St. Germain.

Monday and Tuesday again were bright and sunny, though very cold. Snow that had melted froze each night making going out more hazardous, but we managed to get to Les Pieux for some shopping – huge bags of potatoes and onions, bread and bottles of wine!! I also did a tour of gites and holiday homes, putting heating on against the frosts.

Wednesday it snowed all day, and again today

Now the snow is even deeper than it was last weekend

and the van that was cleared of snow and out and about on Monday and Tuesday is in need of digging out again

Don’t think we’ll be going out again this side of the weekend. Did call next door, after digging our way to the gate

to check that the neighbours were all right. Marjory suggested playing in the snow, and much to our surprise our 69 yr-old neighbour came out for a snowball fight. The dog, a springer spaniel, joined in, disappearing on several occasions under the snow!!

SO, a white Christmas?? don’t think I’d bet on it – you can have too much of a good thing after all!!

First effects of global warming? Paradoxically, could well be with the Gulf Stream pushed further south by the water from the melting ice-caps. So what to do about it? Stay in; keep warm; open a bottle of wine, or perhaps a drop of calva – what more ??

Bob & Marjory

If you look carefully you will see that even the signs are in German; but it was actually Mallorca! (Then again when we told French friends that we were going to Spain on holiday and they found we were going to Mallorca, they said “not Spain; the Balearics”; so not quite sure where we were!!)

Except it was Mallorca, but very definitely the German sector. As we arrived at the hotel we were greeted in German; in all the shops we were greeted in German. From the centre of the town you couldn’t see across the terrace to the beach for a huge marquee, where they were busy setting up for “Oktoberfest”.

And so the holiday went; a mixture of good and  not so good. The Hotel was lovely

though meal times were strictly regimented – we were told off for remaining too long (just an hour was allowed for meals) at the dinner table.  The setting of the town was beautiful;

though I don’t think I’d fancy the beach at the height of the season

The view from our balcony wasn’t too bad – after we’d insisted on a change of room from the smelly basement with no view that they wanted to give us

though it did have the disadvantage of looking out to the side over the kitchen and its extractor ducts

And there were some quite quirky aspects – like the fairground “Hall of Mirrors”; Can you recognise what it really was?

The first few days the weather was good – a walk on the beach and through the town in the morning. Relaxing in the sunshine with a drink by the pool in the afternoon

Then the thunderstorms arrived, and it rained

and it rained

and it rained

Hoping for a little better weather when we head off for Dublin shortly; though an Irish friend has given us a warning about the weather, as well as some useful advice on things to do.

Bob & Marjory

A little stroll along the “Boulevard de la Bastille” at the moment, and you will see the latest photographic exhibition mounted on huge placards, and dedicated to “thrones” of the world.

From the desert of Morocco

to the arctic circle

From the Mekong Delta

to one of only 2 of its kind left in the suburbs of Paris

And just who is this emerging from a tin shack in the outback of Australia? and what is he doing?

And these photographs in these urinals in Iceland we are told are of the bankers who led the country into the financial meltdown!

The pictures are an eloquent social commentary; but also have their serious side in reminding us of the UN statistics showing that well over half the world do not have proper sanitation.

This final speaks for itself

and well deserves the title “throne”

Bob

Interesting place to visit – called in by chance last week on our little camping tour – “le Poulailler”, a small, but very interesting bar close to the cathedral in Coutance. It changed it’s name in 2002 to

with artwork inside and out by Paul Martineau

In 2008 it was extended, and the interior made to look even more like a chicken shed, and with further artwork by Paul Martineau

Even the sign for the toilet continues the farmyard/chicken shed theme

A couple of “1664″s and a very palatable rose wine made for a very enjoyable apero. Well worth a visit.

Bob and Marjory

to the site and hooked up, ready to begin

First was to get the caravan level

as we’d already discovered that the fridge doesn’t work unless level! What, no chilled white wine?! Not quite so important to check the level of the glass though – unless to guard against spillage.

 Next was to get the awning up -

no instructions, and the first time we’d tried it – very much trial and error. But we got there and just in time for the apero !!

So, all sorted, and ready for our first night -

Just one last thing before bed -

coming in dark, and Marjory not willing to use the shelter of the hedge, or the bucket (with lid!!); or even to walk the 50 metres across the site to the bloc sanitaire; we had to get to grips with the chemical toilet

Always useful to read the instructions, just to check we’ve got it right

OK, so we were only 55km down the road at Agon-Coutainville; but it was a good 4 day break, and we were able to do something that we’ve not managed to do for a good few years now – be tourists. Coming up – some of the things we found around Agon-Coutainville. But we leave you with the site we stayed at – a lovely, quiet, family-run site – mostly mobile homes, but ten pitches for tents/touring caravans; showers, sanitary block, washing machine; some small recreational areas, but overall a good place to get away, be quiet and unwind.

Bob & Marjory