France - Normandy

I received this wonderful card (with really interesting and unusual stamps!) in a swap from Jerome :) By the way, you can visit his blog and send a postcard or letter to his 6 year-old daughter, who collects stamps from around the world :) Her dad, Jerome, makes donations for Kiva (a project, where you can lend money to people from poor countries so that they can develop their business) for each 50 stamps they receive. I think it's a great idea to help the girl to develop her interest in philately and the people, who need some money to change their lives, so don't hesitate to visit this site: http://untimbreundon.blogspot.com/ :)

This card shows different towns in Normandy region of France. I've been to Etretat and Le Mont Saint-Michel last year. I found both places very beautiful, especially Le Mont Saint-Michel is a real masterpiece of architecture, the view is breathtaking. By the way, Le Mont Saint-Michel and Le Havre are UNESCO sites. I have another card that I bought there and of course I'm going to show it to you as well :)

Normandy (French: Normandie, Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is situated along the coast of France south of the English Channel between Brittany (to the west) and Picardy (to the east) and comprises territory in northern France and the Channel Islands. The territory is divided between French and British sovereignty. The continental territory under French sovereignty covers 30,627 km². It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions: Basse-Normandie and Haute-Normandie. The Channel Islands (referred to as Îles Anglo-Normandes in French) covers 194 km² and comprise 2 bailiwicks: Guernsey and Jersey, both under British rule.

The name of Normandy is derived from the settlement and conquest of the territory by Vikings ("Northmen") from the 9th century, and confirmed by treaty in the 10th century. For a century and a half following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Normandy and England were linked by Norman rulers, but following 1204 the continental territory was ultimately held by France.