Keep your Heat Wave!

We fled to the Normandy coast

On Monday morning, while texting with my DiL, we began looking at the temps in other parts of France; most notably North of us. We saw 30º differences! Lower, 30º lower!

It didn’t take much encouragement for us to explore the various STR sites before we found this place: (This is the link incase you want to go there: Petit Clos ) Once a barn like structure, it’s been converted to two STR rentals. There is a large main house about 75 yards and 3 hedges away, and a wide circular drive connecting the whole. It feels very private and sort of sureal. All you hear are birds!

Le Petit Clos at Verengeville-sur-Mer

I think it took us longer to decide where to go, where to stay, and rent the car then it took to drive there! 2 Hours. We were at the seashore in 2 hours! It was Tuesday with a projected high in Paris of 101ºf /38ºc with the lows clocking in around 77ºf/25ºc . In Verengeville-sur-Mer we arrived to a much more comfortable 78ºf/25ºc at 3pm and watched the temperatures slowly drop to a very lovely 68º/20º by nightfall. There was deep shade everywhere from the trees and hedges and a salty ocean breeze. It was lovely. We were cool. 1st activity on the agenda was the beach. We walked, it took about 15 minutes.

Varrengeville-sur-Mer is on the English channel, it is protected water in some ways, with vast, tall white cliffs along the entire coastline. The tides go WAY out… and then the sand appears. When the tide comes in the shore is small rocks. Beach shoes are recommended.

Unless you’re a surfer, these tiny little Atlantic waves are great! They make the beach so kid friendly… and the water isn’t icy. It’s refreshing. You can wade very far out too, I’m in beyond my knees in the above photo.

This place reminds me of England with its hedgerow lined, narrow, winding roads and masses of hydrangeas in pink and blue. Large estate like manors hide behind the thick hedges, huge homes built by titans of industry at the turn of the 19th century. Mostly Parisians who summered on the coast. A time long gone.

You can visit an entire botanical garden devoted to hydrangeas Shamrock Jardins .

One such estate has the most incredible gardens. Le Park du Bois des Moutiers boasts 15 hectares / 37 acres of English gardens, woods, meadows and “wild gardens”; all designed and created over time. Until 7 years ago, when the original family sold the property, the gardens were open to the public free of charge from 9am to 8:30pm, 5 days a week except in the winter months. Now, there are only 2 tours M-F. 11:00 and 14:30, with 30 people.

Antoine, our guide, is the great grandson of the man who built the place in the late 1800’s. He is personable, knowledgable, funny and genuinely kind. Antoine entertained and educated for nearly two hours as he escorted us through the formal garden “Rooms”, pointing out rare species of trees for the area, accompanied by the sweetest stories, explaining the lay outs, sharing that he had planted certain trees or shrubs 25, 30, 40 years ago, and why, and how those plantings had altered the garden. The deep love Antoine has for the gardens is palpable.

Antoine spoke to us of the artists eye. That to design a landscape was not unlike painting a landscape; there needs to be a dark mass in the background so the lighter, or more delicate plantings “pop”. We saw many examples of such plantings.

Antoine also introduced us to the two men responsible for the maintenance of the garden, both have been working there for 40 years, one since he was 13! They manage a team of 5 seasonal gardeners, but they are the backbone, the memory of the place.

Antoine spoke of climate change, the heat, the challenges not solely for him as a garden architect and this garden he so loves, but for humanity. He spoke of the collapsing cliffs, of the homes long crumbled away into the sea. Antoine told my grandson, after asking his age (8), that we should go visit the beautiful Eglise Saint Valery on the cliffs. “Why?” asked Cy. “Because when you are 38 or 40 years old, that church will be in the ocean” replied Antoine.

We went. There was a funeral happening in the church, so we barely peeked in, but the grounds and the view are breathtaking.

Eglise Saint Valery a Varengeville-sur-Mer

Normandy is a place of apples and pears, but mostly apples and all the good things that come from them. We went hunting for Jus de Pommes, and came across a massive domain that produces all things apple from the juice to Calvados . We popped into this cute place on the domaine to buy a bottle of juice.

Our escape from the heat was short, too short really, it did not outlast the canicule in Paris. BUT, we learned that we could literally be in a totally different climate in two hours! I would like to return and explore that stretch of coast a bit more, there is just so much to see, including the town of Dieppe which is just 12 minutes North of Varengeville. We popped up there on our last morning for coffee and another shot at the various classic apple pastries made for morning.

Parisians: it is worth noting that with a little planning, it is entirely possible to leave Paris around 8am, be on the beach by 10:30am, have a full day complete with lunch and maybe a sunburn, and be home by 8pm. Refreshed, relaxed and happy… but wishing you were still there.

Meanwhile…. Be safe. Drink more water. Check on your neighbors. mind your pets (those sidewalks are much hotter for them and their little paws), take frequent cold showers. Leave the oscillating fans on. If you have AC: use it!

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Thanks for dropping in and reading all the way through. “Likes”, comments and shares are sincerely appreciated, actually, they make my day. You can follow along (for free) by subscribing below.

Below are a few posts from last year that you may not have read. They are optimistic and fun and maybe just what you need today!

Meanwhile… stay cool!

A bientôt, MarieZ