Other than the weather, what are some things that we might need to know about this region based on this time of year?? For instance, Is it a good or bad time for touring the cider areas, the cheese areas? Are there any markets or festivals or events that happen in the autumn that we need to know about? Thanks.
E Kelly GA

Temperatures will still be nice in Normandy in mid-September. A good time for anything actually, not just cidre and cheese. There is the American film festival in Deauville in early September and at some time in September there is the Fête de la Crevette in Honfleur. The Normandy tourist office website will give you info about events and festivals although the fall 2014 agenda isn't available yet.

http://www.normandie-tourisme.fr/nor...nts-188-2.html

http://www.aboutnormandy.com/calendar-of/events.htm

Their big festival is the Jeanne d'Arc one but I think it's in May. There is a film festival in Deauville in early September.
http://www.france-voyage.com/events/...festival-9.htm

I don't know of anything seasonal related to the cheese industry, but I think some places close in winter. Here is some info on cheese company tours http://www.normandie-tourisme.fr/art...ert-336-2.html

The President company has a museum and stuff you can visit, but only until end of September, so going before that is definitely a good idea http://www.fermepresident.com/

The Normandie tourisme website above should also have info on cider tours

It would probably be apple-picking time, of course. Maybe the growers would be occupied.

You might be interested in reading the following:

http://iberiantraveler.com/Haute_Normandie.pdf
http://iberiantraveler.com/Basse_Normandie.pdf

The third weekend of September is heritage weekend all over France. It's one of the reasons we like to go to France at that time.

On the Journees du Patrimoine, the public can visit some private chateaux, manor houses, and gardens that open only for this weekend. Also, some places that are usually open to the public will have reduced rates on this weekend, or will add in a behind-the-scenes tour.

The national website gets going in August, but the smaller places aren't listed on that website. You have to check the local tourist office or newspaper to find out what's what.

We've visited the same small part of Normandy for 6 Septembers and still haven't run out of things to see. We've been able to visit over a dozen chateaux and maybe 2 dozen manor houses, as well as churches and some former priories and presbyteres.

Belleme has a famous mushroom festival in the fall, either late September or early October.

There's a music festival throughout the Orne that month.