EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

DIVES , the port from which William the Conqueror sailed for Hastings, is another 3km west from Houlgate, though like Honfleur it's now pushed well back from the sea. A lively Saturday market focuses around the ancient oak halles , whose steep tiled roof must be five times the height of its walls; on market days, it's crammed with mouthwatering delicacies and Norman specialities. Dives is also home to an inexpensive hotel , the Hôtel de la Gare at 10 pace Trefouet (tel 02.31.91.24.52; 160-220F/¬24-34; closed Dec & Jan).

At the much newer town of CABOURG , across the mouth of the Dives river, the fin-de-siècle streets of the town centre fan out in perfect symmetry from what must be the straightest promenade in France, with semi-circular avenues linking them together. The resort, contemporary with Deauville, seems to be stuck in the nineteenth century - immobilized by Proust, perhaps, who wrote for a while in the Grand Hôtel , one of an outrageous ensemble of buildings around the Jardins du Casino . The tourist office in the Jardins du Casino has full details on hotels (July & Aug daily 9.30am-7pm; rest of year Mon-Sat 9.30am-12.30pm & 2-6.30pm, Sun 10am-12.30pm & 2.30-6pm; tel 02.31.91.20.00, www.cabourg.net ). A pleasant place to stay and eat is L'Oie qui Fume , 18 av de la Brèche-Buhot (tel 02.31.91.27.79; 220-300F/¬34-46; closed Jan to mid-Feb, plus Mon evening, Tues & Wed in low season), 100m back from the sea on a quiet road half a dozen streets west of the centre; its 138F/¬21.04 menu features goose ( oie ) as either starter or main course.