Irene and I visited Normandy in 2007. When we visited Arromanches-les-Bains, site of the "mulberry" artificial harbor used to bring supplies ashore, I saw a nice healthy fig tree in the front yard of a home, that was located around the curve from where we parked.

With the improvements of satellite photography since then, I think I have found the tree.

GPS: 49.338914,-0.620798

I see it (Google maps)! That was fun. Did you get cuttings?

I wish I had!  Since Irene speaks French, we probably could have.

I found a picture of the fig tree in Normandy and marked its location on the map.

Fig trees like this are very common in Zone 9 or 10 in Europe, like the coast of France, Spain and all Mediterranean coasts and countries are.

If you don't prune an inground fig tree in these zones, they will be even bigger that in the picture. Except for dwarf varieties, of course!

Didn't you see more similar fig trees in France?

Yes I saw lots of fig trees in France, but not too many in Normandy, which has a  maritime climate like England rather than a Mediterranean climate like Provence.

My climate also is maritime (north coast of Spain), very rainy and cloudy, and there are a lot of big fig trees, like in French Atlantic coast.

The fig trees grow happily here, they have mild temperatures and a lot of water available, they are healthy and leafy. The downside is that late varieties like Coll de Dama, Bourjassote, ... don't ripen well. The figs (the fruit) are not as happy as the trees...

Good point. I had thought Normandy was a harsher climate. I was in Asturias [near Cudillero] in late April, and there were plenty of fig trees around, including in front of the holiday cottage where we stayed.

There is a variety quite widespread in western Normandy especially around Cherbourg called "Violette normande". It matures well its fruits in fall. Cherbourg is the coolest place of France 20°C/68°F for the high average in summer!