Bonnebosq is a small village in the rolling heart of the Pays d'Auge, a place of orchards, hedgerows and thick-walled farmhouses, and it is the kind of stop that rewards you for not expecting very much. There is no famous monument here and nothing you have to see. What you get is Normandy at its most ordinary and best: black-and-white Normande cows in damp green fields, apple trees in rows across the hillsides, and half-timbered manors tucked behind banks of hedge and old stone walls.
The roads that link Bonnebosq with Cambremer and Dozulé are narrow, winding lanes, often lined with hedges that block the view on corners. The riding is relaxed, with gentle gradients and a surface that varies from good to patchy. In wet weather, which is common, mud and wet leaves can make the lanes slippery, and tractors regularly appear around blind bends, so keep to a sensible speed and stay alert. Dawn and dusk bring the best light, a soft slanting gold over the orchards. In spring the blossom turns the fields white, and in autumn the apples are gathered and pressed.
This is cider country, and the habit of tasting at the farm gate is strong. Look for signs advertising cidre fermier, farm cider, along the road, and stop if one catches your eye. Pommeau, a blend of apple juice and calvados, is the local aperitif, sweet and surprisingly strong, and a glass with a slice of local cheese makes a very good snack. Calvados itself is aged for years in oak, and the older bottles are for sipping rather than gulping. For a rider, the tasting is best done on foot, or kept for the evening.
Lisieux, about thirteen kilometres away, is the nearest large town and the place to fill up with fuel, buy supplies and see the huge basilica built in the twentieth century in honour of Saint Thérèse, a major pilgrimage site. Smaller villages nearby have bakeries and cafés, though opening hours in rural France are short and many places close for a long lunch and on Mondays. Plan ahead and carry a snack.