ITINERY 5 : Morsalines and Saint Vaast La Hougue.

There is so much to see and do just around Morsalines that we decided it would be remiss of us if we did not include one local itinery. So here goes:

1^st stop (around 10:00) will be St Vaast itself:

We will set off from Morsalines at about 8:30/9:00am by foot and follow the coastal path into St Vaast roughly an hour but might be a bit longer if we stop along the way to take some scenic photos. You will have a lovely view of La Hougue or more accurately The Fort de la Hougue, also called the Tour Vauban.

The building of this fortification/tower was started in 1694 according to the plans of Vauban and under the direction of Benjamin de Combes (a student of Vauban) and together with the fort on Tatihou Island (more about this in the 3^rd stop), it was intended to defend the bay of Saint-Vaast-La-Hougue. The 2 towers line up and thus enabled crossfire between the two. The fortification was decommissioned in the middle of the 19th century but the remaining military installations were redeveloped under German occupation in the 1940s and then at the end of the war permanently decommissioned.

LA Hougue was classified as a historical monument in 1929 and the tower was classified as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008, as was the similar tower on Tatihou Island. It is possible to walk around La Hougue which is lovely weather permitting and also possible to visit the interior of the tower. We may be able to fit this in today but depends on what else we decide to do.

Once we arrive at St Vaast, we will stop for coffee and croissants before deciding on next steps.

2^nd stop (around 10:30) will be a visit to La Maison Gosselin:

After wondering around the town we will head for Maison Gosselin - started in 1889 by Clovis Gosselin and now run by the 5^th generation of the Gosselin family, the shop is a treasure trove and just beautiful. It has a significant wine cellar, roasts its own coffee beans and is just a joy to wander through. Should we decide that our 3^rd stop will be a trip to Tatihou Island it would be a good idea to buy some picnic provisions from Mr Gosselin before we set off.

3^rd stop (around 11:30) will be a boat trip out to Tatihou Island:

Today, the island is a protected natural site (28 hectares) dominated by the Vauban tower and its fortifications. Its name is of Viking origin and means land surrounded by water. The island is an ornithological reserve with very rich maritime fauna and flora, you can discover more than 150 species of birds, insects and sometimes even rare visitors such as dolphins or seals. In addition, you can explore the 3 thematic gardens, an old lazaret, a fort, the Vauban Tower (a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2008) and a maritime museum.

The island is reached by an amphibious boat - at low tide, it drives between oyster beds and at high tide, it sails into Saint-Vaast or if the tides are just right and you have plenty of time it can be reached on foot. Every year, in August, the festival "Les traversées de Tatihou", brings together lovers of walking and world music. It is a must-see world music festival in Normandy. All meet on the island to listen to concerts until the end of the night and then come back on foot at low tide, in the early morning.

We will need to purchase an entry ticket (E11.50) beforehand and reserve a crossing slot on the amphibious boat so timings here may vary. Access to the island is only allowed from May to November so if visiting at another time we will substitute another outing here e.g. the walk around La Hougue.

4^th stop (around 15:300) will be a visit to some of Morsalines D’Day memories:

Having enjoyed our walk around Tatihou, we will now relax and drive to some of the D’Day sites in and around Morsalines. An idea of what we will cover is as follows:

· La Pernelle – located 123m above sea level, offers an exceptional panorama of the north-east coast of the Cotentin, from the lighthouse of Gatteville to Saint Vaast, Saint Marcouf islands as well as Tatihou and La Hougue. A quick visit to the cave of La Pernelle, dug in the late 1920s and modelled on that of Lourdes and housing a statue of our Lady of Lourdes is the site of an annual popular pilgrimage in August

· Crasville battery, coded Stp 142 by the Germans, also consists of several other constructions, including shelters for personnel, ammunition bunkers, a water reserve as well as a location for 20mm anti-aircraft gun On June 6, 1944, the Allies landed on the beach 20 km away. south of the position of the guns, and as they found themselves too far from the place of landing, they were dismantled and sent to the Battery at St Marcouf. In June 1944, the battery was commanded by Oberleutnant (lieutenant) Franz Kerber.

· Morsalines Battery, coded Stp 141 by the Germans, is located a hundred meters southwest of the village of Morsalines, on the heights overlooking the coast. It is one of the oldest batteries of the Atlantic Wall in Normandy whose construction work began in 1941.

· La Redoute Beach, we will end the day with a walk along this beach. At low tide the oyster beds can be seen clearly, the remains of a gun placement can also be seen clearly and the late rays of sun on La Hougue can make for spectacular photos.

Once we have had our fill it is back to home for a bit of rest and relaxation before going back to St Vaast or La Pernelle for a lovely evening meal.