Fecamp and Etretat - along the coast of Normandy

After Dieppe we followed the windy roads along the white cliffs towards Fecamp and Etretat.  Up and down, more hairpin turns than in California.  Across farmers’ fields, the gps has an amazing sense of humour.  When you ask for the fastest way, sure enough you go through farmers’ fields to try and bypass the towns.  

Our next stop was the harbour town of Fecamp, again nestled in amongst the white cliffs.  Too think the White Cliffs of Dover have been on my list for eons and here I am on the french side of the channel amazed by how beautiful they are.  Vera Lynn singing The White Cliffs of Dover was part of my heritage.

The town has a long Viking and English history before finally becoming French in 1449.

 There is a 2-tier gigantic harbour.  The upper harbour has a lock system while the lower harbour (below) is at sea-level.

Way down there on the tip are the cliffs of Etretat

 A bustling boardwalk even on this grey but warm day, with lots of cafes for enjoying a coffee or wine.  Children playing, dogs running around.  BTW always watch where you step in France there is no such thing as stoop and scoop and the dogs are just as likely to use the middle of the sidewalk as move over to the side.  And their owners don't even thinking of picking it up.

I had been planning my visit to Etretat for 4 months.   Poor Rachel had to listen to me whine and whine about how I was hoping to sneak my tripod in with my 11 pound laptop, 8 pound camera and my clothes.  My vision was to sit on this beach with my tripod drinking coffee, wine and calvados as the sun set, dashing back and forward with my camera and my tripod.  In the end I was realistic and didn’t take the tripod, but I still had the vision right down to the full hunter super moon appearing on October 16/17 for me.  What more could I ask for.  A fricking battery that was charged might have been nice.  Yep, you got it I showed up at Etretat for my future claim to fame as a photographer and the next great Canadian blogger with no camera other than my phone.  

 The beaches here amongst the cliffs are very like the ones in New Brunswick where the tides are so big, pebbles, lots and lots of pebbles.  Thank goodness we had our hiking shoes on.  

 These pictures are taken at the same time of day, sun shining on one cliff, sun setting on the other cliff.  Next time I come, I need to be able to spend 2 days, not only to get the different light but also to see the changing of the tides.

As much as I love walking around castles and medieval towns, give me the beach and cliffs any day.  I can stare at the water for hours on end.  This is an area that may have to go back on my bucket list.