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Le Mas Normand - Ver-sur-Mer, Normandy

The village of Ver-sur-Mer is next to Gold Beach, one of the famous Normandy landings beaches, and Le Mas Normand itself is just a couple of minutes' stroll from the sea.

Mylène and her husband Christian restored this traditional 18th century farmhouse from a ruin and transformed it into a successful bed & breakfast (though the sundial on the roof is a touch of pure authenticity) now recommended in Alastair Sawday's guides. Two friendly dogs live here too, as well as chickens at the end of the garden. The curious cows at the farm next door are a frequent sight in Normandy, along with apple orchards, providing the milk, cream and apples indispensible to the many regional specialities (anyone for Calvados? Then see 'Local Activities' for orchard visits....) Christian is an expert chef and will cook excellent table d'hôtes dinners if you don't fancy foraging futher afield, but there are plenty of good restaurants nearby. The Bayeux tapestry is good for a cultural outing, or go land sailing if you're more the active type...

Sunset

Mylène moved to Normandy some fifteen years ago from her native Provence. Her sunny southern touches are everywhere, from the lavender soaps in the bathroom to the plants in her garden. Even the little stream running behind Côté Bohème is called 'La Provence,' by a fitting coincidence. A dairy farm occupies the land on the other side of the stream, and the hill opposite the roulotte is covered in what look like grassy terraces: cow paths trodden into the landscape by generations of hooves. Having falling in love with the subtle charms of Normandy, Mylène and her husband Christian set about restoring the 18th century farmhouse, though today you'd never guess it was once a ruin with no windows, doors, water or power. Le Mas Normand is in the lovely seaside village of Ver-sur-Mer. The sea is 300m away and in the village there is a baker, grocer and two small, simple restaurants.

A wonderful wheeled cabin has now been added to the three cosy B&B rooms and is proving very popular with guests looking for a holiday with a Bohemian touch, and with children, who love clambering into the bunk beds and experiencing the novelty of life on wheels. It's not the trundling kind, though: Côté Bohème now lives permanently in the garden, with its own private wooden terrace accessed by several wooden steps. Mylène asked an architect from Trouville, who specialises in moveable structures of every kind, to design her something that blended very naturally with the calm, seaside environment. Though a cousin of the traditional French Gypsy caravan known as the 'roulotte,' it's the only one of its kind and has even been photographed for a design magazine. There is plenty of daylight within, all the many windows have both blinds and curtains so your privacy (and your sleep!) remains intact.

Environmental policy

The honey, apple juice, butter, bread, in fact nearly everything on the breakfast table is either homemade or very local indeed. Much of it is organic. At the end of the beautifully kept garden are chickens who supply the eggs for the B&B.

The paint used to decorate the roulotte is non-toxic water-based paint and is sealed with environmentally-friendly linseed oil.

Spaces at Le Mas Normand

Côté Bohème

Côté Bohème

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