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Beachy In Brehal

Winter has descended on Normandy and all of the wool clothing has been unpacked. We’re back at the seaside for a week or more of out-of-season stay in a marvelous 6 bedroom beach house named MAISON MIELLES in the lovely small seaside town of Brehal. Make sure you click on the link for Maison Mielles and have a look. If you are ever thinking of having a holiday in Normandy near the beach, this place is simply splendid!

What I didn’t know prior to our arrival in Brehal was that we would be within visual range of Granville — a place that I mentioned wanting to return to in a previous post. As we walk the two dogs that we are dog-sitting along the curve of the bay, we can quite literally see Granville in the distance.

Spot the springer spaniel in his basket at the beach house in Brehal, Normandy, France

Dougal the cocker spaniel asleep in his basket at the beach house in Brehal, Normandy, France

It’s too cold and gray today for me to be walking through the stone streets and alleyways for those picturesque views, but as soon as we have a sunny day — we’re off! As it is, I’ll be getting my fair share of brisk exercise on the second long walk of the day with the dogs. Mark does the early morning hour-plus with the sweet wee beasties and I join him in the afternoon so that they’re tired and they sleep well at night. Think along the lines of getting a toddler good and tired and you’ll understand!

Mark is quite happy to have some peaceful time for his cross-stitch and I have a backlog of writing and photo editing to do this week. So keep watching for more posts and photos of places that we have visited in Normandy in the last month or so.

Mark working on cross stitch at the beach house in Brehal, Normandy, France

Bye for now!

Spot dreaming in his basket at the beach house in Brehal, Normandy, France

Cheerful Chutney in Normandy, France

Several of you have written and asked for the recipe for the apple chutney after seeing the photos of the organic apples yesterday and watching the video that I took of Mark operating the mechanical apple peeler.

Organic apples in Normandy, France

Book of Preserves from the Women's Institute in the UK

I got this recipe from The Book of Preserves by the Women’s Institute in the UK.

Recipe for apple chutney

I won’t exaggerate, but it takes a lot of apples, raisins and/or dates, and chopped onions along with a hefty amount of spices to make a mere 3-4 fat jam sized jars of the finished product. So if you have plenty of large pans or kettles for simmering, you could double or triple the recipe and make a lot more of this in one go. As it was, we only had two large pans to work with. So we were doing one large pan of apple compote (simply chopped apples, no sugar, no spices, simmered for 4 hours until it looks like applesauce and is all natural!) and one pan of chutney.

This recipe produces 2 500 ml (18 fluid ounce) jars of chutney and it goes really well with cheese and meat and sandwiches. We ate some the other night with a chicken quiche. Yum!

Here’s the recipe.

APPLE CHUTNEY
250 g (9 oz) onions, chopped
1 kg (2 lb & 4 oz) cooking apples, cored and chopped
125 g (4-1/2 oz) sultanas, raisins, or chopped dates
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon mixed spice
1 tablespoon salt
350 g (12 oz) granulated sugar
700 ml (1-1/4 pints) malt vinegar

1. Put all ingredients into a large pan. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring often, until the sugar has completely dissolved.

2. Simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring from time to time to stop the chutney sticking to the pan.

3. After the shortest cooking time, start checking if the chutney is ready by dragging a channel through the mixture with a wooden spoon so that the bottom of the pan is visible. If the channel immediately fills with liquid, the chutney is not ready. Cook for a further 15 minutes and then check again. The chutney is ready when the channel does not fill and the mixture is very thick.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand briefly. Carefully pour the chutney into hot sterilised jars and seal. Allow the chutney to cool completely before labelling and storing in a cool, dark cupboard. Store for at least 2 months before eating.

Enjoy!!!

Abundantly Awash In Normandy Apples

Apples — we have an abundance of organic apples here at the house in Normandy where we are house sitting and child sitting for friends while they are in England at a conference.

It’s been remarkable to see how the apple processing in our mini production line has sped up each day as we got into the groove of peeling (with Mark’s expert assistance!), coring, chopping, and stirring-stirring-stirring.

Peeling and chopping apples in Normandy, France

Yesterday we did all of the peeling by hand since I was having problems with the mechanical peeler. And Mark certainly did come in handy when he saw how slowly I was going!

Peeling apples for chutney and compote in Normandy, France

But the most successful (and speedy!) method has been to use the small red metal mechanical peeler as seen in the video below.

Memories of canning and bottling and bread baking when my children were small have come drifting to the surface and the juggling of hot sterilised jars is now back to being second nature.

But I’d honestly forgotten how much fruit it takes to simmer down into a comparably tiny amount of final product. So I moaned a bit when I saw how few jars were created after the first on-my-feet-all-day of kitchen work. An entire afternoon and evening and only SEVEN jars???

Finished jars of apple chutney and compote

But oh my — the fragrance of apple chutney and apple compote bubbling away for hours!

Off to a new part of Normandy in a few days. Keep coming back to read about new adventures in living on the road!

Granville in Normandy: Seaside Views and Memories

There is simply no way to escape. The visible signs of the past are ever-present in this part of France and a simple trip to the seaside has turned once again into a history lesson.

After driving through the autumn coloured countryside of Normandy for an hour from our current location near Mortain, we passed through Avranches and drove on to Granville. Mark asked me, “Want to take a walk on the beach?” We parked the car and descended down the sharply angled street and I could immediately see that this was not the types of beach we were accustomed to.

Walking down the ramp to the beach at Granville on the Normandy coast of France

Gray stone, jagged boulders, and sand littered with shards and shells lay before us. What a contrast to our familiar Australian or American blonde-sand covered and fairly rock-free beaches.

Rock strewn beach at Granville on the Normandy coast of France

Back in the car, we passed the bustling port full of ships in all sizes, whisked quickly through the ‘new town’, and ascended the road toward the historic ‘old town’ Granville until we had reached the rocky peak. At the edge of the cliff, just outside the stone walls of the old town, we could see a lighthouse.

Lighthouse at Granville on the Normandy coast of France

The wind was so gusty that we had to plant each foot firmly as we walked. But the surprise that we encountered was that all around the lighthouse in an arc along the top of the ridge overlooking the sea were concrete bunkers left over from World War II. That dark bump on the left in the photo above turned out to be one of these relics of the past.

Coastal fortifications from WW II at Granville on the Normandy coast of France

During their active use, they each stored rather a lot of ammunition and had soldiers with a machine gun atop which had been mounted into the concrete. Today they provide an impromptu place to rest or an object for children to scramble over.

Gun emplacements from WW II at Granville on the Normandy coast of France

View from the 'old town' overlook toward the newer part of Granville on the Normandy coast of France

View of the port area and 'new town' Granville on the Normandy coast of France from high atop 'old town'

We plan to go back in a week or two and this time we will walk up and down those narrow streets in the ancient historic section. We were ‘stuck’ in the car on very thin one-way streets with no place to just get out for a few random minutes and take a photos. But there were far too many beautiful angles of light and shadow against stone walls within the old town for me not to visit on another sunny day.

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Petite Chapelle Dans Les Bois – Little Chapel In The Woods Memorial

Abruptly turning the steering wheel, he directed the van along an ever-climbing and sharply twisting road until we arrived at the top and I saw the sign. Mark had decided to surprise me with a visit to La Petite Chapelle (the little chapel) perched high on an overlook above Mortain in Normandy, France.

Walking down the gravel path through tall trees toward the Petite Chapelle in Mortain, Normandy, France

Walking down a gravel path through the fragrant pines, we reached the tiny stone chapel, built in the late 1700s and then reconstructed in the 1850s, which is now dedicated to the American forces who lost their lives defending this strategic position from the advancing German troops and tanks during World War II.

La Petite Chapelle perched high atop Mortain, Normandy, France

Two marble memorial plaques stand in commemoration of their sacrifice.

Monument to the 30th Infantry in the woods outside the Petite Chapelle in Mortain, Normandy, France

Small memorial slab commemorating the participation of the 35th Infantry at the Battle of Mortain

The 30th Infantry is particularly highlighted and honoured for their role in the staggeringly intense Battle of Mortain as related in this historical report.

When you pass through the outcropping of boulders that snug the sides of the tiny chapel and venture out to the back, a steep set of stone stairs is set into that shallow bit of remaining land behind the chapel and those stairs lead to a viewing platform.

Twisty stone stairs leading to viewing platform behind the Petite Chapelle in Mortain, Normandy, France

The chapel itself is perched rather close to the end of the summit and you only realise that when you stand on the viewing platform and look back.

Back of the Petite Chapelle in Mortain, Normandy, France from the viewing platform

As long as you are not afraid of heights, the view from the top is breathtaking. On a clear day you are able to see for miles around including the seacoast beyond and Mont St. Michel in the distance. It’s obvious from the panoramic view that the American forces which were holding this position knew how vital it was to keep this high ground so that they could not only see any German troops on the way, they could maintain an ability to rain their weapons fire down onto the Germans who were struggling up the steep terrain.

A clear view for miles all around from atop the Petite Chapelle lookout in Mortain, Normandy, France

Today the land around the chapel in the woods is a silent place, a peaceful place — but still filled with memories and echoes of the past.

Entry to La Petite Chapelle perched high atop Mortain in Normandy, France

Beautiful Bayeux Cathedral

The spires thrust high into the skies over Normandy — asserting themselves proudly over the smaller stone or timber and plaster buildings all around. There are far too many ancient cathedrals and churches to count in France, but this one had a special air about it that broadcast its importance.

Bayeux Cathedral -- Notre Dame de Bayeux exterior

Ornate roofline and spires of the Bayeux Cathedral

The historic Bayeux Cathedral in Normandy, France is such a beautiful building and has such a wonderful atmosphere that I thought it deserved a separate photo essay of its own. This was the original home of the Bayeux Tapestry, now housed in a separate museum a mere few blocks from the cathedral. It was consecrated by William the Conqueror, also known as William, Duke of Normandy and King of England, on the 14th of July 1077 — a mere 11 years after the Norman conquest of England.

Heavily detailed exterior of the Bayeux Cathedral

This 11th-13th century masterpiece of architecture is astonishingly light and airy inside due to the number of windows which punctuate the deep stone walls. The ornamentation is simply beautiful, so I have included several photos of interesting details.

Interior of the Bayeux Cathedral

Quatrefoil detail in stone inside the Bayeux Cathedral

Ornate details on interior of Bayeux Cathedral

The Dragonslayer in a side chapel at the Bayeux Cathedral

The crypts have an energy all their own which is quite different from the hustle and bustle of the ‘upstairs’ main church. But occasionally when there are other people down in the crypts, some rather annoyingly ignoring the signs indicating that NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY is to be used, you simply have to wait for a few minutes for the clattering and shuffling in and out to cease.

Entry to the crypt from the side aisle of the Bayeux Cathedral

Frescos on arches in the crypt of the Bayeux Cathedral

Angel fresco on top of a column in the crypt of the Bayeux Cathedral

Then, in that tiny space of a moment or two, you can feel the energy shift back to an interesting state of otherworldliness and even the sound of your breath looms large. This is a very popular tourist site, even out of season, so you must purposefully snatch those moments of serenity whenever it is possible.

Mark absorbing the brief and fellow-tourist-free serenity of the crypt at Bayeux Cathedral

Veterans Day — Remembrance Day

They call it Remembrance Day in Europe and the British Commonwealth countries. And they call it Veterans Day in the USA.

Today is the 11th day of the 11th month — and in this particular year, it’s the 11th year of the post 2000 marker.

I am writing this from a gite (cottage) in Normandy. In those dark days of the 1940s, a world war was being fought in the towns and fields all around us. The tangible signs of those battles still exist in the bullet holes that scar the face of stone buildings and the bits of bullets and shells that continue to be found to this day.

Whether now alive or gone from this mortal life, the men and women who serve their countries honourably deserve to be remembered for their sacrifices.

I am personally grateful that my own dear son came safely home from a war.

American Military Cemetary at Omaha Beach, Normandy, France