Cambremer is where apple country begins to show its hand. The village lies in the Pays d'Auge, in the Calvados department of Normandy, a green, rolling land of orchards, hedgerows, half-timbered farmhouses and fat dairy cows, and the roads that wind between them are lined with apple trees. There are only about a thousand people, so it is a small place, with a church, a few shops and the sense of being in no hurry. The surrounding farms are the true attraction, because this is the heart of the Route du Cidre, a signposted trail past dozens of producers who sell cider, pommeau, perry and calvados directly from the farm.
The cider is not the sweet fizzy drink of the English pub. It is a dry, complex, slightly cloudy drink, made from a blend of bitter, sweet and acid apples, often with a gentle sparkle, and the best bottles come from small producers with old orchards. Calvados is the apple brandy distilled from it and aged in oak, and in the Pays d'Auge the spirit is double-distilled, giving it depth. Pommeau, a blend of apple juice and young calvados, is sweet and rich. Of course, a rider should taste with discipline, spit or sip, and buy a bottle to take home.
The region is also famous for cheese, with Camembert, Livarot and Pont-l'Évêque all made within a short distance, and a lunch of cheese, bread, butter and cider is the correct thing here. The half-timbered buildings, called colombages, have walls of oak beams and white or ochre plaster, and many of them are centuries old. In late April and early May, the orchards bloom in white and pink, and in autumn the fruit is picked and the air smells of fermentation.
The riding is about leisure. The lanes are narrow and winding, with high hedges, farm gates and tractors, and it is easy to find yourself on a tiny road with grass down the middle. Take it slowly, because there are cows crossing and mud on the corners after rain. Fuel is not in the village, so top up in Lisieux, thirteen kilometres away, or Dozulé, and expect shops to close at lunch. The weather is mild and often damp, and a waterproof jacket is wise even in summer.