Basse Normandie / Normandy

Discover here all that relates to Normandy in our site. 

Tourism, History, Monuments, gastronomy... In Manche, Calvados, Eure, Orne or Seine Maritime. Discover also Caen, Rouen, Cherbourg, Bayeux, Alençon...

Monsieur de France gives you, each time, the name of the historical region, and the name of the administrative region.

cover photo: Tim Rebkavets on Unsplash

French destinies Basse Normandie / Normandy

Who invented the motorcycle?

Jérôme Prod'homme

Jérôme Prod'homme

Throughout history, there have been some very ingenious people who have invented lots of things. Louis Guillaume PERREAUX is one of them. A true genius, he came up with a host of mechanisms and inventions, including the most famous: the motorcycle. Or rather, the “motorized velocipede”. It was in Normandy in 1868, and here's his story.
Tourism Basse Normandie / Normandy

Caen's 7 wonders

Jérôme Prod'homme

Jérôme Prod'homme

Caen, population 106,000, is the city of William the Conqueror and the love of his life, Queen Matilda. They are both buried here. A city of students and a port, which is often overlooked, Caen lends itself perfectly to a voyage of discovery, with its narrow medieval streets, grand monuments and culinary delights just a stone's throw from the Normandy landing beaches. Check out my (inevitably subjective!) ranking of Caen's 7 wonders (and a few more, in fact!), and places to discover in Caen la Mer, to help you plan your stay.
Tourism Basse Normandie / Normandy

What is the Normandy Landing?

Jérôme Prod'homme

Jérôme Prod'homme

On June 6, 1944, the Normandy Landings began. It went down in history as DDAY, the largest amphibious operation in the history of mankind. Its code name "Overlord" began to emerge well before D-Day, with the idea of seeing the Allies land in Normandy. Months, if not years, of preparation went into making the event a success. Discover this story, in which espionage plays a key role, with Monsieur de France.
Tourism Basse Normandie / Normandy

What are the 5 Normandy landing sites?

Jérôme Prod'homme

Jérôme Prod'homme

The Normandy landings took place on June 6, 1944. What to see? What to visit in Normandy? Here are the sites. #DDay #Normandy #DDAY80
Tourism Basse Normandie / Normandy

The Orne: as beautiful as a Normandy spring

Jérôme Prod'homme

Jérôme Prod'homme

It may be Normandy's least-known department, but Orne is beautiful! From the historic villages of the Perche to the old streets of Alençon, from the fields of apple blossom of the Pays d'Auge to the forest of Ecouves or the springs of Bagnoles de l'Orne, the Orne is a discreet department to visit if you love nature and rural heritage or small towns with character. Orne is the discreet, gourmet part of Normandy, and well worth a visit.
French cooking Basse Normandie / Normandy

Escalopes with cream : a simple Normandy delight

Jérôme Prod'homme

Jérôme Prod'homme

The simplest recipes are sometimes the best. Thanks to Monsieur de France, let's revise our Normandy classics and discover the recipe for escalopes "à la Normande", i.e. with cream... Good Normandy cream to sublimate veal or turkey escalopes. It's easy to make and just delicious.
Tourism Basse Normandie / Normandy

Carrouges: the castle of the last duel

Jérôme Prod'homme

Jérôme Prod'homme

It is one of these treasures of France that Monsieur de France likes to show you: the castle of Carrouges. Located in the Orne, in Normandy, it is an original castle in two ways: it is located in a valley, which is rare for a castle that comes from the Middle Ages, and it is made of red bricks. A castle that is full of history and legends since the one who built it is the lord of Carrouges whose story is told in the movie "The Last Duel" by Ridley Scott... Quickly ! Direction Normandy!
Tourism Basse Normandie / Normandy

How to visite Mont Saint Michel ?

Jérôme Prod'homme

Jérôme Prod'homme

"The Mont Saint Michel at risk at sea" is how the pilgrims of the past named the Mont Saint Michel because surrounded by water and quicksand, it was dangerous to go there. And yet, nothing stopped them, in the hope that they would go up to the top to pray to the leader of the army of angels: the great Saint Michael. Nothing stopped the builders either: neither the height, nor the isolation, nor the wind, nor the storm... It is a magnificent place and full of hope that Monsieur de France invites you to discover here
French cooking Basse Normandie / Normandy

Teurgoule is delicious! Thank you Normandy !

Jérôme Prod'homme

Jérôme Prod'homme

Rice pudding is appreciated all over the world. It is made in China as well as in the Americas... But ! If there is a recipe of rice pudding which exceeds all the recipes of the planet in term of flavours it is the "teurgoule". It is a Norman speciality which sublimates this dish, banal at the bottom, that is the rice pudding. Here is its history and the recipe...
French cooking Basse Normandie / Normandy

Camembert: king of French cheeses

Jérôme Prod'homme

Jérôme Prod'homme

It is impossible to imagine a french cheese platter without the famous Camembert, so well known in the world that, along with the baguette, the red wine and the beret, it is one of the symbols of the French. King of the cheese platters, it is more contested if we take the cheeses as a whole, including those used in cooking, since in sales it is behind the grated Emmenthal and the mozzarella. That said, nearly 30,000 tons are still sold each year in France. And that's normal, it's delicious!