Deauville
was once a small farming village on Mont-Canisy, a hill rising
above the sea. The hundred or so inhabitants whose houses were
clustered around the church of Saint-Laurent, lived mainly from
agriculture and livestock farming. The marshes and the dunes,
down from the village, where the future Deauville was
to be built, were pastureland where cattle and sheep grazed.
During the summer of 1858 the Duke of Morny, Napoleon III's half-brother,
became inspired by the idea of building a kingdom of elegance
close to Paris on this stretch of sand and marsh : the seaside
resort of Deauville. Now, Deauville casino, Grand
Hotel, beach and racecourse, marinas and the beachside catwalk
Les Planches, are the attractions of this famous resort. |
|
Normandy gets its name from the Viking Norsemen who
sailed up the River Seine in the 9th century and colonized the
area, making Rouen their capital. Normandy has large ports with
important transatlantic trade, whilst inland it is overwhelmingly
agricultural. The image of Normandy is one of a lush, tranquil,
pastoral region of apple orchards, contented cattle, Calvados
and Camembert. There are ancient picturesque ports such as Honfleur
to visit, seaside resorts with elegant promenades, splendid centuries-old
half-timbered manor houses lining quiet countryside lanes and
extrordinary Romanesque and Gothic architectural treasures. |