‘Immortalised by Monet’: the enduring seaside charm of Trouville, Normandy

Trouville’s shoreline is lined with distinctive palatial mansions. Photograph: RossHelen/Getty Images

I get the feeling that the world divides into two very different halves as my two-hour train from Paris pulls into the splendid half-timbered station of Trouville-Deauville, with holidaymakers either turning left towards chic, luxurious Deauville, the Saint-Tropez of Normandy, or branching right, across the Touques River, to Trouville-sur-Mer, a more historic, easy-going destination.