Ten-strong song.

The Fulbert de Chartres Ensemble is an all men's formation started by 7 friends in 1990. The members became masterful vocalists on the Chartres as well as the Hauts-de-Seine cathedral boys' choir which was directed by Francis Bardot.

This ensemble manages a challenging repertoire ranging from Gregorian chants, 16th-century polyphonies and 19th-century romantic pieces to more contemporary works.

This team of ten is an passionate promoter of choir music, foraying into the more obscure and unknown compositions to always have new and interesting material to work with.

[…] Cue Violins […]

The Argences Gardens will be hosting the Silent Film Festival this year with a unique theme: "Wordless Gardens" (Jardins sans Paroles).

This unique festival will be dedicated to Harold Lloyd with screenings, exhibitions and live music! You can also enjoy a wonderful Italian food court to spice up your evening...

In search of freshness…

Food markets are the perfect place for those who like it fresh. Wandering the colourful stalls of seasonal fruit and vegetables, with some rare products from exotic locations, will give you an excuse to go home with a solid basket-load of quality produce.

When it comes to fish and meat, there is at least one butcher and one fishmonger in every marketplace… The choice is yours!

A basket-full of seasonal wonders.

Take a moment to visit the local market and buy some fresh-picked fruit and veg, prime meat cuts, and a whole range of savoury "terroir" products. Walking the market aisles is a sensory experience in itself, a rainbow of smells, colours and flavours that know through infinite variations from one stall to the next.

Eden in Coutances.

The Jardin des Plantes in Coutance was created under the Second French Empire and remains one of the oldest in Normandy.

The park manages the subtle balance between symmetry à la française, the copses of an English garden and Italian-style terraces. This park is unique for its rare trees, floral arrangements and expansive mosaics, but it is the labyrinth in particular which makes it an ideal place for daydreaming or taking a stroll.

An endurance race/scenic tour.

This 28th edition of the Enduro pédestre des Sables will be an endurance race for the whole family. Agon-Coutainville will be hosting this event which takes participants along the beach at low tide and on to the Pointe d'Agon (a listed natural heritage site). Expect a convivial, easygoing sporting event which takes you through Agon's untamed coastal region.
Men's challenge: 14km.
Women's challenge: 10km.
Kid's challenge: 3km.

When you feel like browsing and bargaining…

Looking for a collector's item, a pair of vintage shoes or a first edition by one of your favorite authors? The flea market, whether open to professionals (like the 3 markets in the Parisian area) or just to individual vendors, is the place to go if you're looking for diamonds in the rough!

Furniture, textiles, decoration, tools, toys, works of art, kitch items or high design, antiques or new objects at low cost, this market offers a great variety of goods…just make sure you have the time to find them!

Down in the crushing depths where man has no place…

A new attraction is available for visitors of the Cité de la Mer. From February 2nd, you can enjoy this fantastic experience thanks to cutting-edge 3D-animation and simulator technology: discover the abyss from the point of view of a submarine surrounded by deep-sea creatures!

From there you can enjoy an hour-long virtual tour… Open your eyes and admire the riches of Neptune's Kingdom!

May the best art win!

The Journée des peintres dans la rue is in fact an art competition open to amateurs and professionals alike (adults only). From 10AM, artists will be free to set up their easels in the streets of Coutances (within a predefined sector) and paint the monument or landscape of their choice.

The award ceremony will take place in the early evening at 5:30PM on the Saint-Nicholas square.

The salt of the earth on your plate!

Shop to your heart's content in Fermanville's Terroir market.

Twenty or so exhibitors and stall-holders will be there to provide you with the best of traditional "terroir" products. Christine Follet will as usual have a selection of some of the best oysters around (Huîtres de pleine mer), while Adélaïde Lio is a producer of organic fruit and veg, quality cider and exceptionally savoury local melon.

You can also find some handicrafts coming straight from Madagascar or leather goods at reasonable prices.

Brussels-based virtuosos.

The Amôn Quartet is made up of two violinists (Aymeric de Villoutreys and Mélanie Pelé) a violist (Joyce Hurtrel) and a cellist (Emilie Koang), all of which are graduates of the Brussels Royal Conservatory.

Amôn performs in the surrounding region on a regular basis, in Pontorson for example, and lately at the Festival de Saintes.

A naturally-rich and beautiful land.

The Pointe d'Agon (or "Agon Point") is a long stretch of sand at the southern tip of Agon-Coutainville listed as a natural heritage site since 1989. The lighthouse, inaugurated in 1856, has since been a beacon for countless flotillas and armadas. It remains one of the main attractions of this area.

Beneath this surface, the Agon Point hides endless natural resources which you will be able to discover along this 2km guided tour through the sand dunes…

Truly traditional cuisine…

The Mère Poulard Inn, located on the famed Mont Saint-Michel, is turning 120 this year!

Established in the late 19th century, the inn owes its name to person who orchestrated its foundation and success: Annette Poulard. Annette was only 20 when the Mont, which had become a prison after the French revolution, returned to its normal state as a site of pilgrimage.

In 1888 Annette and her husband decided to open an auberge or inn, a place where pilgrims and visitors could enjoy a healthy meal and a warm bed. Annette was soon known as Mère Poulard ("Mother Poulard"), for "mère" was at the time used to designate exceptionally good cooks. Year by year, visitors would pour in to delight in the 700 or so recipes served by the Auberge, including the now famous Mère Poulard omelette.

Nowadays, years after Annette passed away, the Auberge strives to perpetuate her gastronomical tradition. Some of her recipes found their way into supermarkets, and a number of traditional products (buiscits for example) bear the Mère Poulard label.

And in the darkness you shall see!

The abbey perched atop the Mont Saint-Michel is open non-stop from 9AM to 11:30PM. From 7PM onwards, when the twilight creeps across the mythical Mont Saint-Michel bay, the abbey organises nocturnal guided tours. The visitor can thus discover unique architecture thanks to subtle, delicate lighting, and in this treasure-trove of history he is confronted with his own modernity.

This new take on one of France's most visited monument is definitely worthwhile, the twilight and soft lighting emphasising the pure, minimalistic character of these age-old stones.

All the civilisations in one museum.

Founded in 1832 and surrounded by a magnificent botanical garden, the museum invites visitors to discover a fascinating and original collection of archaeological and ethnographic exhibits from the 5 continents.
Immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of the one-time "cabinets of curiosities" to discover a fabulous collection of stuffed animals, fossils, minerals and exotic objects (rooms dedicated to Egypt, Asia, Oceania, Africa and America) or yet more treasures unearthed by archaeological digs in the region.

Help yourself!

Fine French and foreign foods, dinner + show, snacks, business functions, birthdays or get-togethers.
Whether in the centre of Cherbourg, around a table in one of the many restaurants of Haut-Cotentin or on the traditional markets, every day or for that special occasion, treat yourself to delicious old favourites or new taste sensations.

Discovering the Cotentin.

Where the département of the Manche meets the Calvados, on the "threshold of the Cotentin", the Parc Naturel Régional des Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin is made up of 27,000 hectares of marshland and polders set in a landscape of traditional bocage woodland and rolling meadows (90,000 hectares). Pastureland and hay-meadows, crisscrossed by ditches and dotted with the occasional peat-bog, are the distinctive features of this wetland area that opens out onto the Baie des Veys. With the advent of the winter floods, the marsh turns "white" as the Cotentin peninsula comes into its own.
Less extensive areas of moorlands, woods and forest plus the coastline add diversity to the landscape.

Help yourself!

Fine French and foreign foods, dinner + show, snacks, business functions, birthdays or get-togethers.
Whether in the centre of Cherbourg, around a table in one of the many restaurants of Haut-Cotentin or on the traditional markets, every day or for that special occasion, treat yourself to delicious old favourites or new taste sensations.

Norman collection.

The museum owns an extensive collection of 15th and 19th century works. From Fra Angelico to Camille Claudel by way of Guillaume Fouace and David, the museum offers a splendid collection of some 300 paintings and sculptures from the 15th to the 19th centuries.
As Normandy's third largest museum, it houses a unique collection of the works of Jean-François Millet, Van Gogh's "spiritual father" (some thirty paintings, plus sketches, charcoals and prints).
One room is entirely given over to the works of Guillaume Fouace, a local artist who enjoyed considerable success during his lifetime, particularly with his still-lifes. They hang in the section following the Millet exhibition...

"A wondrous pyramid".

On the border between Brittany and Normandy, between Cancale and Granville, the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel is a fascinating place. The Mount itself, perched on a rocky outcrop, forms a tiny village whose Grande Rue (the main and, indeed, the only street on the Mount) climbs up to meet the Benedictine abbey at its summit.

The bay, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, is a land of history and legend, shaped over the millennia by the hidden forces of nature. It is here that you will find the highest tides in Europe.
Don't leave the village without tasting the delicious omelette de la Mère Poulard.

The thrill of the deep.

La Cité de la Mer, which opened on 29 April 2002, is a vast scientific, cultural and fun centre devoted to the immense riches of the oceans and oceanographic exploration.
Exceeding all expectations, the Cité welcomed its millionth visitor in July 2005.!
Encouraged by these visitor numbers, the Cité de la Mer is now launching a second extension phase.
The origins of the Cité de la Mer, which enjoys an enviable situation in the former Cherbourg trans-Atlantic passenger docks, were twofold: to revive an Art Deco masterpiece, the former trans-Atlantic passenger terminal, and to make the nuclear submarine Le Redoutable the biggest submarine open to the public in the world. Those aims have been achieved.
The gradual descent into the abyss, during a three-hour journey into a fault in the ocean floor, is organised according to two major themes:
The Submarine, with an introduction to the Redoutable, the biggest submarine open to the public anywhere in the world.
For 45 minutes, the voice of the Captain explains how a nuclear submarine works and what life onboard is like for its crew.

The Ocean, which concentrates on exploring and using the rich resources of the ocean, and which centres around one of the deepest aquariums in Europe (10.70m) containing over 3,500 fish.

Lest we forget.

In chronological order, the museum retraces the different stages in the history of the Second World War, from the exodus to the Liberation.
It stresses the primordial role played by the port of Cherbourg as a supply base for the Allied armies fighting to win back France.
The permanent collection has been reorganised and new displays created: prisoners of war, everyday life under the Occupation, and the victims of genocide. Whether this is your first visit or one of many, the Liberation Museum is well worth your attention.

Discover the Andouille fo Vire

Typical component in the cuisine of Normandy, and source of pride, the andouille (special sausage) of Vire is still produced artisanally in the Andouillerie in Sienne Valley.
Located near the Mont Saint-Michel and the D-Day beaches, this small family business, run by Jacqueline and Bernard Boscher, produces andouille, smoked ham, traditional pates and other regional products.

During guided tours of the facilities, the public is invited to discover the manuel fabrication of the andouille followed by a tasting of this speciality whose recipe has been passed down from generation to generation.

Help yourself!

Fine French and foreign foods, dinner + show, snacks, business functions, birthdays or get-togethers.
Whether in the centre of Cherbourg, around a table in one of the many restaurants of Haut-Cotentin or on the traditional markets, every day or for that special occasion, treat yourself to delicious old favourites or new taste sensations.

Help yourself!

Fine French and foreign foods, dinner + show, snacks, business functions, birthdays or get-togethers.
Whether in the centre of Cherbourg, around a table in one of the many restaurants of Haut-Cotentin or on the traditional markets, every day or for that special occasion, treat yourself to delicious old favourites or new taste sensations.