Things to do and see around our gite in Normandy
Gites in Normandy help preserve the buildings in the countryside. This is how England looked years ago with hedgerows, cows, small farms, fewer cars and therefore a slower pace of life.
However, as with anywhere you choose to holiday, it can be as busy or as restful as you want it to be
The Region around our gite in Lower Normandy
Whilst we have been working on La Balayrie over the past 17 years we have made time to visit the local area with family and friends - the trips were supposed to be holidays after all.
This area of Normandy has a wide variety of attractions, for young and old, and for those on holiday to relax, or those who have to be active.
Some of places of interest you could visit
The best kept 'secret' for all of you with families is the lake at La Ferte Mace -look at www.lafertemace.fr it shows the lake on its front page, no parking costs , no queues, sand and grass, shade, supervised bathing in the afternoon and a variety of other activities to satisfy most demanding children, and a little shop for ice cream/drinks, or the Intermarche or Aldi are very close if you want to make your euros go further!!
- Mont St Michel
- World War II sites –beaches,cemeteries,
- Falaise - a bit of French and English history
- Bayeux – with its famous tapestry
- St Malo - Attractive Breton walled town
- Haras du Pins – National Stud
- Carrouges -lovely chateau with national apple and pear collection
- Sassy - chateau
- Juvigny-sous-Andaine 'La Ferme du Cheval de Trait' is a farm with a passion for horses the 'Spectacle de Percherons' includes bareback riding, team riding and chariot racing - we took our boys there - they thought it was wonderful. www.fermeduchevaldetrait.com
For children there is 'The Enchanted Village' with Noah's Ark and his animals, a little train and the Valley of fairy tales a few kilometres to the west of Domfront. www.village-enchante.fr
There are zoos to visit :-
The Parc Floral de Haute Bretagne lies to the south west of Domfront.
Lassay les chateaux - beautiful old buildings, inside and out, if you like these old 'structures' it is well worth a visit.
Domfront is also a beautiful mediaeval town with ruins and very old buildings, - particularlt worth a visit when they have their 'fete' www.domfront.com has some information and photos.
Villedieu les Poeles is worth a visit if you are lost for something to do, need some copper ware or like particularly touristy towns - we do not, but have been - see
-there is a local brewery run by english people which is interesting to visit - they've managed to get their beer in Le Clerc see www.le-brewery.com at Joue du Bois
-there is an english/canadian couple who are successfully producing cider - just outside Carrouges at Sainte Marguerite de Carrouges - it is well signposted
try the following links
Bagnoles de l'Orne
Le Mans racing 24 hr circuit
Normandy Memoir
Caen Memorial
www.ornetourisme.com
www.camembert-france.com
www.le-grand-jardin.asso.fr
http://www.horsebox-parts.com/
check the official government site
http://ca-en.franceguide.com/
www.parc-naturel-normandie-maine.fr
check the frenchgovernment site
Restaurants
Those visiting for the gastronomic delights of Normandy
Ranes has three restaurants - Restaurant le Jean Anne, Hotel St Pierre and the Hotel du Parc, all centred around the round about. There is also a small bar that the local tradesmen use, which has a 'plat du jour' this is the bar du Camping.
Also if you are around supermarkets at lunchtime, try their restaurants they are well used by local workers as they offer great food at reasonable prices.
We often go into a supermarket and pick up a cooked chicken, salad, cheese and the compulsory 'pain' and go to the lake at Ferte Mace or the woods at Bagnoles de l'Orne
Shops and markets
There are all the requisite shops to keep you well stocked up including a boulangerie-baker, charcuterie-'butcher'/ cold meat/prepared food shop and huit a huit 8 til 8, like a small Spar or Tesco Express. Fish stall on Friday morning and a few stalls on Saturday morning
La Ferte Mace and Argentan both have larger supermarkets for you to explore - LeClerc, Intermarche etc, and savour the delights of french food and drink. La Ferte Mace has a market on Thursday morning with an excellent indoor meat, fish, cheese section as well as lots of local produce and the usual market stalls - we always treat ourselves to a sausage in a roll.
Briouze - on a monday morning there is a small market with live animals -eg calves, chicks and other stalls.
The house is surrounded by cider, calvados and cheese routes. Camembert, Livarot, Pontl'Eveque. Many farms sell their produce - look for the signs.
Activities
This area of France is particularly suited to those seeking a peaceful, relaxing rural escape. For those looking for more action there are miles of walks, bike routes, canoeing, fishing, swimming, beaches, D-day invasion routes, chateaux to visit, and countless other tourist attractions to suit all interests.
For those of you looking for sport:-
Fishing in local pond in Ranes and another at Joue du Plein also river Orne and many other man made ponds/lakes including Rabodanges and La Ferte Mace.
Canoeing at Thury Harcourt
Cycling - many well marked tracks and smaller rural roads, The local National Parks have many well made cycle tracks through beautiful forests.
There is a tennis court in Ranes - the key is held at the Bar du camping and the 8 a 8. There is also a mini golf, basket ball court, football area, small play area for small children and a table tennis table is free - take bats.
There are also courts in la Ferte Mace and Bagnoles de l'Orne.
La Ferte Mace has a fresh water lake with beach, pedalos, wind surfing boats and mini golf for the summer months. Great for families with small children. There is also a new indoor swimming pool with slide (remember swimming trunks, shorts are not allowed}.
The spa town of Bagnoles de l'Orne is about 10 minutes away, which has a beautiful lake. There is an outside swimming pool here which is very clean and very well managed -again swimming trunks only. There are some tennis courts and sports halls. Well manicured mini golf - we were told not to stand on the red 'grit'. Walks to the spa and around the lake, where there are 'pony' rides and rides around the town in a carriage.
There is a health trail which starts near the tourist information office, at the roundabout just before the town. This is a lovely cool walk in the summer, with activities for those wanting to improve their physique!! There is also a high rope activity -like 'go ape'.
there is also one in the Alpes Mancelles www.aventuresdanslesarbres.com
Gardens to visit
www.french-gardens.com/jardinsdelamansoniere.php
This was recommended by a guest - les jardins de la Mansoniere which is near a beautiful village called St Ceneri le Generai look on www.francethisway.com
The villages and surroundings
There are many small towns and villages each with its own charm. In particular Les Villages Fleuri, who put on the most wonderful floral displays in the summer are well worth visiting, Especially the village of St. Fraimbault which is a previous winner of the 'grand prix national de fleurissement'. Here, like so many villages and towns you will find a lake with fishing, and pedalos, also tennis and mini-golf. The area is famous for its calvados cider and poire (perry), and it is possible to take a tour around the area "tasting' as you go. If you happen to be here in April you will enjoy the sight of the apple and pear trees covered in blossom. The village of Mantilly holds a Fete du Poire in July. Both Mantilly and St. Fraimbault are just a few kilometres south of Domfront. Les Alpes Mancelles is also worth a visit - it is popular with artists.
A taste of Bagnoles de l'Orne
Bagnoles de l'Orne owes its success to the thermal springs which transformed the town at the turn of the century from an ordinary Normandy town into a high society country retreat for the wealthy French seeking the health giving qualities of the spa. Evidence is still to be seen in the bourgeois facades of the large villas in the area known as the 'Belle Époque', as well as the lake, the casino, the Grand Hotel and the arboretum in the grounds of the castle. The area has a calm ambience, perhaps helped by its location in the middle of protected woodlands covering some 17,000 acres.
In the summer when the shops and houses are bedecked with geraniums and the gardens bursting with colour, one could be forgiven for thinking that the town was in Switzerland or Alsace - it is so different to the towns of the surrounding areas. The shops have a chic feel to them - handmade chocolates and ice creams have to be sampled. There is an equine theme to the town easily spotted by the horses and carriages showing off the town centre to the tourists, there are pony and donkey rides in the gardens near the lake and if you are there at the weekend there may be at 'trotting' race at the racecourse adjacent to the lakeside gardens. The lake has pedaloes to keep the young amused and during the summer there are attractions during the day and evening to entertain the visitors - particularly the spectacular firework displays.
The question is what has the photo got to do with this chic, relaxing, timeless spa resort?
Well having two boys who need to burn off energy every day , whatever the season, I am always looking for activities to help my sanity. Bagnoles de l'Orne has several opportunities which I will explain. The free option involves parking by the tourist information centre (where there is also a weekly market) or towards the station, but it is all free. Enter on the corner and there are around 20 'activities' following a track through the forest. these range from lifting weights, to hanging from bars, to 'tarzan' swings, to even conventional children's swings and slides for the smaller visitors. The forest is great all year round, but in the summer it provides a cooling off area if it is hot, we often buy a cooked chicken, bread, cheese, salads etc from Leclerc at La Ferte Mace and have a picnic at one of the tables provided. It can pass 1-2 hours depending on the energy levels of the participants.
The more expensive version is also in these woods (it is like our 'Going ape' activity in the uk), it is accessed from the 'chemin de treize neiges' - it is called le bois parcours nature (parcours acrobatiques dans les arbres) -look at their web site www.lebois-orne.izispot.com. It has 3 levels and is for the over 5/6 year olds to any age that wishes to try it. The price is from 10 euros for under 140 cm and 14 euros for 140 cm - 18 years. It takes around an hour.
There is safety advice and children need to be 'brave', as do adults.
In the summer if the weather is being kind the children can then go to the outside pool at Bagnoles de l'Orne , on the other side of the road to the tourist office, nestled amongst tennis courts. The pool is very clean and does not allow food on the pool side. As with all french pools trunks must be worn, not shorts, it also has a quaint system of a hatch in the changing room where clothes can be handed in for safe keeping - it all looks a bit antiquated, but the pool is great.
If you are still wondering how else the kids can be entertained then there is a mini golf not far from the pool, again it is rather a 'chic' mini golf and standing on the red grit is not allowed. the flowers again are beautiful, I saw a swallow tailed butterfly there one year.
I could go on, but I wanted to share this unexpected side of a town which gives one impression but has a fun and 'extreme' side which the children love and the parents are always happy when the children are exercised and worn out!
Important/helpful information for your holiday
There is no guarantee that any English will be spoken on any of these emergency and helpline telephone numbers.
Service Telephone
Medical help/SAMU 15
Police/Police Nationale 17
Fire & accident/Sapeurs Pompiers 18
SOS - all services (calling from a mobile) 112
The caller must:
State the location where assistance is needed
State their name and telephone number
State what happened, and if it is still happening
State how many people need help
State if there are weapons involved
All emergency numbers can be reached from pay phones, without the use of a phone card or money.
European SOS 112
The number 112 can be dialled to reach emergency services - medical, fire and police - from anywhere in Europe. This Pan-European emergency number 112 can be called from any telephone (landline, pay phone or mobile cellular phone). Calls are free. It can be used for any life-threatening situation, including:
Serious medical problems (accident, unconscious person, severe injuries, chest pain, seizure)
Any type of fire (house, car)
Life-threatening situations (crimes)
SOS 112 website
Information on the 112 number from the European Commission
Normandy Crisis & Help Lines
Service Telephone/Contact
Find a duty pharmacy (in French)
Enter or validate your area postcode when prompted; then chosen the time a pharmacy is required when prompted. The details of available pharmacies is given Tel: 32 37
Find a duty pharmacy Website
Find a hospital (use the map, enter department number and treatment required) Website
Rouen Emergency Doctor (24/7) Tel: 02 35 07 85 70
SOS Médecins France: After hours medical advice and help from qualified doctors Tel: 36 24
Website
Anti-Poison (Rouen)
Tel: 02 35 07 85 70
SOS Helpline: Crisis calls in English. Daily 15:00-23:00 Tel: 01 46 21 46 46
Website
Red Cross hotline: Croix Rouge Écoute, general confidential counselling service in French. Open daily 08:00-20:00 Tel: 0800 858 858
Child Abuse hotline Tel: 119
Website
SOS Missing Children: SOS Enfants Disparus Tel: 116 000
Website
Battered Women: Femmes Info Service Tel: 01 40 33 80 60
Alcohol hotline: Écoute Alcool, confidential advice and help in French. Open daily 14:00-02:00 Tel: 0811 91 30 30
Cannabis hotline: Écoute Cannabis, confidential advice and help in French Tel: 0811 91 20 20
Drug abuse helpline: Drogues Info Service, confidential advice and help in French. Open daily 08:00-02:00 Tel: 0800 23 13 13
Tel: 01 70 23 13 13
HIV/AIDS information: SIDA Info HIV and AIDS advice in French Tel: 0800 840 8 00
Emergency Words & Terminology
Please note: these phrases have been simplified for easy communication by a non-French speaker. They are not necessarily grammatically correct French.
English French
Accident Un accident
I have had an accident J'ai eu un accident
Injured Blessé(e)
Unconscious Perdre connaissance
Bleeding Hémorragie
Heart attack Crise cardiaque
Stroke AVC (Un accident vasculaire cérébral)
Drowning noyade ( se noyer)
Burn Brulure
Very sick Très malade
In labour/having contractions Avoir contractions
I am in labour Je suis en train d'accoucher
Need a doctor Besoin un médécin (Il me faut un médécin)
Need an ambulance Besoin une ambulance (Il me faut une ambulance)
Fire Feu
The house is on fire La maison a pris feu
The car is on fire La voiture a pris feu
I am being burgled Je suis en train de me faire cambrioler
Someone is in the house Quelqu'un est chez moi (Quelqu'un est entré par effraction chez moi)
Emergency Une urgence
Help me Aidez moi
Help! Au secours
Understanding the French Emergency Services
In the event of an emergency dial the appropriate number: medical (SAMU) 15, police 17, fire and accident 18 or the Pan-European number 112
Explain the situation to the operator (English may be spoken but there is no guarantee). Calls to 112 are received by either SAMU or the fire brigade and then instantly rerouted to the appropriate service or handled on the spot
The services reached by dialling 15 and 18 operate in conjunction, with the emergency teams having skills, training and facilities suitable to many situations. "Firefighters" are qualified to provide first rescue and ambulance services.
Medical emergencies and accidents (SAMU)
SAMU: The Emergency Medical Assistance Service (Service d'Aide Médicale d'Urgence) reached by dialling 15 or 112.
There is always a qualified doctor on hand to determine the most suitable response to a call and implement it. This may involve giving the caller information or advice, or sending the appropriate emergency vehicle:
an ambulance for a street accident or home emergency
a private ambulance
a mobile resuscitation or intensive care vehicle or medical helicopter
SMUR: The mobile emergency resuscitation service (Service Mobile d'Urgence et de Réanimation, SMUR) vehicles are equipped with at least one qualified emergency doctor (or an anaesthetist), a nurse and a paramedic.
H-MICU: In the case of serious accident or severe illness a Hospital Mobile Intensive Care Unit (H-MICU), (UMH-Unité Mobile Hospitalière) is sent. This is a rapid intervention vehicle or helicopter equipped to provide full hospital-standard life support services.
The French approach is to treat the emergency on-site and vehicles and personnel are equipped and trained for this. The reason is that recovery rates are found to be much higher when a victim is treated as soon as possible.
SAMU de France has an English-language website: Click here
For comprehensive information on how SAMU works: Click here
Sapeurs-pompiers (firefighters and first rescue)
The sapeurs-pompiers are the firefighters of France, supervised and trained by the Ministry of the Interior (Ministère de l'Intérieur). Firefighting brigades work closely with SAMU and are trained and equipped to respond to fires, auto accidents and emergency medical situations. They include professional (SPP), military (SPM) and volunteer (SVP) brigades.
More information from the Pompiers website: Click here
Emergency siren
Nationwide, every first Wednesday of the month at noon (12:00), the emergency sirens which operate nationwide are tested. The sirens can be heard wailing as the are tested in three sequences of 1 minute 41 seconds each, separated by a silence of five seconds.
To find out what to do in the event of a hearing a siren alert that is not the Wednesday test: Click here
Understanding the French Police Services
National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale): The military police force operating under management by the French Ministry of Defence (Ministère de la Défense). It is responsible for policing the countryside, rivers and coastal areas, and small towns which fall outside the jurisdiction of the Police Nationale. The force is also authorised to carry out criminal investigations, crowd control and security activities of airports and military locations and attend ceremonial and state occasions.
National Police (Police Nationale): The civil law enforcement agency of France, with jurisdiction over cities and large towns. The National Police comes under the management of the Ministry of the Interior (Ministère de l'Intérieur) and is responsible for security operations (patrols, traffic control, identity checks) and conducting criminal enquiries.
Local Municipal Police (Police Municipale): Responsible for local policing in towns and villages, law enforcement, lost property and handling minor traffic or domestic offences.
'Holidays' in France
Public holidays in France.
The following days are public holidays ( "holidays") in France, when all or most shops tend to be shut.
January 1st, New Year's Day
Easter Monday (though not Good Friday except in Alsace)
May 1st, Labor Day, Labor Day
May 8th, Armistice Day
Ascension Thursday
July 14th, Bastille Day, National Day
August 15th, French August bank holiday
November 1st, All Saints, All Saints' Day
November 11th, Armistice Day, first world war.
Christmas (though not Boxing Day)
Unlike in the UK, when a public holiday falls during a weekend, there is no compensating extra holiday on the following Monday.
Note that on public holidays, hypermarkets will generally be shut, so unless you have a chip and pin credit card that works in French automatic petrol pumps, you'll need to fill up on the motorway or in normal filling stations.
Markets in Orne Department 61
Orne (61)
Monday
Briouze
Rémalard
Tinchebray
Vimoutiers (afternoon)
Tuesday
Alençon
Argentan
Athis
Bagnoles-de-l'Orne
Ciral
Nocé
Passais-la-Conception
L'Aigle
Pervenchères
Le Sap
Soligny-la-Trappe (all day)
Wednesday
Carrouges
Damigny
Flers
Longny-au-Perche
Le Mêle-sur-Sarthe
Le Theil-sur-Huisne
Sainte-Gauberge-Sainte-Colombe
Tessé-la-Madeleine
Thursday
Alençon
Bellême
Bretoncelles
Céaucé
La Ferté-Macé
La Ferté-Fresnel
Le Merlerault
Messei
Moulins-la-Marche
Putanges-Pont-Ecrepin
Trun
Friday
Argentan
Condé sur Huisne
Courtomer
Domfront
Ecouché
La Chapelle d'Andaine
La Forêt d'Auvray
Tourouvre
Vimoutiers
Saturday
Alençon
Almenèches
Bagnoles de l'Orne (fresh fish and vegetables)
Bretoncelles
Flers
Mortagne-au-Perche
Rânes
Le Sap
Saint-Georges-des-Groseillers
Sées
Gacé (afternoon)
Sunday
Alençon
Argentan
Ceton
Courtomer
Montilly
Mortrée
