Brittany versus Normandy

We are trying to pick a weekend getaway from Paris for July (not this
weekend.) And we were wondering what the differences -- topograpical,
climatological, culinary, hospitality, atnosphereic -- were between
these to regions. We hear nice things from our French friends about
Brittany, but our American friends seem to prefer Normandy, or they
have not been to Brittany. Perspectives?

(Nick) wrote:

We are trying to pick a weekend getaway from Paris for July (not this
weekend.) And we were wondering what the differences -- topograpical,
climatological, culinary, hospitality, atnosphereic -- were between
these to regions. We hear nice things from our French friends about
Brittany, but our American friends seem to prefer Normandy, or they
have not been to Brittany. Perspectives?

Brittany wins on beaches, coastal scenery, and intact built heritage.

Normandy wins on WW2 historic sites (which is why Brittany wins on
built heritage), on cheese, and the Mont St. Michel (but access to the
Mont is from Brittany).

Either is a good visit, and a weekend is not enough!

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED

"Nick" a écrit dans le message de news:
...
We are trying to pick a weekend getaway from Paris for July (not this
weekend.) And we were wondering what the differences -- topograpical,
climatological, culinary, hospitality, atnosphereic -- were between
these to regions. We hear nice things from our French friends about
Brittany, but our American friends seem to prefer Normandy, or they
have not been to Brittany. Perspectives?

Brittany has coast line and countryside.
Normandy has
Giverny - Monets garden
Rouen - Where joan of arc was burnt
Honfleur - a XVIc port
Deauville - made by Napolean III half brother from scratch in 1860
Caen - the capital of William the conqueror - his chateau and two abbeys
The Landing beaches - 50 miles of emotion and drama
Bayeux - it's XVc houses and the Bayeux tapestry - the story of Williams
conquest of angland told in a 200 ft long embroidery.
Fecamp - of the Benedictine liqueur
Dieppe - where the Canadians raided in 1942.
Falaise - the birth place of William the Conqueror

I rest my case

www.cpmac.com/normandy

"Padraig Breathnach" a écrit dans le message de
news: ...


Brittany wins on beaches, coastal scenery, and intact built heritage.

Normandy wins on WW2 historic sites (which is why Brittany wins on
built heritage), on cheese, and the Mont St. Michel (but access to the
Mont is from Brittany).
/.../

Not wrong, but maybe a bit too general

Coastal Sceneries : beautiful granite coast in most of Brittany (generally
speaking, north coast is more beautiful and unspoilt that the south coast,
but a bit colder) ; in Normandy : impressive chalk cliffs, and a few pebble
beaches north of the Seine; sand beaches (and nothing really special I
think) between the Seine and the Cotentin peninsula (this middle section is
where Deauville and DDay beaches are), the Cotentin peninsula looks like
northern Brittany.

Inland parts : nort east of Normandy looks like the average Paris basin
landscape : mostly flat and open, but cut by valleys ; a few beautiful
forests too. South West Normandy is more hilly and woody. Brittany is rather
hilly, many hedges but only a few forests.

True, most cities and towns in Normandy where destroyed or badly damaged
during WWII, but what is left is generally more interesting IMO than what
you can find in Brittany.

Climatology : very similar, but southern Brittany is warmer than Normandy.

Hope it helps.

JPh

"Colin McGarry" wrote:

Brittany has coast line and countryside.

And (inter alia):
- St Malo, a fabulous post-war reconstruction
- Dinan, a very attractive medieval town
- Seven (fairly) intact cathedrals
- Morlaix, with many medieval features
- Rennes, a lively city with many interesting features
- La Gacilly, a very pretty village devoted to craftwork
- Le Canal de Nantes a Brest
- Menhirs and tumuli
- Numerous pretty villages
- A few chateaux (most of them a bit lumpy)
- Two langages in addition to French (Breton and Gallo) and a distinct
tradition of music and dance
- A better approximation to mountains
- More rocks
- La ville close at Concarneau
- Pont Aven, with its association with the impressionist painters
- Mont Dol, with its air of mysticism
- Brest (well, nothing is perfect)


Normandy has
Giverny - Monets garden
which is on my list for a future visit
Rouen - Where joan of arc was burnt
and a handful of medieval buildings, and not much else
Honfleur - a XVIc port
very pretty, and it also has an odd wooden church, worth a look
Deauville - made by Napolean III half brother from scratch in 1860
thereby spoiling a good beach -- Trouville is more appealing
Caen - the capital of William the conqueror - his chateau and two abbeys
only the ruins of the chateau, and not much else
The Landing beaches - 50 miles of emotion and drama
no argument there
Bayeux - it's XVc houses and the Bayeux tapestry - the story of Williams
conquest of angland told in a 200 ft long embroidery.
and an impressive cathedral
Fecamp - of the Benedictine liqueur
Dieppe - where the Canadians raided in 1942.
Falaise - the birth place of William the Conqueror
where his chateau is worth visiting

You forgot about Lisieux and Coutances.

I rest my case

The jury is still out.

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED

"jph" wrote:


"Padraig Breathnach" a écrit dans le message de
news: ...


Brittany wins on beaches, coastal scenery, and intact built heritage.

Normandy wins on WW2 historic sites (which is why Brittany wins on
built heritage), on cheese, and the Mont St. Michel (but access to the
Mont is from Brittany).
/.../

Not wrong, but maybe a bit too general

I was feeling lazy!

Coastal Sceneries : beautiful granite coast in most of Brittany (generally
speaking, north coast is more beautiful and unspoilt that the south coast,
but a bit colder) ;

Agreed -- the north coast for scenery. Personally, I much prefer it.

in Normandy : impressive chalk cliffs, and a few pebble
beaches north of the Seine; sand beaches (and nothing really special I
think) between the Seine and the Cotentin peninsula (this middle section is
where Deauville and DDay beaches are),

To be fair, Honfleur and Bayeux are worth a look.

the Cotentin peninsula looks like
northern Brittany.

I don't think so. It's okay, but not as scenic.

Inland parts : nort east of Normandy looks like the average Paris basin
landscape : mostly flat and open, but cut by valleys ; a few beautiful
forests too. South West Normandy is more hilly and woody. Brittany is rather
hilly, many hedges but only a few forests.

True, most cities and towns in Normandy where destroyed or badly damaged
during WWII, but what is left is generally more interesting IMO than what
you can find in Brittany.

I would be interested in examples.

Over the years, my preference has shifted from Normandy to Brittany.

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED

"Padraig Breathnach" wrote in message
...
"Colin McGarry" wrote:

Brittany has coast line and countryside.

And (inter alia):
- St Malo, a fabulous post-war reconstruction
- Dinan, a very attractive medieval town
- Seven (fairly) intact cathedrals
- Morlaix, with many medieval features
- Rennes, a lively city with many interesting features
- La Gacilly, a very pretty village devoted to craftwork
- Le Canal de Nantes a Brest
- Menhirs and tumuli
- Numerous pretty villages
- A few chateaux (most of them a bit lumpy)
- Two langages in addition to French (Breton and Gallo) and a distinct
tradition of music and dance
- A better approximation to mountains
- More rocks
- La ville close at Concarneau
- Pont Aven, with its association with the impressionist painters
- Mont Dol, with its air of mysticism
- Brest (well, nothing is perfect)


Dinard - beautiful harbour walks and viewpoints (and beaches).. able to see
St Malo across the estuary,

Roscoff - lovely port town (arrivals from Cork and Rosslare),

Quimper - pretty cathedral town with some Art Nouveau acrhictecture (Euro
magasin..??)

Point St Matthieu (makes up for Brest!)

"Padraig Breathnach" a écrit dans le message de
news: ...

in Normandy : impressive chalk cliffs, and a few pebble
beaches north of the Seine; sand beaches (and nothing really special I
think) between the Seine and the Cotentin peninsula (this middle section
is
where Deauville and DDay beaches are),

To be fair, Honfleur and Bayeux are worth a look.

True, and the inland part is nice too.

the Cotentin peninsula looks like
northern Brittany.

I don't think so. It's okay, but not as scenic.

I was too general
the south of the peninsula is rather flat and marshy, whereas the north of
the Peninsula especially near the Cap de la Hague (yes, that's where the
nuclear waste retreatment plant is) could be missed for Brittany or
Cornwall. Agriculture generally remained more traditional than in Brittany,
and it shows in the landscape too.


True, most cities and towns in Normandy where destroyed or badly damaged
during WWII, but what is left is generally more interesting IMO than what
you can find in Brittany.

I would be interested in examples./.../

I know what I wrote here is debatable.
I meant that "built heritage" is generally more refined in Normandy than in
Britany. Breton buildings are generally more "rustic" (but you're entitled
to prefer simplicity to sophistication !). You'll have a hard time finding a
Breton equivalent to the impressives churches you can find in Rouen, Caen,
Coutances, etc. Maybe the most beautiful pieces of architecture I know in
Britany are the churches in Saint-Pol-de-Léon... which derive from the
churches in Caen
Btw, Brittany has ugly post-war cities too (Brest, Lorient or
Saint-Nazaire), but with the exception of Saint Malo, most old towns
remained intact. In Normandy, Caen was badly damaged but it is still a
pleasant city. Rouen was less severely damaged, but the rebuilt parts are
ugly IMO. Bayeux remained more or less intact, which is rather strange when
you thinks it's not far away from DDay beaches. There's a reason why the
allies didn't bomb it, but I've forgotten it. On the other hand, it's a real
pity that a town like Lisieux was completely destroyed, as it was maybe one
of the most beautiful old towns in all Europe. A pity they didn't bomb the
ugly Sainte-Thérèse basilica instead.

As for the megalithic stuff, I agree it's a part of the breton atmosphere,
and it's always moving to find one of those "menhirs"when you're riding or
walking (OTOH, I must admit I fail to find any interest in the Carnac
alignments.


Over the years, my preference has shifted from Normandy to Brittany.

I've spent most of my holiday time in Britany since I was a child. Maybe I'm
getting tired of it ?

JPh

"jph" wrote:

"Padraig Breathnach" a écrit dans le message de
news: ...


To be fair, Honfleur and Bayeux are worth a look.

True, and the inland part is nice too.

the Cotentin peninsula looks like
northern Brittany.

I don't think so. It's okay, but not as scenic.

I was too general
the south of the peninsula is rather flat and marshy, whereas the north of
the Peninsula especially near the Cap de la Hague (yes, that's where the
nuclear waste retreatment plant is) could be missed for Brittany or
Cornwall. Agriculture generally remained more traditional than in Brittany,
and it shows in the landscape too.

Fair point. I'll give you the north of the Cotentin. Some bits of the
coast near Granville are also nice, albeit much of it fairly flat.

True, most cities and towns in Normandy where destroyed or badly damaged
during WWII, but what is left is generally more interesting IMO than what
you can find in Brittany.

I would be interested in examples./.../

I know what I wrote here is debatable.
I meant that "built heritage" is generally more refined in Normandy than in
Britany.

I agree that there is some truth in this, reflecting the fact than
Normandy was, over the centuries, usually more prosperous than
Brittany. But Brittany scores better on the amount that survived, and
you can get a more complete impression of how a village or town
developed. The integrity appeals to me.

Breton buildings are generally more "rustic" (but you're entitled
to prefer simplicity to sophistication !).

That might be true on average, but averages can conceal a great deal
of variation. There are many fine buildings in Brittany and crude ones
in Normandy. And yes, I'm a simple sort.

You'll have a hard time finding a
Breton equivalent to the impressives churches you can find in Rouen, Caen,
Coutances, etc. Maybe the most beautiful pieces of architecture I know in
Britany are the churches in Saint-Pol-de-Léon... which derive from the
churches in Caen

I don't spend a great deal of my time examining churches, so I'm not
even going to try to make a case here!

Btw, Brittany has ugly post-war cities too (Brest, Lorient or
Saint-Nazaire), but with the exception of Saint Malo, most old towns
remained intact.

Agreed. Any port which was big enough to use as a naval facility was
pretty well flattened. With some degree of exception for St. Malo,
post-war reconstruction lacks architectural distinction. It's not
surprising: after the war, much of France was devastated, and it was
necessary to house people and enable the recommencement of economic
activity. There wasn't the time or wealth for best-quality
re-instatement. Give us another century or two of peace and
prosperity, and many of these towns and cities will match their former
glory.

In Normandy, Caen was badly damaged but it is still a
pleasant city. Rouen was less severely damaged, but the rebuilt parts are
ugly IMO.

I was very disappointed when I first visited Rouen.

Bayeux remained more or less intact, which is rather strange when
you thinks it's not far away from DDay beaches. There's a reason why the
allies didn't bomb it, but I've forgotten it. On the other hand, it's a real
pity that a town like Lisieux was completely destroyed, as it was maybe one
of the most beautiful old towns in all Europe. A pity they didn't bomb the
ugly Sainte-Thérèse basilica instead.

For some reason, I like Lisieux, although I recognise that it is not a
picture-postcard place. It has a pleasant atmosphere.

As for the megalithic stuff, I agree it's a part of the breton atmosphere,
and it's always moving to find one of those "menhirs"when you're riding or
walking (OTOH, I must admit I fail to find any interest in the Carnac
alignments.

The caged menhirs at Carnac are sad. Take down the fences and let them
roam, I say.

Over the years, my preference has shifted from Normandy to Brittany.

I've spent most of my holiday time in Britany since I was a child. Maybe I'm
getting tired of it ?

On can tire of almost anything, I suppose.

Subjective preferences are not for argument, but may be discussed,
explained, explored. Isn't there a French saying to the effect that
one should never argue about taste or colour? An extension of the
Latin "de gustibus non est disputandum"?

One of the reasons why I have come to like Brittany is that I am
Irish. I find that many Breton people feel a Celtic affinity, and make
us feel a bit more like guests than tourists.

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED

and what might be the odds of finding a nice hotel with an American
shower in Brittany or Normandy?

"Des O'Donoghue" wrote in message ...
"Padraig Breathnach" wrote in message
...
"Colin McGarry" wrote:

Brittany has coast line and countryside.

And (inter alia):
- St Malo, a fabulous post-war reconstruction
- Dinan, a very attractive medieval town
- Seven (fairly) intact cathedrals
- Morlaix, with many medieval features
- Rennes, a lively city with many interesting features
- La Gacilly, a very pretty village devoted to craftwork
- Le Canal de Nantes a Brest
- Menhirs and tumuli
- Numerous pretty villages
- A few chateaux (most of them a bit lumpy)
- Two langages in addition to French (Breton and Gallo) and a distinct
tradition of music and dance
- A better approximation to mountains
- More rocks
- La ville close at Concarneau
- Pont Aven, with its association with the impressionist painters
- Mont Dol, with its air of mysticism
- Brest (well, nothing is perfect)


Dinard - beautiful harbour walks and viewpoints (and beaches).. able to see
St Malo across the estuary,

Roscoff - lovely port town (arrivals from Cork and Rosslare),

Quimper - pretty cathedral town with some Art Nouveau acrhictecture (Euro
magasin..??)

Point St Matthieu (makes up for Brest!)