De captivants à banals, les articles et photographies de “The Baguette” sont une tentative de publier un journal de ma vie dans la Manche et de proposer un forum de discussion pour tout ce qui touche à la Normandie.
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The pretty and lively city of Avranches is one of the oldest towns in Normandy and its origins date back to early antiquity. Saint-Aubert, Bishop of Avranches in the 8th century, instigated the foundation of Mont-St-Michel and the two centers are therefore...
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During the final days of my vacation, I spent some time in the countryside near Montbray. From there, I took a morning trip to Mont-Saint-Michel. It is truly one of the most amazing places in France if not the world. I’ve been there before and did not...
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Crowning a 30-meter high hill, half a mile from the village of the same name, the German military cemetery of Huisnes occupies a commanding position overlooking the curve of the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. Here lie 11,956 German war dead. Nearby, at Avranches,...
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Henry II Plantagenet and his Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine with their court of troubadours and poets often visited Domfront in the 12th century. It was here in August 1170 that the papal legates attempted to achieve a reconciliation between Henry II and...
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This ancient market town owes its name to a Roman town called Lacciacium or Laaceio because it used to be surrounded by lakes. A few remarkable buildings have been restored, revealing some of the splendid red granite facades (especially along rue Dorée)....
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Valençay is actually in the Berry region but it can be included with those of the Loire Valley because of its period of its construction and its huge size, in which it resembles Chambord. Valençay was built in 1540 by Jacques d’Estampes. He had married...
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Legend has it that Montrésor owes its name to a lizard—one coming out from a grotto in the hill covered in gold. Legend or not, this medieval town is one of the many pleasant treasures to be visited throughout the Touraine. The rocky peak was in the 10th...
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Loches was first mentioned in the 6th century by the historian Gregory of Tours, who described the founding of a priory by Ursus the Hermit (Saint-Ours). It was not until circa 900 A.D., however, that the town really became established, under the ownership...
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Louis XI built the Château de Langeais from 1465 to 1469 as a stronghold along the road from Nantes, the route most likely to be taken by an invading army from Brittany. This threat vanished after the marriage of Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany was...
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The château stands with its back to a cliff on the edge of Chinon Forest, its terraced gardens overlooking the Indre. Its impressive bulk and fortified towers contrast sharply with the white stone, myriad roofs, turrets, dormers and chimneys rising against...
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