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Post by Plocket on Mar 15, 2007 19:06:31 GMT
We've just booked our holiday for this year and will be staying in Calvados for two weeks. As well as partaking of the local produce (hic, burp!) it would be nice to try and visit a few gardens. Can anyone recommend any gardens worth a visit, or anything else for that matter. I seem to recall that Captain Cabbage knew of some places....... ;D
Thanks! Px
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2007 19:19:50 GMT
Normandy is a heck of a big place P! Whereabouts are you going? Oh and what ferry route are you using to get there?
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Post by Plocket on Mar 15, 2007 19:28:45 GMT
Ah my hero has arrived!!!  We are staying near St Pierre-Sur-Dives and Liseaux. I've got the Abbaye de Jumieges on my list already btw coz I've been there! ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2007 19:35:38 GMT
Ah my hero has arrived!!! We are staying near St Pierre-Sur-Dives and Liseaux. I've got the Abbaye de Jumieges on my list already btw coz I've been there! ;D I'll let him answer then ;D I know the area quite well, there are a number of private gardens that are only open if you ring in advance, so I'll ignore those. There are a couple that are open more conventionally I have info on at the office, so will post when I locate them. Which French port are you going to? |
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Post by Plocket on Mar 16, 2007 8:09:49 GMT
We are going into Calais probably - we haven't booked the ferries yet as I'm trying to get a deal but it's not a long drive from there. I know Caen would be closer but the ferries seem to be more expensive  |
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Post by blodau on Mar 16, 2007 9:06:48 GMT
Hi P
When will you be in Normandy? We're going to be in the Pas de Calais in May. We went to Normandy last year and I did get some info about gardens. I will try and dig it out (no pun intended!)
B
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Post by Plocket on Mar 16, 2007 9:37:50 GMT
Hia Blod! We are going for the last two weeks of August - unfortunately we have to fit in with school holidays now I've got some Normandy information because we went there the spring I was pregnant with LP, but I couldn't have the yummy cheese  I'm going to make up for it this year though ;D I want to go back to Jumieges (sp?), see Honfleur and Giverny...... We've been to the Pas de Calais - where abouts are you staying? Px |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2007 12:58:15 GMT
The Brittany ferries fares to Caen are a con! Actually Caen itself has two free public gardens. We visited the imaginatively titled “Jardin des Plantes” just off the city centre (near a car park with the same name), which is good for an hour of leisure. It has a large glasshouse too, but as with so many French attractions is closes between noon and 2pm outside peak tourist season. A private garden I would highly recommend is Les Jardins du Pays d’Auge. I have the brochure in mind hand at the moment. We visited in May 2005, so cannot tell you what it is like in August. It has 27 different distinct garden rooms and the entrance buildings is a beautiful Ferme de Corps. It has a nursery attached to it. We arrived at 11.30am and as it closed for lunch at Noon (though they didn’t kick us out) we had the whole place to ourselves. In peak season it does not close for lunch. Of interest to LP as well. jardinsnoppe.free.fr/pages/page1_gb.htmThey are located right on your doorstep at the following link where you should type in the postcode 14340 and zoom out to 500,000. www.multimap.com/map/home.cgi?client=public&db=FR&overviewmap=FR&lang=From Calais your route will take you via another bigger and grander garden at Clos du Coudray, almost exactly halfway to your destination, so good for a break. We thought this was very nice, though we were somewhat time pressed (well truth is a small person was rather ill over my T-shirt) to fully appreciate it. www.leclosducoudray.com/If you decide to visit Rouen and fancy a half hour leg stretch they have a very nice public garden on the south side of the river (Jardin de Public). While there are amenity areas for the general public/kids etc, there is also a proper plantsman’s area, which is linked to the University and sometimes they give public lectures there Givernay is 1 ½ hours away. My parents went as part of a coach trip last September and they felt rushed and very crowded. On a non-gardening front I would also massively recommend visiting Honfleur (despite it being a tourist honey pot). The Suisse Normande. For the best seaside go to the Houlgate area, which is smallish and has those lovely “Anglo-Normande” Scooby Doo villas …..  |
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Post by Plocket on Mar 16, 2007 14:40:54 GMT
Wow that's detailed stuff Captain - thank you very much indeed. I'll print out your reply so I can take it with us. We aren't going until August, but it's nice to start planning things ;D
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I'm going to make up for it this year though ;D I want to go back to Jumieges (sp?), see Honfleur and Giverny......