Crossing the Channel from Southampton to Havre by night, or from
Newhaven to Dieppe by day, we proceed at once to the town of PONT
AUDEMER, situated about six miles from Quillebeuf and eight from
Honfleur, both on the left bank of the Seine. From Havre, Pont Audemer
may be reached in a few hours, by water, and from Dieppe, Rouen or Paris
there is now railway communication. From Pont Audemer we go to
LISIEUX (by road or railway), from Lisieux to CAEN, BAYEUX and ST. LO,
where the railway ends, and we take the diligence to COUTANCES,
GRANVILLE, and AVRANCHES. After a visit to the island of Mont St.
Michael, we may return (by diligence) by way of MORTAIN, VIRE, and
FALAISE; thence to ROUEN, and by the valley of the Seine, to the
sea-coast.[1]

The whole journey is a short and inexpensive one, and may occupy a
fortnight, a month, or three months (the latter is not too long), and
may be made a simple _voyage de plaisir_, or turned to good account for
artistic study.

But there is one peculiarity about it that should be mentioned at the
outset. The route we have indicated, simple as it seems, and most easily
to be carried out as it would appear, is really rather difficult of
accomplishment, for the one reason that the journey is almost always
made on _cross-roads_. The traveller who follows it will continually
find himself delayed because he is not going to Paris. 'Paris is France'
under the Imperial régime, and at nearly every town or railway station
he will be reminded of the fact; and, if he be not careful, will find
himself and his baggage whisked off to the capital.[2] If he wishes to
see Normandy, and to carry out the idea of a provincial tour in its
integrity, he must resist temptation, _have nothing to do with Paris_,