William Of Normandy

France holidays: Normandy vs Brittany

Meanwhile, the Norman invasion of England permitted "William the Bastard" to become "the Conqueror". The invasion, of course, went the other way in 1944. Ties with both regions are thus not only historic but also emotional. The D-Day beaches exert an enormous power as, in a quite different register, does the Interceltic Festival at Lorient, where our fringe nations gather with Bretons amid bagpipes and similar.

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The Pointe-du-Raz and Pointe-St Mathieu, Brittany's final flings, are where land ends and legends begin. Given the elemental force of rocks, cliffs and turbulent ocean, it's no surprise that Bretons have needed myths to get them through.

Back from this edge, the Brittany coast rarely lets the drama flag. To the north, from the Pays-des-Abers to the Pink Granite Coast, with its hallucinatory rock formations, the wildness thrills children… and parents too, as they try to stop the nippers plunging.

Headland after headland defies sea and sky, overlooking an inner shore littered with rocks and islets, as if someone were crumbling a landscape up above.

The southern coast is neater, with a marginally more gentle littoral – but still unruly enough for those who find the Mediterranean idle. Try the beaches at Concarneau or Vannes, with the island-spattered Morbihan Gulf out in front, and the senses soar. Talking of islands, Brittany has a variety – apparently chipped off the mainland and hurled out to sea – which Normandy cannot match. Farthest west, and most battered, is Ouessant. Sein floats barely above sea level while Batz is where I'll retire to grow organic vegetables and subtropical plants. If they'll have me.

Normandy might not have comparable islands but its Cotentin Peninsula – France's thumb sticking up towards Blighty – has shagginess similar to Brittany's. To the west and north, lanes through tall-hedged farmland suddenly burst out to an infinity of sands with edges rising high, rocky and rugged. Stand on the Nez-de-Jobourg, culminating point of the Cap-de-la-Hague 420 feet above muscular seas, and you'll feel at once very small and king of the world.

Far across the Seine Bay, mighty cliffs – notably around Etretat – have been sculpted by sea gods with time on their hands. (Erosion is far too prosaic.) In between, south of the Seine estuary, the almost over-cuddly Honfleur kicks off a coast of hills, coves and long beaches until, beyond Merville, you get to the yet longer beaches of the longest day.

The History Onyx: English Monarchs: William I

Considering that he was born the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy and a tanner's daughter, it's a minor miracle that William the Conqueror got as far as he did in life. Aside from his fifty-year stint in charge of his homeland, William is best known for his lightning conquest of England in 1066 followed by two decades of subsequent brutal suppression of the native Saxon population and ruling establishment. The rule of William would see the very national fabric of England change permanently, dragging the kingdom out of the Dark Ages and into a more enlightened era dominated by Norman culture, language and an altogether more continental style of doing things. Despite being illegitimate, William succeeded his father as Duke of Normandy when he was around eight years old. His early years of rule were not easy as the noblemen appointed to advise him kept being murdered and in 1047 a cousin, Guy of Burgundy, formed a rebel alliance against him. The young William only managed to put down the challenge with the help of Henry I, King of France. Less than ten years later William found himself facing an invasion of his duchy by Henry. William beat of his would-be overlord in 1054 and again in 1057. After the victories against Henry, William was now confident enough to begin expanding his territory. By the 1060s he had become one of the most feared and respected leaders and military commanders in Europe. He was also a skilled diplomat who chose his friends very carefully, being especially astute in his dealings with the church. Being on such good terms with the church turned out to be highly beneficial for William as the Pope had no qualms about sanctioning William's invasion of England in 1066. The foundations of the friendship were based in William's support of Pope Leo IX's programme of reforms, the aim of which was to ensure that bishop's chairs throughout Europe were occupied by dedicated and spiritual clergy rather than worldly noblemen handpicked by local secular rulers. William's relationship with the church had not always been rosy, however. He had risked earning their wrath in 1053 when he married Matilda, daughter of Count Baldwin of Flanders, without papal consent. This led to a temporary falling out with his closest adviser, the Italian monk Lanfranc of Pavia but the issue was resolved in 1059 when the Pope backed down and recognised William's marriage.

William of Normandy, A Chronicle-play

William of Normandy

William of Normandy, the conqueror of England

William of Normandy, an historical novel ...

William of Normandy, An opera in three acts