Glimpses of Cherbourg ferry terminal, snatched through dusty car windscreens, do little to encourage further exploration. For those who decide to linger, this accessible yet often overlooked destination of Cherbourg and its surrounding countryside, the Cotentin Peninsula, provide an unexpected pleasure for visitors to France.
The French town of Cherbourg on the Normandy coast is no great beauty with its working port and industrial baggage. Possessing an air of no-nonsense reality, it earns a living for its inhabitants while catering for their love of the good life with a wealth of restaurants and bars. As the bells of L’Eglise de la Trinité mark each quarter with a sonorous ‘dong’ (though thankfully not between midnight and dawn) and the cross-channel ferries trumpet their arrival, Cherbourg breathes with a gentle rhythm of work and play.
Set back from the harbour, the town of Cherbourg radiates from a central square dominated by the ornate façade of the old theatre, which boasts intricately painted ceilings and drips with huge crystal chandeliers. While cars buzz impatiently around the ring road, the inner maze of streets is packed with stylish boutiques and fresh-food sellers. With so much on offer, the obligatory gifts for family and friends can be wrapped up in time for lunch – a huge crab, succulent in its brick-red shell, fresh mayonnaise and a bottle of chilled muscadet make the perfect treat.
