A Day in Cabourg (France): On the Trail of Marcel Proust

Any reader of In Search of Lost Time is bound to want to visit the Grand Hôtel de Balbec, or Balbec itself, sooner or later. This dream has stayed with me since I read Within a Budding Grove, where the plot takes place mainly at the Grand Hôtel de Balbec and the surrounding area of Balbec.

Part 1: Travel Journal
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Travel Journal

Balbec is always associated with Cabourg, even though Marcel Proust tried to incorporate elements from other regions to throw people off the scent. And Marcel Proust himself spent several summers at the Grand Hôtel de Cabourg. It’s now a hotel owned by the Accor group, a Mgallery with fairly high rates (it’s a 5-star hotel). To make the bill less painful, and since we’re very flexible, we go during the week when there’s nobody around and rates are lower.

We also have a lot of miles thanks to our American Express cards, plus Gold status with Accorhotels, so we were able to take advantage of the standard perks: an upgrade, two welcome drinks at the bar. And since JB also let the hotel know it was to celebrate my birthday, we got two tickets to the Villa du temps perdu plus two madeleines waiting for us in the room. I couldn’t ask for more: a room with a sea view on the 4th floor. We would have had to pay a lot for an ocean view if we hadn’t been upgraded. I’m truly grateful and happy that I get the same view Marcel Proust had.

The bathroom is so huge they could have added a bathtub without any problem. There’s a “old France” style without being too outdated either. I find the room very large compared to what I imagined. In addition, there’s a sauna (30 minutes/day/person) on our floor.

We’re in room 416, and after asking around, we learned that room 414 is decorated in a special way as in Proust’s time, for hardcore fans. But in reality, Proust was in room 418. When he stayed at the Grand Hôtel, he also rented the two adjacent rooms so noise wouldn’t disturb him, and he deliberately stayed on the top floor (without a balcony) so no one would walk above him.

Everywhere in this hotel there are traces of Proust, from the name of the gourmet restaurant on the ground floor (Le Balbec) to the (delicious) madeleines served at breakfast. Portraits of Proust’s circle in the hotel hallways, panels with quotes from the novel in front of the elevator, in front of the restaurant, and also along the promenade in front of the hotel, the “Marcel Proust” promenade as well as the trash cans on the promenade. Unfortunately, during the week, the gourmet restaurant is closed, so we won’t get that famous “aquarium” effect described in the novel.

Excerpts from the graphic novels by Stéphane Heuet and Chloé Cruchaudet

Equipped with my bag bought at Gallimard “In Search of Lost Time” and my Pléiade Volume II, I tour the hotel and around Cabourg.

The casino right next door is very disappointing and I can’t figure out how to get there directly without leaving the hotel. No trace of the dance floor where the narrator discovers Albertine is a lesbian. However, the promenade, the beach… look exactly as I imagined Balbec.

At the Villa du temps retrouvé, nothing special except a statue of Marcel Proust in the garden, a deluxe edition with lots of paper scraps, a few letters sent by Marcel Proust… and an exhibition on Jules Verne. I’m glad we got free entry tickets from the hotel because this museum is a bit disappointing. I found Illiers-Combray more interesting, more comprehensive.

It’s pouring rain and we take refuge again in the Grand Hôtel, at the bar where we enjoy the “temps trouvé” cocktail and some non-alcoholic cocktail. The 3 mini madeleines (still delicious) are on the house.

Dinner goes wonderfully well at the restaurant Le Baligan where I take advantage of the proximity to the ocean to enjoy the first oysters of the season. I also really like their fish sauerkraut.

We would have liked to leave the window open to hear the waves, but the light in the room attracts a swarm of insects. The next day, we fully enjoy breakfast (with madeleines, of course) and eggs prepared by the chef. The only thing missing is a Mademoiselle de Stermaria and windows you can open from the inside.

No late check-out today because the hotel is booked out by a group of vintage car enthusiasts. On that note, we leave Cabourg in the rain.

Part 2: Practical Tips

• Grand Hôtel de Cabourg: from 250 euros/night, breakfast 30 euros/person (Booking link)
• You can earn miles just by requesting your American Express card for free and get the equivalent of 80 euros off your hotel (learn more here)