Newsletter from Normandy

May 2021

Good afternoon,

We are very happy to share with you our latest newsletter about Normandy.

Our beautiful region remains, unfortunately, easier to discover virtually at the moment... but things may evolve soon with the end of lockdown in France on the 3rd of May.

If you want to stay up-to-date on the restrictions in place in France, have a look at the links provided at the end of this newsletter.

NORMAN TREATS IN JERSEY

Our first La Boutique newsletter was sent out this week.

Discover it here and don't hesitate to subscribe to receive it directly in the future.

ENJOY NORMANDY VIRTUALLY

FOCUS ON... MARTAINVILLE CASTLE

THE MUSEUM OF TRADITIONS AND ARTS OF NORMANDY

The "Château de Martainville" dates back to the end of the 15th century. Jacques Le Pelletier, a rich ship-owner purchased 25 ha of land in Martainville-Epreville (west of Rouen, Seine-Maritime), on which he decided to build a castle to increase his social status.

The castle was listed as a historic monument in 1889, and the farm in 1931. The State purchased it in 1906, saving it from destruction.The County Council of Seine-Maritime, in charge of the castle in 1955, had the building restored in order to create a museum, which was opened in 1961. Today, Martainville Castle houses the Museum of Traditions and Arts of Normandy which you can discover virtually right here.

PARLERS NORMANDS

Would you like to practice your Norman language or Jersey-French? You can join the virtual Norman coffee meet-up on 6 May. Ask for more information to langue.normande@gmail.com and follow the Norman Languages Associations Federation on Facebook.

The 3rd conference for Norman Languages was postponed and will take place at the Hôtel de Région in Rouen (Seine-Maritime) on 22 May at 10 am. You can follow the live-stream on the Region's Youtube channel.

MUSICAL BREAK

Every year, the classical music Easter Festival takes place in Deauville (Calvados). After being cancelled in 2020, the organisers decided to go ahead with an online version that started on 17 April and will end on 8 May 2021. Have a look at the programme right here and enjoy the next two live concerts this Saturday and the next.

If you are keen on discovering other types of music or would like to practice your own instrument, Le Kalif, one of Rouen's music schools, has created a website called "Soyez Curieux" full of resources and tips. Be curious and explore it right here!

GO OUTSIDE

On 8 & 9 May, gardens all around France are opening up and donating a part of their proceeds to Neurodon, the federation for brain research. The garden "Jardin intérieur à ciel Ouvert" in Athis-de-l'Orne (Orne county) is one of many participating in the event which makes us want to go back to Normandy even more!

The Norman festival "Pierres en lumière" or "Stones enlightened" will be taking place on 15 May. For one evening, the five Norman counties will reveal their most beautiful stones and their historical and cultural treasures to the public through the power of light. If you are in Normandy, look out(side), otherwise, you can follow the Facebook page of the event here.

NORMAN HISTORY WITH A TWIST

Contacted in 2013 by two collectors of the famous Playmobil® figurines, La Manche County Archives has recreated 8 battles that have marked the history of La Manche, from the invasion of the Cotentin by Julius Caesar to the landing on Utah Beach in 1944.

Click on the following link to discover this unusual exhibition (in French): Héraut Playmobil®

OSCARS

We were hoping for it in our last newsletter. "Colette" has won the Academy Award for the best documentary short at the 93rd prestigious ceremony!

Colette Marin-Catherine is a French resistance member from Normandy that decided, at the age of 92, to follow in the footsteps of her brother who died in a concentration camp during WW2. A moving documentary that you can still discover on the Guardian website.

★ ★ ★ ★ EN DIRECT DES ETOILES ★ ★ ★ ★

If you follow us on Facebook, you may have seen a few posts about Thomas Pesquet, our very own Norman astronaut that just flew out for a six months mission on the International Space Station (ISS).

Did you know that an app allows you to see where the ISS is at all times and be alerted when it's about to fly above you to have a chance to spot it with the naked eye?! You can download the ISS Detector app on the Play store or the App Store.

You can also follow Thomas Pesquet's inspiring mission in space on Facebook or Instagram.

PLAN AHEAD

Tourist information centres are staying active online. Find the ones from your favorite Norman towns, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or subscribe to their newsletters.

Here is the list of Tourist Offices in Normandy

The tourist offices teams from La Manche and Normandy are also giving you great content to dream about Normandy and plan your future trip.

Have a look at the Official Normandy Tourist Board website

(Re)discover La Manche by visiting La Manche Tourism website

Stay Informed & Safe

To find out everything about the advice and measures taken by the French government, you can visit: Info Coronavirus Covid-19 | Gouvernement.fr

For specific information (in English) on travel to France, go to: Coronavirus - Advice for Foreign Nationals in France - Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (diplomatie.gouv.fr)

If you would like further details on how the situation is evolving in Normandy, you can refer to the following websites:

• The Regional Prefecture's website: Accueil | La préfecture et les services de l'État en région Normandie (prefectures-regions.gouv.fr)

• The Regional Health Agency's website: Agence régionale de santé Normandie | Agir ensemble pour la santé des Normands (sante.fr)

Stay safe and see you soon!

Maison de la Normandie et de la Manche's team