Charming timber-framed houses with Norman cows peacefully grazing verdant grass under apple trees in bloom: this bucolic scene is typical of the Pays d’Auge where apple orchards produce cider, apple brandy (calvados) and a special apple aperitif (pommeau). The Pays d’Auge (Land of Troughs) has been known since the Middle Ages for its apples, cheese, and horses. Today Deauville is world famous for its yearling sales, horse races and film festivals.
The Côte Fleurie (Flowered Coast) stretches from Honfleur to Merville-Franceville. This little stretch of the Normandy coastline owes its name to the blossoming countryside in the nearby Pays d’Auge and the gardens of the many villas that line the seafront. The fabulous sea bathing vogue and the arrival of trains in the 19th century was to transform the Normandy coast. By the Gay 90’s, the Côte Fleurie was flourishing: Cabourg, Trouville, Deauville…
