MANILA, Philippines - When I hear Normandy or Normandie I think of World War II and jeeps driving through the beaches with the 70th anniversary of WWII just last 2014. Why do I know this? Because our family, after all, is in the business of rebuilding jeeps from those times. But what brought me to Normandy?
I heard of Deauville and had no idea what this city in Normandy would be like. I was imagining the beach in cold winter, dreary dark skies, early sunsets and very cold weather. After all, it is winter at this time of the year.
But Deauville was such a beautiful and surprisingly wonderful town, where you will see French shops of icons like Chanel and Hermes and French exclusives like Printemps. There are small cute independent shops still run by Mom and Pop like a newspaper stand or a small café called Gabrielle (Coco Chanel’s real name). And on Fridays, a farmers’ market selling fresh produce, cheese, jams and bread.
I was billeted at the premiere Le Normandy, across the CID-Centre Internacional Deauville, which is a convention center. At the front entrance of Le Normandy you can start a stroll down a pedestrian lane with small shops the likes of Loro Piana and Tod’s and then turn to a street that leads to the weekend fresh market. While waiting for shops which normally open at 10 a.m., a morning walk is manageable even on a cold winter day. Residents walk their dogs (who are allowed to enter the shops), pick up the day’s newspaper and head out for coffee and croissants.
The fresh market is already abuzz with shoppers looking for the freshest vegetables, cheese and butter, honey and jam and a sprinkling of handmade Italian leather bags and jackets just like any other street market in Europe nowadays. But do get a bottle of artisan Calvados apple jam, Quince al’ ancienne and Figues a ala Provencal. And some freshy-churned Normandy butter.
If you have time for a good lunch, make a reservation at Maximin Hellio, a farm-to-table gastronomic experience served by the chef of the same name. There are wine pairings as well as appetizers and chocolates, all made in-house. Try the two flights or three flights – wines paired with appetizers, an entrée and a main course. I chose the ala carte with a good Givry 2011, a Bourgogne that went well with my appetizer of salmon and my main which was pullet.
For an Irish coffee at mid-afternoon you can walk towards the Café Gabrielle.
If you have time for oysters, make sure you enjoy the Bretagne oysters and the dairy specialties from the area. Normandy is famous for its Livarot cheese and its butter made from Normandy milk of course. The Livarot has 3-5 stripes (dried bullrush) like a colonel’s uniform, made in the commune of Livarot, and has an Appelation d’Origine (AOC) since 1975.
Normandy is also famous for Calvados, which is an apple brandy. It is apple juice distilled into an Eau de Vie. After two years of aging, it can then be called Calvados. It also has an AOC.
The other famous attraction in Deauville is the American Film Festival held every year since 1975. Originally not a competitive event, it has started to give awards for feature films and short films. This is the brainchild of a group that included the then mayor and also the Lucien Barriere Hotel Group which owns about 17 properties in France like the Hotel Royal, le Normandy and several other properties in this elite vacation place.
Another occasion to visit Deauville but only during summer is for the races of thoroughbreds at the Hippodrome Deauville La Touques.
What a quaint, elite town with so much history. I am lucky to have discovered this little gem in the coastal part of France. Next time, I will find time to visit in the summer, though winter was quite a nice experience. The colors of the sunset were unusual and the colder breeze by the seashore is still a treat, to take in clean breeze from the Atlantic.
At the buffet breakfast at the Normandy I overheard an American couple in the next table whisper: “This is, of course, a place that’s not for everyone.” I agree. Summer or winter, Deauville is definitely a place for special people.
Deauville is reachable by train from Paris Gare St Lazare or via autoroute for a pleasant journey of about 90 minutes or so.