RU  UK  EN
Статьи  >  Write  >  Normandy through the eyes of Korney Gritciuk. Part 1

Normandy through the eyes of Korney Gritciuk. Part 1

For many tourists France is mainly Paris with long queues to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, as well as neighbouring sights with royal chic, or Mediterranean resorts. But OUTLOOK author while travelling through the country decided to go to the north, to Normandy! Our readers are welcome to read series of travel essays about a journey to the Atlantic Ocean by Kornei Gritsyuk...

... and the story begins with his impressions from the town of Deauville!

Hardly there is another little town with population of 4,000 inhabitants which is as well known in the world as this seaside place. Located in two hours' drive from the capital of France, it was built by the Duke de Morny in the middle of the XIX century. The Napoleon’s relative was encouraged by a quite prosaic reason: Parisian bluebloods always loved to enjoy a good fun and relax, yet, sprawling Paris felt quite uncomfortable since newcomers in large numbers invaded it day after day. Therefore, wealthy people "chipped in together" and under strict guidance of the mentioned nobleman Deauville was born – a place where monied residents were not embarrassed by poverty and noone ate out of their hands.Barriere-Le-RoyalEXT.jpgPhoto jaunttv.com

Today people with average incomes may afford to stay in the town. However, the aristocratic spirit is still there and it literally hovers in the fresh ocean air mixed with Calvados smell. Territory, by the way, is managed by the department having the poetic name of Remarque’s favourite drink. Not far away there is its sister resort town of Trouville, a dwelling place of serving staff and "laymen". As the French say, it is customary to bring wives to Deauville, and mistresses to Trouville.

Impressions

Greyness, solid comprehensive greyness making eyes tired at first. These are memories of Deauville. Immediately I have to make a note that greyness means not boredom and unattractiveness, but just sense of colour. Perhaps it comes from union of cold Atlantic waters with "bottomless" horizon and the Norman beaches.the-famous-colorful-parasols-on-deauville-beach--normandy--northern-france--europe-991924534-5b462d7746e0fb005bfb3f99.jpgPhoto tripsavvy.com

Even walking the most crowded streets teemed with buildings, you are haunted by the feeling that the ocean is just round the corner. So you want to peep into some hole in fence, into gap between houses, or simply stand on tiptoe to see His Majesty the Channel with England "somewhere ahead."

Well, all roads lead to Rome, though in this seaside town all the routs lead to Les Planches, the legendary two kilometres long beachfront boardwalk forever immortalized by Claude Lelouch in his film A Man and a Woman. I'd like to note that to reach it you have to walk cobbled streets where you may take your chance to drop into cheese cellars and calvados shops.ADD432AD2C3B460D1E335302CD.jpgPhoto propriodirect.com

Tasting doses are quite generous there, so personally I almost got into the ocean in September. After that I tasted calvados for several times, but no other drink can be even compared to Deauville’s. I brought 100 gram probes as souvenirs from the trip and they were welcomed by my friends with a bang.

By the way, if I had got into water and it happened not now, but in the XIX century, it would have been considered indecent. Till the middle of XX century only commoners swam in Deauville, and then Coco Chanel personally plunged into ocean in this town where her career began.Les-planches-de-Deauville-Lamax-Fotolia.com_.jpgPhoto en.normandie-tourisme.fr

Let's go back to the waterfront. It used to be frequented by such luminaries as Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, Robert De Niro, and many others whose names have been stencilled on the beach changing rooms which are rented by stars for decent money.

Strolling by the sparkling sea, you can admire the legendary Casino where Fyodor Dostoevsky lost not once. In the morning on lonely deck-chairs by the ocean you are likely to see another broke ex-millionaire, sipping champagne bought for the last money and brooding upon eternity.8798478105ca726ba48f6c7.47404911_5176957096_1920.jpgPhoto barnes-international.com

Things to see

As you see, Deauville is a small town, so you can get around it countless times within one day. In addition to the waterfront and entertainments, it is renowned by museum houses of impressionist painters who lived there. In this generation, by the way, there are only a few artists who never worked in Normandy. Monet, Manet, Van Gogh and many other creators of the XX century loved this leisurely sea resort where one can go any season since it has no "boiling hot at almost plus forty" or "bitter frost minus 30". Tennis in the open air, seafront walks, mud baths, fresh and healthy seafood, delicious apples, fishing – there is certainly something for everyone’s delight here.

At the same time, a local racecourse La Touques is a magnet to equestrian fans from all over the world, Calvados fully justifies its nickname of "horse country". Horseracing, equestrian performances and exhibitions of thoroughbred horses, auctions, where studs cost a fortune – all that is luring for both adults and kids.Photo pinterest.com

In the spring the town hosts the famous parade of convertibles, and in July – the Jazz Festival. In September it takes on a new dimension during the annual American film festival, and in winter – offers to improve health in a unique centre of Algotherm where you can swim in the healing sea water or take first-class massages.

In general, in Deauville one never gets bored, it has plenty to offer all year round. Despite all above, this aristocratic area still appreciates silence and peace; it is also a great place to have some fun: in addition to casinos, wide variety of entertainment places is on run.

Useful tips:

If you want to save, it is cheaper to rent an apartment in Trouville, and to go to Deauville to have fun.

The average bill for dinner with wine or calvados for two in the restaurant is 80-100 EUR.

After 9 pm only nightlife spots open, there are no non-stop supermarkets in the town.

From 9 pm to 9 am parking is free everywhere. Other hours it costs 4 EUR for 3 hours.

If your goal is to get closer to celebrities, you are advised to stay in the hotel Royal Barriere. Prices are certainly quite high, but all visitors are complimented with a bottle of Hermes perfume.

Journey to Deauville does not have to be planned through Paris: there is an international airport nearby the town.

Cover photo awayn.com

Вам это будет интересно:
Leather Tanneries in Fez: Rainbow palette of the East
Ancient Fez medina is firmly holding time in a criss-crossing maze of tiny alleyways and picturesque shops. The medieval town of craftsmen does not recognize modern technology, however, it is not difficult to trace a full production of cute handbag with embossed lettering. The leather for souvenir is produced there, in courtyards, and at a reasonable cost a tannery owner would reveal details of folk art with a millennial history.
Departure: Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan is called Middle Asian Switzerland. Mountains, rivers, waterfalls, caves, cols and green meadows aren’t a speck inferior in terms of aesthetics to European ones yet travelers haven't duly appreciated this country so far. Across-the-board exploration of the land by the state’s guests has only just begun. And alongside hotels that are being swiftly erected, ordinary yurts are still offered for residence to feel local natural.
Dark blue pearl of Mongolia
Six million years ago, in faraway Mongolia a deep crater of an extinct volcano was gradually filled to the brims with water, turning into a wonderful lake. Water ran high with gusts of wind, and sparkled in the sun like precious jewel, so no wonder that along with the official name of Hövsgöl Lake, this nature wonder has a more poetic name of the Dark Blue Pearl.
Cities in Rrocks: Spanish Edition
To build a settlement on flatland - is this such a hard trick to pull off? A completely different story is when land is self-willed and rock-ribbed both directly and metaphorically speaking. People have been trying to master land and have own say in in-rock urban development for centuries. But only those who succeded in finding common ground with Earth managed to create true novels in stone.
If you have 10 dollars and you are in Nairobi
Today we are going on vacation in Kenya style! Let’s watch out for thieves, bargain at local markets, taste fantastic tea and get wrapped up into colourful African textiles. We will find out which places are not available for a modest budget, and without any worries, will cheer up admiring fantastic sunset on the coast of the Indian Ocean.
If you have 10 dollars and you are in New York
Finally, one of our favorite categories reached the city, where dollars are considered as the main currency. Thus, we will not have to go around exchange offices and constantly convert prices. So, we go to such a different and exciting New York to spend our 10 dollars.
Holy beauty! What are the most famous abbeys in the world hiding?
What do you imagine when you hear the word "abbey"? I'm sure most people will first of all think of Westminster. But what if I said that in fact it is no longer an abbey? So what makes these medieval buildings so special? Let's look at the example of buildings from different European countries.
Gjirokastër: “Albanian Rome”
A function of UNESCO World Heritage Committee is to work in the most careful manner year after year on studying objects that constitute outstanding culture civilizations and are unique in their origins. Under number 569 of an impressive list of the organization city of Gjirokastër, the one from the south of Albania, is located – it is it we are going to study today through the length and breadth.
Belgium with the eyes of Marina Orlova: How the belgians live
Marina Orlova is a project manager in a cultural and public organization. Working on one of her international projects, she met her love - Wim, a guy from Belgium. She succeeded to visit his country only when Ukraine obtained visa-free regime and Marina shared with OUTLOOK her observations about how the Belgians live, what they eat for breakfast and how they relax.
Iceland through the eyes of Sofiya Andrushchenko
Iceland is a ‘country of ice and fire’, ‘country of thousand rivers and lakes’, countless waterfalls and geysers. There, like in a fairy tale, again and again, you feel like pinching yourself to check if you are dreaming or does it all really exist…
We were there: Morocco - a wonderful country
Local open-air markets start working in the evenings. No house can avoid insects. Inhabitants almost learned how to be friends with snakes. On top of it, imagine, they do not dream of the sea! The Ukrainian SMM expert Anna Funt, who spent an unforgettable vacation there, shared with us her impressions about all the subtleties of the Kingdom of Morocco.
Several facets of a multi-faceted Boston
Impressions of this city depend much on what you have visited before being introduced to it. After Los Angeles it may seem very business-like and culturally rich, after New York – provincial and old-fashioned somehow. In any case, it has a bright and memorable face of a gentleman from Massachusetts.
World most beautiful lighthouses
Lighthouse - this word evokes beautiful associations: sea adventures, storms, huge ships. And we do not want to dispel these thoughts, but rather to add fuel to the fire. There is a great amount of them in the world, they are striking by their beauty and inimitable. Today we are sharing with you the quintet of amazing lighthouses!
Between Heaven And... Water: World’s 5 smallest inhabited islands
Each of us wants to escape rush of a city from time to time and lie low somewhere far from everything and anything. And it better be a place where one can listen to whisper of waves, feel light breeze and forever make friends with inimitably loud silence that muffles every disturbing thought…
Peru. Places of power
Israel, India, Mecca - these geographic points are very important for the followers of various religions and not for them only: while on pilgrimage, one can experience the grace and feel the most powerful concentration of energy, even if being non-believer. In the territory of the South America, in Peru, there are also places of power about which writes our reader and author Iya Zaitseva.
Jaipur. Pink city
Someone compares Jaipur with lace tablecloth; others with a box of pink marshmallows; and some admirers claim this is a hive densely inhabited by bees. However, everyone agrees on one thing: there is the wonderful air full of freedom which cannot be found in Europe. It fills the lungs and breathing it a traveller loses count of hours and even centuries.
Le Grand Louvre
First exhibition of paintings in the world’s most visited museum the Louvre was opened on 1793. But its building was well-known far beyond France, though the edifice was not used with such lofty cultural purposes.
Richard Gannon: The Faroe Islands - Sheep islands
Only three months a year air connection between the United Kingdom and Faroe Islands operates. I was excited about my future trip although I didn’t realize the whole nine yards of what was expecting me there, in the North. Sometimes I was picturing the Faroes as the land covered in ice. Next moment it seemed that strong wind persists in the islands which meant that I would be blown off some cliff into cold water.
We were there: Gudauri
In Gudauri it is easy to feel time, pinch it between your fingers and stretch it in space, tuning up your inner rhythm to a sensation mode. There are no deadlines, annoying neighbours and reckless guys driving out to oncoming traffic lane. All this hustle and bustle seem illusory and momentary. Here, in Gudauri values are different. The mountains do not tolerate fuss, inner dialogue and self-criticism. The greatest pleasure is just to contemplate at them.
We were there: New York, Washington and Miami
For certain reasons there are two capitals in America – official and actual. Context manager from Kyiv Bohdan Yanchev visited them both and told us about spirits of these cities, about their landmarks and about what they represent in reality. If you think that New York is imbued with expensive perfumes and there is nothing else to do in Washington but to lie on a lawn by the White House – you are wrong!
Закрыть
Outlook facebook page