Le Phare du Treport

Le Treport was once a popular seaside destination for the French royal family during the reign of Louis-Philippe (1830s and 1840s) when the Palace at nearby Eu was the king’s summer residence. The Parisian bourgeoisie were soon to follow, and as the town became a popular destination a number of seaside villas were built (most of which were destroyed during World War II). Louis-Philippe was an ardent Anglophile and was on very good terms with Queen Victoria. Although the term “Entente Cordiale” usually refers to official agreements made between the English and the French in 1904, the term was first used in 1844 following Queen Victoria’s first state visit to Louis-Philippe’s palace in Eu in 1843. There is much in the area that marks the Queen’s visit, including the ‘Queen Victoria Bar’. The National Navy Museum in Paris has a painting by Louis Gabriel Eugène Isabey showing Queen Victoria’s royal yacht, HMY Victoria and Albert – a twin paddle steamer, docked in the port of Le Treport.

Friday fish market at Le Treport

Today there is little in evidence of any past royal heritage. Rather, visitors come to Le Treport for fresh fish and seafood. On Sundays the town is very busy, particularly during summer, as this is a must for anyone who enjoys seafood. Visitors to the town come from as far as Paris for Sunday lunch at one of the many restaurants. Where the bourgeoisie’s villas once stood is now a row of seafront restaurants. They vary in decor and price, as is to be expected, and although I have not tried each and every one, I have yet to have a bad meal. What you can be sure of is fresh fish – and most offer vegetarian and meat dishes for those who do not like fish.

The 'Halle aux Poissons' -

Le Treport is a well-known fishing port. And the signs of this can be seen all about the port, from the fishing fleet that go out to sea (if you are there at the right time), the lobster traps piled up on the dock-side, mounds of fishing nets, and of course the many vendors of fresh fish and seafood. Besides the substantial Halle aux Poissons, on Tuesdays and Fridays there are many vendors outside the halle selling fish. For those staying in the self catering cottage/gite at Basse Copette, instead of, or as well as, a meal in a restaurant, buy your fish and bring it back and cook it to your liking. A visit to Le Treport if included on my Gourmet Tour of Upper Normandy.

Le Treport funicular

Besides the fish markets and the great restaurants, Le Treport has a pebble beach, and even a casino if you fancy a holiday flutter. But by far the more popular attraction is the newly restored funicular. The funicular was re-installed in 2006 using nineteenth century track and tunnel. The short journey (about 10 minutes) takes you up on to the cliff-top, where there is a café and a cliff-top walk with stunning views over Le Treport and Mers-les-Bains. A walk along the cliff-top is the perfect post-lunch activity. The funicular operates throughout the year and is free of charge.

I think Le Treport is a charming little seaside fishing town, and one that I choose to visit with guests who are on a Gourmet break exploring the gastronomy of Upper Normandy. After a tour of the port, a coffee and patisserie in one of the cafés, we choose some fish and seafood and return to Basse Copette for a good meal. If, however, you do not like fish or seafood, Le Treport is probably not that interesting. But then there are so many other wonderful seaside towns along the Normandy coast to visit.

The previous Basse Copette homepage

After a lot of hard and very creative work from Pauline Kenny, one of my Archaeology Travel partners, here is the new website. If you visited my old website I am sure you will agree with me that this new website not only looks great, it is also very easy to navigate and find the information you require when considering a at B&B or self catering stay at Basse Copette.

Previous guests will also notice a number of improvements, and there are more that are currently in progress.

Now I just need a photographer or some photography lessons. Trying to capture the cottage’s ‘wow factor’ tests my photography skills to their limits.

Happy New Year, and here’s to seeing you (again) at Basse Copette during 2012.
Thomas

To mark my new website:
5% Discount on all bookings with deposits paid before 31 January 2012
15% Discount on bookings paid in full before 31 January 2012

The finish line ...

Great news for guests to Basse Copette next year: there is not one but two stages of Tour de France 2012 in Upper Normandy! Yes, stages 4 and 5 pass around the edge of Seine Maritime with Basse Copette right at the centre – meaning you get a great choice of places to witness this great sporting event. And on two days – Wednesday 4 July and Thursday 5 July 2012 – propitious numbers indeed! Exact details will only be published next June, but we know on Wednesday 4 July stage 4 starts in Abbeville, about 30 minutes up the road, heads for Eu and then along the coast to Fecamp before finishing in Rouen. Stage 5 on July 5 starts in Rouen, about 45 minutes away, and passes south of Basse Copette as it heads towards Saint Quentin. Two days to experience Tour de France in Normandy in 2012, all the while staying at Basse Copette.

The full route of the 2012 race can be seen in the map below, and for those interested in coming to Basse Copette, the green star marks the spot.Accommodation available is as follows:

Self catering accommodation is available in the cottage, for up to six people. There is a minimum stay of a week, so arrival 1 July and depart 7 July (Saturday to Saturday).

For further details, click here

Bed and breakfast accommodation is available in my suite for two, with a minimum stay of 3 nights, arriving 3 July and departing 6 July. Of course you can arrive earlier and depart later.

For further details, click here

Tour de France in Upper Normandy.

Visitor's Book

“Lovely weekend in such a peaceful location. Really enjoyed the Christmas markets in both Abbeville and Amiens! Very welcoming, had a super time; Thanks!“

For more comments in the Visitor’s Book and reviews online from previous guests, see my testimonials page.

It is not too late to book a Christmas weekend or midweek break at Basse Copette!

Who says winter is all about stews?

A welcome taste of summer on what has been a very blustery day!

And off they go ...

Some of my neighbours still have a few cows of their own, not large herds just a few head of cattle from which to make a bit of money from. During summer these cows are left to graze on the hills around us, in fields that are owned by the inhabitants of Basse Copette; each property has its summer pastures (mine was long since sold to a local farmer who raises cattle for a living). And then in winter the cattle are brought down off the hills into the barns in my neighbours properties. My barn is now a self catering cottage, a gîte as they are called in France.

I have grown accustomed to this routine, I love it when the cows are put out into the grazing fields in mid Spring, because it is a sure sign that it is going to start warming up again. And when they come down, well that is a sign that winter has come. Yesterday the cows were brought down, and true enough temperatures have taken a bit of a tumble – I even thought it was snowing this morning. It was only hail. It may be colder, but winter here in the Bresle Valley of Upper Normandy has its own striking, albeit stark, beauty. The deciduous trees are bare, but the fields in the valley are bright green with the winter wheat that will be harvested in Spring.

It is just perfect for a winter break in Upper Normandy; either to visit the Christmas markets in the lead up to Christmas, or for a weekend of relaxing by the fire and reading a book or watching a film, going for a walk in the forest and coming back to a prepared meal, or visit local producers and some back and create your own feasts. What ever your fancy, book your winter break now! Before the cows go back up on to the slopes once again …

Read more about the Christmas Breaks and Winter Breaks at Basse Copette.

Relax by the fire, with Normandy cider, baked camembert and freshly baked bread!

Maisons des illustres Logo

The good thing about this scheme is that houses are only included on the list if they are open to the public for at least 40 days a year. The two cities of Amiens and Rouen, both make for a great day out from Basse Copette, have Maisons des Illustres of great interest, along with many other attractions.

Amiens was home to one of the fathers of science fiction, Jules Verne, whom we all know for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870), A Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873). Verne lived in Amiens for 34 years, and even served as a councillor for 16 of these. He lived in the house that now serves as a museum in his honour from 1882 to 1900. Amiens also has a very impressive local history museum and art gallery, and the cathedral is simply spectacular, at day and night. Along the edge of the Somme River, as it is canalled through the city, are a number of very good restaurants – to suit any taste.

Gustave Flaubert, born in Rouen, December 1821

Rouen is an amazing city, with an interesting mix of modern and medieval streets and buildings. There are a number of museums, including the Joan of Arc museum, it was in Rouen that she was burned at the stake, and an educational museum. And of course the cathedral that Claude Monet made famous in 30 paintings he created at different times of the day, and under different weather conditions.

Lastly, but certainly one of my favourite, is the castle in the town of Eu, which was the summer residence of King Louis Philippe I, who reigned over France from 1830 to 1848. This castle was just one of his many palaces, but it was here that the king of France welcomed England’s Queen Victoria in 1843, the first face-to-face meeting between French and British monarchs since 1520. This first of two visits to Eu by the British Queen and the diplomatic relations they sealed is considered to have been the precursor of the entente cordiale signed in 1904. The castle has suffered through neglect over the decades, but a programme of extensive renovations has just been completed, and the castle has been returned to its former royal glory. To the front of the castle is a beautifully manicured, formal garden – that is free to wonder through.

Eu is less than 30 minutes from Basse Copette on the way to the seaside towns of Le Treport and Mers-Les-Bains. There are some very good restaurants and cafés, and on Friday the streets are taken over by the town’s weekly market, the perfect opportunity to get some fresh local produce, and bring it back to enjoy while staying at in my self catering cottage in Upper Normandy.

Château d'Eu, the royal residence and seat of government for Louis-Philippe

Foire aux Vins

To coincide with the end of Aumale’s Spring Festival, and to take advantage of the food and wine on show in the town hall, I offer an all inclusive weekend break at Basse Copette. This is the perfect opportunity to come to rural, northern France and just relax and return home with some tasty treats.

The first few weeks of May are always very good weather-wise, and this last weekend was no exception; my guests had all their meals on the terrace. Food-wise, May is also good, and my menus reflect the wonderful spring produce just coming in to season. A few enormous, white asparagus with a lemon and roquette pesto make ideal, light starters and my rhubarb trifle provides an enjoyable end to an evening meal.

For me, it is at occasions like these that I get to meet a number of local producers, all in one place. So I go armed with business cards and come away with new ideas and contacts. This year I met a local snail merchant, and so we had to try these out with aperitifs on Saturday evening. I appreciate snails are not every person’s idea of gourmet cuisine, but I think this is because they have mostly been prepared so badly. The snails I have encountered in the past are all but ‘nuked’ to within an inch of being anything but organic, so all you taste is garlic and parsley. Done properly, snails are justifiably a great delicacy.

Here are just a handful of photographs taken from this last weekend.

Another great break with Thomas. Monet’s garden worth a visit. It was nice to relax on the terrace and eat our meals in the sunshine. We will be back again soon.
June & Les, UK, May 2011

And of course as this weekend’s guests point out, there are many other attractions to see as well, such as Monet’s house and garden, currently, with all the rhododendrons and azaleas in full bloom.

So why not come and enjoy a spring weekend in 2012 at Basse Copette!

400 Euros per couple sharing in the new Basse Copette Suite

280 per couple sharing in the Picardy suite

850 Euros for up to 4 adults sharing (600 Euros for one couple) in La Grange

Special Offer: Book before the end of 2011 and get an extra night, on a B&B basis at no extra charge.