The fine Normandy port of Granville is one of the best locations in Europe from which to witness the glorious inevitability of sunset. With a clear horizon in May, dozens of spectators climb to the terrace that runs high above the rocky shore. I am glad to have witnessed the event on Wednesday, despite the non-cooperation of SNCF – French Railways. I am on a trip through Brittany and Normandy, from the Breton capital Rennes to the chic Norman resort of Deauville. Possibly like you, I believe the best way to travel through France – and any other big country – is by train. You glide past ever-changing landscapes, thread through sun-bleached villages and invariably seem to wind up in a handsome 19th-century city station. Yet the fact that I reached Granville in time to see the day dwindle was only because a kindly French businesswoman named Marie picked me up in the town of Avranches, 15 miles away. Yes, I know that any fool can find French train times online.…