Thursday, May 03, 2007

Granville

This is the next installment of my road trip series. It's January 1992 and we're driving along the coasts of Normandy and Brittany...

The lower part of Granville seen from the Haute Ville.

As we drove further south along the Cotentin peninsula, just before the bay of Mont Saint Michel, we came to the city of Granville which is built on and around a large rocky point that juts out into the channel. The old part of town, the Haute Ville, is built up on the rock ; the lower town has extended inland.

A view of the Haute Ville built on its rocky promontory.

The city's origins date from the 15th century when the English built a fortified settlement there to defend against the Normans who held the Mont Saint Michel to the south. The English didn't hold the fort for long.

The city's ramparts are intact.

The town grew and prospered as a fishing port through the 18th century. Today it is still linked to the channel islands via ferry. The city is home to over 12,000 year-round Granvillais. One of the more famous sons of Granville is designer Christian Dior who was born there in 1905.

Above, a door and window. Below, the roadway along the ramparts. That small building with the moss on the roof is a public toilet.
We stopped up in the Haute Ville for a quick walk around and then hit the road again for the quick drive around the bay to the Mont Saint Michel.

The port of Granville at low tide.

5 comments:

  1. How exciting about Callie!!! I know that she will have a great life next to the vineyard.

    Oh, about the roller derby...You should check out the website, if you get a moment... www.tampabayderbydarlins.com
    Just for the opening movie on the website. It is priceless.

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  2. Granville also has a lovely jardin des plantes, probably more interesting in spring and summer than in the winter
    I love that photo of the boats. Beautiful

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  3. I need immediate updates on Callie! Make sure you post lots of pics. Congrats.

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  4. Good luck with the puppy. I think it must be like when someone is thinking about a new car. I never noticed border collies around here before, but since seeing your puppy pictures I'm seeing them everywhere.

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  5. mp, I'll have to check out that site soon !

    claude, I read about the jardin, but of course we didn't see it in 1992.

    jayne, don't worry. Updates are on the way.

    papa, thanks. The same thing happened to us, too. Border collies on tv, around town, everywhere.

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