The Cider Route

How does an afternoon of apple picking and cider tasting in the French countryside sound? Rather delicious, I would think!

On the way back from Normandy, we drove via the Cider Route - a short and picturesque drive that circles around the adorable town of Cambremer (not to be confused with my all time favourite cheese, Camembert, which is also a nearby town). It was a bit gloomy for a Spring day, but the air was fresh and crisp as we drove with our windows down, passing by apple orchards and the cutest little farm houses along the way.

I was so pleased that we stopped by Manoir de Grandouet. It was everything you would expect from a French country home - the family's young kids were chasing chickens around the property, ducks were bobbing up and down in the pond, and of course, there was cider and calvados! After some generous tastings, we jumped back in the car with two dozen bottles of sparkling cider to take home.

A big thank you to Gigi for lending us her car for the weekend, and Naheema for volunteering to drive us home after all that cider...!

The Cider Route

The Cider Route is a 40km marked tourist drive through the picturesque area of the Pays d'Auge, to the east of Caen. The route takes you to the heart of the Pays d'Auge to discover cider, calvados and pommeau producers in a setting adorned with apple orchards and half-timbered houses.

Some producers are open for visits by appointment, whereas others are open all year round, such as Calvados Dupont and the Manoir de Grandouet.