Guidebook for Gavray

Philippa
Guidebook for Gavray

Food Scene

Catherine runs this restaurant and provides a wonderful welcome to all nationalities. You can pop in for a coffee on Saturday morning when you're at the market or book to have a meal ...... I do recommend booking as I am never sure of her hours! All her food is home cooked and the menu is never the same two days in a row. She occasionally has brilliant live music evenings .... you'll need to check the posters at the restaurant.
L'Epicerie Bar-Restaurant
18 Rue de la Poterie
Catherine runs this restaurant and provides a wonderful welcome to all nationalities. You can pop in for a coffee on Saturday morning when you're at the market or book to have a meal ...... I do recommend booking as I am never sure of her hours! All her food is home cooked and the menu is never the same two days in a row. She occasionally has brilliant live music evenings .... you'll need to check the posters at the restaurant.
This is really a most welcoming bar. Patrick and Nadine always make you welcome. Essentially it's a bar that does food.
Bar des Sports
11 Pl. du Dr Beck
This is really a most welcoming bar. Patrick and Nadine always make you welcome. Essentially it's a bar that does food.
This is like our canteen ..... 3 course lunch includes drinks and coffee all for around 14€ ....... You need to get there quite early as it's a restaurant where all the workers eat (always good to find one of these) and they start serving at 12 noon. Sometimes they are open in the evening but it seems a bit random so you'd need to check.
HÔTEL DE LA GARE
23 Pl. de la Mairie
This is like our canteen ..... 3 course lunch includes drinks and coffee all for around 14€ ....... You need to get there quite early as it's a restaurant where all the workers eat (always good to find one of these) and they start serving at 12 noon. Sometimes they are open in the evening but it seems a bit random so you'd need to check.
This restaurant is billed up as the last stop before Chaussey (the French Channel Islands and a brilliant day out from Granville Port). If you want to eat good mussels just head here. It's white plastic tables and chairs but you won'y get better mussels, and they only serve them if they are fresh and in season. Ans the views are stunning .... and afterwards you can pop onto the beach to jog off your lunch! (mmm). It's a great beach too especially when the tide's out as you'll see all the mussel farming activity.
Bar le Rivage
La Plage
This restaurant is billed up as the last stop before Chaussey (the French Channel Islands and a brilliant day out from Granville Port). If you want to eat good mussels just head here. It's white plastic tables and chairs but you won'y get better mussels, and they only serve them if they are fresh and in season. Ans the views are stunning .... and afterwards you can pop onto the beach to jog off your lunch! (mmm). It's a great beach too especially when the tide's out as you'll see all the mussel farming activity.
If you like meat head straight here and order a cote de boeuf! This is generally considered the best restaurant locally and you'll need to book. It gets very busy.
Le Moulin de Beauchamps
If you like meat head straight here and order a cote de boeuf! This is generally considered the best restaurant locally and you'll need to book. It gets very busy.

Sightseeing

This is known as the pots and pans town ....... it's where the copper pans are made. The residents of Villdedieu are known as the "Sourdins", the deaf ones, because of the noise from making the pots has deafened them. There is a wonderful copper factory which has visits towards the top of the main drag on the right hand side. The museum of Norman furniture is fascinating - and explains so much of the furniture we see everywhere in Normandy. The town of Villedieu has its own knights and every four years has an amazing procession of the knights etc called the Grand Sacre. The bell foundry is defo worth a visit - they recently rebuilt the bells for Notre Dame in Paris.
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Villedieu-les-Poêles
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This is known as the pots and pans town ....... it's where the copper pans are made. The residents of Villdedieu are known as the "Sourdins", the deaf ones, because of the noise from making the pots has deafened them. There is a wonderful copper factory which has visits towards the top of the main drag on the right hand side. The museum of Norman furniture is fascinating - and explains so much of the furniture we see everywhere in Normandy. The town of Villedieu has its own knights and every four years has an amazing procession of the knights etc called the Grand Sacre. The bell foundry is defo worth a visit - they recently rebuilt the bells for Notre Dame in Paris.
This is one of the most visited tourist sights in France. It can get very crowded so you might prefer to go later in the day. One of the best finds is the evening service in the church. To join this you need to be at the bottom of the final steps that you can go up to the church in time for 18.15 .... at some point a nun will come and take you up to the church for the evening service. It doesn't matter what religion you are (or none) it's just an beautiful service and very few people seem to know about this. The service does not happen on Sundays or Mondays.
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Mont Saint-Michel Bay
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This is one of the most visited tourist sights in France. It can get very crowded so you might prefer to go later in the day. One of the best finds is the evening service in the church. To join this you need to be at the bottom of the final steps that you can go up to the church in time for 18.15 .... at some point a nun will come and take you up to the church for the evening service. It doesn't matter what religion you are (or none) it's just an beautiful service and very few people seem to know about this. The service does not happen on Sundays or Mondays.

Parks & Nature

These are the French Channel Islands - the ones the British didn't take and are a stunning find. To get there you go to the port in Granville and take the morning boat to the islands. You might want to take a picnic with you although there is a restaurant there. Don't go if it rains as there is little protection! The scenery is fabulous here, there are hidden little beaches, great views, and lots of birds. Our grandchildren thought it was great.
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Chausey
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These are the French Channel Islands - the ones the British didn't take and are a stunning find. To get there you go to the port in Granville and take the morning boat to the islands. You might want to take a picnic with you although there is a restaurant there. Don't go if it rains as there is little protection! The scenery is fabulous here, there are hidden little beaches, great views, and lots of birds. Our grandchildren thought it was great.
There is a marvellous forest here with lots of walking and activities.
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Saint-Sever-Calvados
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There is a marvellous forest here with lots of walking and activities.

Entertainment & Activities

This is a great rainy day activity and ideal for all ages groups.
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Médiathèque de La Cité de la Mer
Allée du Président Menut
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This is a great rainy day activity and ideal for all ages groups.

Essentials

Gavray is one of the best local market towns, with a flourishing market on a Saturday morning. It has 3 bakeries (the best one is the first one where they are very creative with different types of breads. Adeline the baker speaks English as well). There is also a chemist, a small town centre convenience store and on the outskirts of the town on the Coutances Road there is a really good supermarket, Marche U. Opposite the bakery in the town is the butcher, and their meat is fabulous and if you're a lazy cook (like me) you can buy pre-prepared home cooked meals and just take them home and put them in the micky wave. There's a lovely bookshop which sells newspapers including English ones.
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Gavray
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Gavray is one of the best local market towns, with a flourishing market on a Saturday morning. It has 3 bakeries (the best one is the first one where they are very creative with different types of breads. Adeline the baker speaks English as well). There is also a chemist, a small town centre convenience store and on the outskirts of the town on the Coutances Road there is a really good supermarket, Marche U. Opposite the bakery in the town is the butcher, and their meat is fabulous and if you're a lazy cook (like me) you can buy pre-prepared home cooked meals and just take them home and put them in the micky wave. There's a lovely bookshop which sells newspapers including English ones.