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Every night until 20 September 2008 the stunning Chartes Cathedral (27 Eure, Normandie) and nearly 20 other landmarks in the medieval town will be illuminated from dusk as part of the Chartres en Lumieres (Lights of Chartres) festival.
Together with themed and co-ordinated music the main facades of the gothic cathedral will be lit, as will some of the streets and the banks and bridges of the Eure river which runs through the town.
The Cathedral is often visible from some distance away in daylight across this rather flat part of southern Normandy, and should look even more impressive at night.
The Cathedral, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site has to be one of the “must see” destinations for any visitor to France. Started in the 12th Century it is considered the best Gothic cathedral in the whole of France.
For more info see www.chartres-tourisme.com
An innovative project has been launched which links 2 attractive regions either side of the channel through their respective abundance of gardens to visit. French gardens are often interesting to visit, especially as some aim to create what they think of as a “jardin anglais” - usually with lawns and “cottage garden” deatures, whilst others, particularly in the grounds of stately homes and chateaux, can be very formal.
Normandy clearly has a wealth of gardens open to the public - “The parks and gardens of Normandy, whether botanical, landscape or historic have become important points of reference. Connoisseurs as well as novices will be enthralled by the wealth of different species as well as the beauty of the individual sites. You will find 40 sites, all members of the association, which have been selected not only for their beauty but also for their hospitality. Visitors can discover a wide range of surroundings and secret walks which change daily according to the weather, plant cycle and with a little help from man.”
They range includes the famous Monet gardens at Giverny (27 Eure, Haut-Normandie) near the Seine, the magnificently named Jardins de Bellevue at Beaumont le Hareng (the herring?) (76 Seine-Maritime, Normandie) which houses 2 national collections and Agapanthe (”a contemporary garden, burgeoning with plants, takes the form of a series of sharply contrasting intimate spaces ; a botanical walk which also pays tribute to man-made structures, artistically blending the mineral and vegetable kingdoms.”) at Grigneuseville (76 Seine-Maritime, Normandie); and as far west as the Jardin des Plantes at Coutances (50 Manche, Normandie). There are also the gardens at Chateau Champ de Bataille (Castle Battlefield?) at Le Neubourg (27 Eure, Normandie)
Just check for opening times, especially out of season.
You’ll find a useful website which has details of all the Sussex and Normandy gardens in the scheme at www.gardensnormandysussex.com/
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Also see our calendar of events in France
Keywords: Gardens, Jardins, Normandy,Normandie,France
