Hotels

Le Manoir d'Hastings also rent rooms.

A Proustian Remembrance of "Balbec" -- Torn from the pages of Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past, the resort of "Balbec" was really Cabourg, 24km (15 miles) northeast of Caen. Fans still come to this Second Empire resort, much of which looks as it did in the Belle Epoque. Guests can check into the 1907 Grand Hotel, promenade Marcel Proust, 14390 Cabourg (tel. 02-31-91-01-79; fax 02-31-24-03-20; www.grandhotel-cabourg.com), a holdover from the opulent days of the 19th century. One room, "La Chambre Marcel Proust," has been restored from a description in Remembrance. A double costs from 150€ to 296€ ($195-$385), with a suite going for 350€ to 610€ ($455-$793).