Around & About
You will find lots of leaflets etc. in the house under the stairs, but here is some additional info./ideas.
LOCAL MARKET DAYS
Villers Bocage – Wed.
St. Lo – Saturday
Bayeaux – Wednesday and Saturday
Cahagnes – Friday
Caumont L’Evente – Wednesday
St Martin des Besaces -
Markets usually start around 8am and finish midday – the one in St. Lo is the biggest and is open all day.
SUPERMARKETS/SHOPPING – all but the largest supermarkets close between 12 and 2pm every day, except Saturday, and while butchers, florists and bakers are open Sunday mornings little else is – same applies to buying petrol so remember to fill up! Most have a late night opening on Friday but otherwise close by 6pm.
When closed petrol stations will take cards, but only French ones!
Ecomarche – Caumont L’Evente (open Sunday morning)
Champion/Atac – Villers Bocage
Leclerc – St. Lo and Bayeux
Carrefour – several in Caen
Champion – Torigni-
Auchan – huge one in Cherbourg
BANK – Credit Agricole in both St. Martin des Besaces and Caumont l’Evente – cash machines will take English cash/switch cards and will give you directions in English
HOSPITAL – nearest one is – help, I don’t know, but will find out! Caen!
EATING OUT – be aware that you can have some disastrous meals in France – I have
left some info. in the house about places I have been to and enjoyed – including
some very basic truck stops where you get five courses and a litre of wine for about
£5! Places I like are:-
LE LION D’OR
71 Rue Saint-
MANOIR DE LA DROME
In Balleroy – Michelin starred luxury restaurant – good value for lunch, posh but local farmers use it too! Closed – all day Mon., Sun. eve. & Wed. eve. Tel: 02 31 21 60 94
CHATEAU AGNEAUX
In St. Lo – not far from the Leclerc supermarket -
LE GUILBERVILLE
Monstrous truck stop place just off the A84 I think at junction 40, can easily be identified by the dozens of large articulated lorries outside at meal times – don’t go for the food, just the very French exclusively male atmosphere – I was the only woman on the times I’ve been there. Five courses of barely edible food and a litre of wine or cider for about £5. Great fun.
PIZZA – every saturday evening a man with a van stops in the square in Caumont L’Evente and does good pizzas made to order – slow going but good home made pizzas.
PAUL & ROGER
In St. Lo – my favourite proper French bistro, has a bright red exterior. 40 rue Neufbourg. tel; 02 33 57 19 00
POULE AU POT
A good typical local restaurant friendly staff but not much atmosphere – go into St. Martin des Besaces, turn right at the lights and restaurant is 1½ miles up the road on the right hand side
LE CHAPEAU ROUGE – Guilberville – past Le Poule au Pot , about 5 km. From the house. V. trad. but quite friendly.
LE CASTEL NORMAND
Beny-
DO NOT GO TO:-
L’ANDREADE – on corner of road at La Lande sur Drome – looks lovely and I used to go there a lot but it has since changed hands food is pretentious and service is rude.
LE TOQUEVILLE – Cherbourg – on the big roundabout – the rudest service I have ever had.
OTHER THINGS OF INTEREST LOCALLY
Look out for Routes des Traditions signs along the road – usually leading you to local producers of cider etc.
Ferme de la Riviere – Pain a l’ancienne – bread made using wild yeast only, produced
at this farm just a mile down the road, towards Sept-
National Stud -
Races – Granville – advertised in local paper
Christian Dior museum -
Le Soutteroscope – Caumont L’Evente – caves, worth a visit if you like such things
Zoo – Jurques – looks tatty but is actually quite good.
Bee keeping -
Festyland – Caen – theme park, like a poor man’s Disneyland
Bayeux Tapestry
Normandy beaches – all along Northern coast -
Villedieu-
Hot air balloon museum and chateau – Balleroy – owned by the Forbes family
Fishing – Parc des sources d’Elle – at Rouxeville, on road between Caumont L’Evente and St. Lo. Has space for picnics and small cafe I think. Open March – Oct. 7.30am – 7pm
