Archive for the ‘May 2010’ Category
Free e-books Special Offer
Free ebook worth £16 when you download our 2 podcasts
May’s Virtual Magazine
N4Normandy - May
Mays Edition – The Rules of Petanque
Click the cover to view the virtual magazine:
Jazz Festival
8th - 15th May
Jazz sous les Pommiers or Jazz under the Apple trees. Situated in the beautiful town of Coutances, with its soaring Cathedral spire, grand Hotel de Ville and Botanical gardens, this exciting jazz festival is the biggest in western France. Jazz sous les Pommiers includes over one hundred different concerts, street entertainments and gigs around the town, and is a showcase for many up and coming musicians as well as established and popular acts. Music lovers will enjoy this annual event and relish the sounds from the musicians ,as you walk around Coutances or whilst enjoying a drink in one of the many restaurants, cafes or bars.
Fetes des Marins
23rd - 24th May
Honfleur, Calvados. First established in 1861, the sailor’s festival of Honfleur, finds the sailors taking part in the blessing of the sea, and in the pilgrimage to Notre Dames de Grace chapel, sitting perched on its headland overlooking the town below. It was original a part of the celebrations of Pentecost, and has now become a colourful event, looked forward throughout the year by residents and visitors alike. An exhibition sited in the old salt cellars pays homage to the people of the sea, and is hosted by the Sailors Society.
Meet the Painters
22nd - 24th May
Meet the Painters, Saint-Ceneri-le-Gerie,Orne. One of the regions most beautiful villages is transformed into a veritable artists palette during this spring weekend, when artists display there works in this outdoor exhibition of creative art.
The Grand Ball
13th May - 26th September
The Grand Ball, Christian Dior Museum, Granville. This seasons exhibition at the elegant childhood home of the great designer Christian Dior is a celebration of the grand balls and social evenings of the 20th century. The house of Dior created breathtaking marvels for the great and the good, and these together with film clips, examples of contemporary works by John Galliano, and settings for the launch of Dior perfumes makes for and interesting and memorable visit.
Welcome to May’s Magazine
May comes alive with a variety of festivals that enliven the senses and are an ideal way to discover the true nature of Normandy and its people. A festival is an event, usually staged by a local community, which centres on some distinctive feature of that community.
Theses are the signals that Normandy has come out to play and is putting its soul on display. With a warm welcome assured the Norman people never fail to surprise you with their passion for entertaining and involving anyone who passes by. No one is a stranger when there is a bottle of wine and joy to share.
Like the wildlife that has emerged from the winter and is venturing out with displays of bird song and courtship putting on a show that sings of the joy of being alive with no apologies for enjoying the best that Normandy has to offer.
We encourage you all to do the same. Take a break from your routine and venture down a different route, take a risk by trying a different sensory experience that Normandy is proud to offer. Change is good it expands the soul whilst safe in the knowledge that your normal routine is close at hand. They say variety is the spice of life and when it is available it would seem a shame to refuse it.
Awaken your ears to the sounds of Jazz under the apples trees in Coutances or rediscover your sense of adventure with the Fetes des Marins in Honfleur Calvados .It doesn’t have to be loud and brash explore your creative side and meet the painters at Saint-Ceneri-le-Gerie in Orne or spoil our taste buds with Les Rencontres de Cambremer food festival.
Jut answer the question when does 4 + For = 4?
The answer is we have renamed this magazine from N For Normandy to N 4 Normandy to match our accommodation site N4Normandy.
Enjoy the month of May
The N 4 Normandy Team
.
.
.
.
.
.
Contents
- Les Traversees de Tatihou
Enjoy the magical music festival on the rugged little island of Tatihou, its annual concerts with its varied music styles and genres is a must for the sences. Walk out to Tatihou from pretty St-Vaast- La-Hougue over the oyster beds exposed at low tide,...
- The D Day Story Part 7
Back towards Utah Beach, the first town that the soldiers reached was Saint Marie du Mont. Near here the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment landed and advanced towards Utah Beach, to clear the way for the landing party. Other paratroopers from the 501st...
- Chateau de Crevecoeur Medieval Festival
For one week in august be transported to ages past at the wonderful Chateau de Crevecoeur medieval festival. Historians have made sure that this extravaganza celebrating life in the middle ages is as accurate as possible, so that visitors really do fee...
- Jazz Festival
Jazz sous les Pommiers or Jazz under the Apple trees. Situated in the beautiful town of Coutances, with its soaring Cathedral spire, grand Hotel de Ville and Botanical gardens, this exciting jazz festival is the biggest in western France. Jazz so...
- Fetes des Marins
Honfleur, Calvados. First established in 1861, the sailor's festival of Honfleur, finds the sailors taking part in the blessing of the sea, and in the pilgrimage to Notre Dames de Grace chapel, sitting perched on its headland overlooking the town b...
- Meet the Painters
Meet the Painters, Saint-Ceneri-le-Gerie,Orne. One of the regions most beautiful villages is transformed into a veritable artists palette during this spring weekend, when artists display there works in this outdoor exhibition of creative art. ww...
- The Grand Ball
The Grand Ball, Christian Dior Museum, Granville. This seasons exhibition at the elegant childhood home of the great designer Christian Dior is a celebration of the grand balls and social evenings of the 20th century. The house of Dior created brea...
- The D Day Story Part 4
The D Day Story Part 4 The Merville Battery and the British Army’s 9th Battalion Parachute Regiment
- Petanque or French Boules
Petanque or French Boules by Steve Hawkes
How To Fillet Salmon
By: Michael Sheridan
I learned to fillet fish, including salmon, in a very busy restaurant in Cherbourg, Normandy, where the required rate was something like one whole fish every 10 seconds, including gutting and cleaning.
We used razor sharp filleting knives that were kept so with a few wipes on a steel from time to time and the fillets on thicker fish such as cod and salmon were removed with just four strokes. You may well take a little longer to start with, but once you’ve got the hang of it you will find it every easy to do.
The D Day Story Part 4
Merville Battery
About 165 miles to the East, the British Army’s 9th Battalion Parachute Regiment was dropping on the Merville Battery, which was perceived as a major menace to the landings at Sword Beach. It was therefore vital that the four 150 mm guns, embedded in 12 feet of concrete and soil, heavily protected by mine fields, anti-tank ditches plus pill boxes, were quickly disabled. The strength and defences of the Battery meant it could only be silenced by a direct assault and hand to hand combat.
Petanque or French Boules
Petanque or French Boules
by Steven Hawkes
Whilst traversing the leafy lanes and roads of Normandy with the sun casting dappled lights upon the mossy banks and iris filled ditches, you have no doubt come across the French idyll of beautiful mellow cottages, a quaint village square, with neatly clipped trees, overlooked by the sentinel of a Norman church.
Observing the scene you notice the bustle of the boulangerie, the scent of the freshly baked bread tempting you, the tabac bar, the hub of village news and gossip, and perhaps a group of young and old alike enjoying the pastime of Petanque or French boules.
From your vantage point you can hear the thump, click of the boules as they connect, the laughter and good humour of the players, and clearly understand that the game brings people together, but instils a gentle competitiveness.
Throughout France these scenes take place, from towns with their purpose built clubs, villages with picturesque friendly squares and of course, the most familiar to us travellers and tourist, the beach.
So as the good weather and the warmer seasons approach, the tug of the Petanque with its hazy summer memories beckons, pushed to the forefront of our minds with the arrival of the soaring and acrobatic swallows who careen joyfully heralding the arrival of spring.
So what are the rules of this typical French game. Below are the rules and regulations that will enable you to enjoy with your family and friends this relaxing summer game.
The rules
The game consists of two teams of two or three players. Teams of two play with three boules, teams of three with two.
Equipment used for Petanque are metal boules between 7 and 8 cm in diameter, weighing about 800 grammes, the cochonet or marker ball ideally having a diameter of between 25 and 30mm, and a measuring device to decide those difficult calls in distance which can occur in scoring.
The team that goes first is decided on the toss of a coin. One of the winning team members chooses the starting place and draws a circle on the ground about 30 to 50 cm across in which they then stand. Both feet of the thrower must remain within this circular boundary until the thrown boule lands.
The first player throws the cochonet between 6 to 10 metres, clear of any obstacles by at least 50 cms. He or she then throws their first boule, with the aim of trying to place it as close to the cochonet as possible.
A player from the opposing team then enters the throwing circle to try and then throw their boule closer to the cochonet, or even displace their adversaries placed boule. The boule closest to the cochonet is the leading boule.
Then it is up to a player in the team not leading to throw until his or her team gets the leading boule position and so the game goes on.
When a team has no more boules left, the points are counted. Points are awarded to the boules nearest to the cochonet, and thus the team with the boules nearer to the cochonet is victorious.
A player from the winning team then throws the cochonet back up the terrain from where the game started, and thus the game starts again, with the direction of the game going back and forth, until one team reaches the final score of 13 points.
It should be noted that if playing in a regulation area, when a boule hits the wooden perimeter frame, then the boule concerned is considered out of play.
Also in the event of an exact distance match or tie, the same game should be replayed from the same end as played originally.
Well happy playing over the coming months, and enjoy this easygoing sporting pleasure.