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Monet’s enchanting gardens at Giverny and the delightful harbour town of Honfleur are reason enough to visit Normandy, but garden lovers – and gastronomes – are in for a treat in other parts of this rich and diverse region of France.
With the help of local friends, Kirsty and I have selected some exquisite restaurants including La Couronne,the oldest inn in France, where Julia Child first tasted French cookery in 1948. In true Oldie style, you are guaranteed a gastronomic treat.
West of Dieppe, behind the chalky cliffs of the Côte d’Albâtre, hidden wooded valleys and pretty villages conceal a rich vein of gardens, created by successive generations of plant lovers and gardeners from the earliest years of the 20th century to the present day. Further inland, among the apple orchards and lush pastures of the Normandy countryside, a cluster of French plantsmen and women with a strong eye for design are shaking up the horticultural scene. There are historic châteaux waiting to be discovered too: Miromesnil with its exemplary working potager and Boutemont, whose new owners have created a serene and elegant idyll in the lush landscape of Calvados.
We will be based at the historic 5* hotel Le Bourgtheroulde in Rouen. The cathedral city is rich in character and history, and there will be time to explore and enjoy its medieval streets and delightful shopping and dining possibilities.
Jane Yorke will be the tour manager.
ITINERARY
Thursday 10th June – travel to Rouen
Some of you will want to make your own way to Rouen but Jane will be catching the 10.31 Eurostar to Gare du Nord arriving at 13.50; then catching the 16.11 from St Lazarre to Rouen arriving at 17.44. We will pay for your taxi transfer through Paris and to the hotel in Rouen.
Welcome drinks and introductory talk by Kirsty at 7pm. Dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, L’Aumale.
Friday 11th June – Rouen and Le Jardin Plume
Morning: walking tour of medieval Rouen. Lunch at Le Bistrot du Grand Cerf in Lyons-la-Forêt.
Afternoon visit to Kirsty’s friends Sylvie and Patrick Quibel at their much-fêted Jardin Plume, in Auzouville-sur-Ry.
Dinner at La Couronne, the oldest inn in France where Julia Child first tasted French cooking in 1948.
Saturday 12th June – Etretat
Drive to Etretat for coffee by the beach. Then we take the ‘petit train’ up the cliff to the neo-futurist Jardins d’Etretat, where Monet painted the famous cliff formations from the gardens of his friend, the celebrated actress Madame Thébault. Return to Etretat for lunch at Le Bel Ami; back to Rouen for free afternoon and dinner at La Marmite.
Sunday 13th June – Giverny
Drive to Monet’s garden at Giverny, followed by lunch in the lovely restaurant of the Le Musée des impressionnismes and a visit to the museum, its stunning colour-themed gardens and the rest of the village. Return to Rouen for dinner at Gill Côté Bistro.
Monday 14th June – Varengeville-sur-Mer
Drive to Varengeville-sur-Mer to visit Le Bois des Moutiers, a Lutyens house and Gertrude Jekyll garden, recently restored by landscape architect Madison Cox.
Short drive to Château de Miromesnil for lunch cooked and served by the owners of the chateau, Nathalie and Jean-Christophe Romatet. Then Mme Romatet will show us the amazing walled garden and park.
Return to Rouen for dinner at Restaurant Philippe.
Tuesday 15th June – Château de Boutemont and Honfleur
Drive to Château de Boutemont, at Ouilly-le-Vicomte. Visit the gardens followed by lunch in the Orangerie. Continue to Honfleur for free time to stroll through the historic harbour town and visit the Musée Eugène Boudin. Return to Rouen for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, L’Aumale.
Wednesday 16th June – Le Jardin Agapanthe
Drive to Le Jardin Agapanthe, an extraordinary contemporary garden composed of themed ‘rooms’, created by designer Alexandre Thomas. Lunch in Bosc-le-Hard at La Confiance; free afternoon in Rouen. Farewell dinner at La Couronne.
Thursday 17th June – and home
Catch the 11.02 train to Paris St Lazare, arriving at 12.23; then, the 14.42 from Gare du Nord arriving St Pancras at 1600.
HOW TO BOOK:
Call 01225 427311 or please email Katherine at reservations@theoldie.co.uk
Price per person sharing a double/twin room: £3,195, including 7 nights’ accommodation, all meals, wine with meals and all transport during your stay. (You will need to pay for your return train tickets to Rouen but we are willing to help you with this if you are baffled by the technology).
You need to pay for drinks outside of meals.
Single: supplement £500.
Deposit: £750 per person; balance due 1st March 2027.
WALKING & MOBILITY
Our tours have been created to show you as much as possible of your chosen destination, and often the best way to do this is on foot. In order to enjoy these holidays you need to be reasonably fit, able to stroll at a normal pace for at least 40 minutes, to go up and down a staircase without assistance and to stand - perhaps in a queue - for 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Should you have any concerns whatsoever, please speak to Katherine on 01225 427311.
TRAVELLERS WITH DISABILITIES
Although we are pleased to welcome clients with disabilities, their participation will depend on the nature of the disability and in some cases it will be necessary to be accompanied by an able-bodied companion. In order to ensure the comfort and enjoyment of all participants on any tour we must ask you to declare full details of your disability, especially if this affects your mobility, so that we can consider your personal circumstances.
