At the Port de la Houle

Lemon juice, au naturel, with a drop of white wine the oysters cancalaises are consumed without moderation.

The ritual: One gobbles, one throws!.

The vestiges of the shells indicate to us how it should be done. Moreover, the imprint of the mollusk is well present here since the port of La Houle was built on oyster shells. We say to ourselves that we are not the first one and undoubtedly not the last one… By raising the eyes, with a clear view, we are lucky to see a marvel, the Mont-Saint-Michel ! We can even observe the inhabitants of Granville in their windows, with of course, a great attention and a good pair of binoculars.

We greet them and we continue our stroll towards the hold of the Window. Its name comes from the rock on which the pier was built during the 19th century. Here we can observe the life of the port. On the other side, which closes the port, it is the hold of the spur, the first hold of the port of La Houle. It is listed as a historical monument since 1995.It is with this framing that the port is drawn, and that the life of the Houle is built. At one time, all the small fishing trades were present in the port of La Houle. Today, the Halle à Marée is converted into an exhibition space.Walking between the two piers at high tide, you can see the sea licking the quays of the Houle, and at low tide, the boats rest on the sand. The landscape is different from one tide to another.Beautiful encounters can be made, the Bisquine Cancalaise sometimes makes anchorage there. This replica of the Perle, a Cancalaise bisquine from 1905, reminds us of a time when 200 bisquines anchored in the port of La Houle.

Another encounter, the dolphins!” The chance to observe them in the harbor, a true moment of supreme wonder. Our friends from the association Al Lark can also embark on their adventure and explain the biodiversity of our coasts.

The fishermen’s quarter, the little back streets…

We go back in time and dive, into the fishermen’s quarter, the little back streets. This leap into the past, grants you a peaceful moment compared to the atmosphere in front of the port. The houses stuck to each other, the little nooks and crannies, the passages… In the past, there were 5 districts in La Houle. Each one had its song, its traditions and its Midsummer fire. And when we had accounts to settle, it was done in the Valley of games. On the facades of the houses, there were many niches for the Virgin Mary, symbol of the Marian cult. The sailors asked for the protection of the Virgin Mary before leaving for sea. On August 15th, the tradition of the ceremony of the resting places continues. It commemorates the union of prayers from a distance, when men who went to sea and their wives who were waiting for them on land, sang the same song at the same time. On this occasion, families set up scenes near their houses with model ships, flowers, offerings… Each one its song, each one its tradition, and like the Scottish clans, the rituals are different according to the families.we rush between two houses then we borrow a staircase which allows you to go up on the Hauts de la Houle. This departmental natural space offers you nature in the heart of the city. Like an oasis in the middle of the desert, a view is offered to us on the roofs of the Houle and on the bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel. We have full of eyes and we go back down on the port, several options are offered to you, and we finish our stroll on a terrace of the port. We look at the pictures that we took during our stroll and we savor the inescapable plate of seafood with view on the port of the Houle.