Anyway, where was I before I was unexpectedly overcome by gastro- outrage? Oh yes.
Erik Satie museum Honfleur
Honfluer, as well as being a favoured destination for artist’s like Monet, is the home of the eccentric composer Erik Satie. Saties house (now a museum) is among the narrow back streets lined by the half- timbered Venacular houses we were beginning to see everywhere and one of Monet’s muses.
On a later visit to Bayeux, the back streets were strikingly similar to the Shambles at York. Tall half-timbered, gabled ended buildings with shops at ground level, leaning over narrow cobbled streets.
We had a few favourite destinations, places that became geographical markers stored in the sat nav should we get lost. Saint-Pierre-Sur-Dive was one of these. It’s not a large town, around 4000 residents with a town square, 11th Century market hall and highly rated weekly market as most towns in Normandy do, but it is perhaps the one I will remember the most. Turning onto the road to the town centre, the unmistakable Roman like red roof with chunky spires topping imposing cream stone square towers of the 12th century Benedictine Abbey, rise up among the urban buildings like a magnificent artisan loaf straight from the oven.