
IN AND OUT OF THREE NORMANDY INNS - BY - ANNA BOWMAN DODD
TO EDMUND CLARENCE STEDMAN.
VILLERVILLE. - I. A LANDING ON THE COAST OF FRANCE II. A SPRING DRIVE III. FROM AN INN WINDOW IV. OUT ON A MUSSEL-BED V. THE VILLAGE VI. A PAGAN COBBLER VII. SOME NORMAN LANDLADIES VIII. THE QUARTIER LATIN ON THE BEACH IX. A NORMAN HOUSEHOLD X. ERNESTINE - ALONG AN OLD POST-ROAD. - XI. TO AN OLD MANOIR XII. A NORMAN CURE XIII. HONFLEUR—NEW AND OLD - DIVES. - XIV. A COAST DRIVE XV. GUILLAUME-LE-CONQUERANT XVI. THE GREEN BENCH XVII. THE WORLD THAT CAME TO DIVES XVIII. THE CONVERSATION OF PATRIOTS XIX. IN LA CHAMBRE DES MARMOUSETS - TWO BANQUETS AT DIVES. - XX. A SEVENTEENTH CENTURY REVIVAL XXI. THE AFTER-DINNER TALK OF THREE GREAT LADIES XXII. A NINETEENTH CENTURY BREAKFAST - A LITTLE JOURNEY ALONG THE COAST. - XXIII. A NIGHT IN A CAEN ATTIC XXIV. A DAY AT BAYEUX AND ST. LO XXV. A DINNER AT COUTANCES XXVI. A SCENE IN A NORMAN COURT XXVII. THE FETE-DIEU—A JUNE CHRISTMAS XXVIII. BY LAND TO MONT ST. MICHEL - MONT ST. MICHEL. - XXIX. BY SEA TO THE POULARD INN XXX. THE PILGRIMS AND THE SHRINE—AN HISTORICAL OMELETTE - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - GUILLAUME-LE-CONQUERANT—DIVES A VILLAGE STREET—VILLERVILLE ON THE BEACH—VILLERVILLE A SALE OF MUSSELS—VILLERVILLE A VILLERVILLE FISH-WIFE A DEPARTURE—VILLERVILLE THE INN AT DIVES—GUILLAUME-LE-CONQUERANT CHAMBRE DE LA PUCELLE—DIVES CHAMBRE DES MARMOUSETS—DIVES MADAME DE SÉVIGNÉ CHAMBRE DE LA PUCELLE—DIVES CHATEAU FONTAINE LE HENRI, NEAR CAEN AN EXCITING MOMENT—A COUTANCES INTERIOR A STREET IN COUTANCES—EGLISE SAINT-PIERRE MONT SAINT MICHEL MONT SAINT MICHEL SNAIL-GATHERERS - VILLERVILLE. - AN INN BY THE SEA. - CHAPTER I. - A LANDING ON THE COAST OF FRANCE.
CHAPTER II. - A SPRING DRIVE.
CHAPTER III. - FROM AN INN WINDOW.
CHAPTER IV. - OUT ON A MUSSEL-BED.
CHAPTER V. - THE VILLAGE.
CHAPTER VI. - A PAGAN COBBLER.
CHAPTER VII. - SOME NORMAN LANDLADIES.
CHAPTER VIII. - THE QUARTIER LATIN ON THE BEACH.
In this warmly detailed travelogue the narrator steps off the Havre quays into the charming coastal village of Villerville, where sinuous streets, dwarf‑size shops and a seaside inn hug the cliffs. The prose paints vivid pictures of rose‑arched arches, olive groves and the row of nineteenth‑century villas that frame the bay, inviting the listener to hear the surf and the murmurs of a bustling market. From the first night, the arrival itself feels like a small adventure, as locals offer a uniquely French welcome that flirts with curiosity and gentle teasing.
The inn itself becomes a stage for colorful characters—a talkative merchant, a shy blonde traveler, and a shrewd hostess whose eyes seem to measure every newcomer. Their dialogues blend humor with keen observations about English visitors, local customs, and the tide‑washed life of fishermen, creating a lively portrait of Norman hospitality. As the narrator sets out on a spring drive beyond the village, listeners are beckoned toward a series of picturesque stops—mussel beds, rustic farms, and historic chapels—promising more stories of ordinary people and timeless landscapes.
Language
en
Duration
~9 hours (540K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2005-04-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1855–1929
A lively American writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, she moved easily between satire, travel writing, biography, and fiction. Her best-known work imagines a mechanized future society, showing a sharp eye for both modern progress and its absurdities.
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