Once I started on my path though, I began to discover the REAL Normandie countryside, and it's absolutely gorgeous! From what I could see at least, the fog was setting in pretty hard so it gave the landscape a kind of 'the black riders are coming' kind of feel.
I couldn't get as many photos as I would have liked, unfortunately, because of the rain. I just took the camera out of the bag for 3 seconds, spun in a circle, and hit the shutter as many times as I could. It doesn't even scratch the surface of what I've seen out here! Nothing but farms and little villages. Farms for cows, horses, ducks, chickens, and wind. Yep, they've got wind farms up here, and seeing those poke out of the fog scared the crap out of me for a second, they're massive!
Anyhow, my quest was to get as far as Fecamp then head inland, but only made it halfway to Saint-Valery-en-Caux which is a really neat little fishing town, before I started to lose feeling in all limbs. After stumbling into a church for a while in an attempt to get warm, I hobbled my bike to the nearest hotel, hoping they had a room available. I picked the perfect one! Super friendly guys, very quaint traditional cafe, and the room only cost me 29 euros! Given I had to share a bathroom and showertub, but I really didn't care at that point.
The next day, after my petite dejenuer, I put on my layers again and set out for Fecamp. This time I took the highway to get there as fast as I could, nothing to see when you can't see ten feet in front of you! The weather was worse than the day before with the addition of ocean-born wind. I think I got here in the nick of time too, I've never seen fingers and feet so blue.
So I arrived at the door of the hotel I booked this morning, the cheapest one I could find in town, to a note that says they're away, and if its urgent press the blue button. So I pressed the blue button, and three minutes later the friendliest english-speaking lady popped around the corner to let me in and gave me the best welcome I've had in this country yet. She said she'd even do my laundry for me! I proceeded to my room on the top floor and instantly the stress melted away when I saw what was hanging over the bed.
As I sit here writing this blog in my calming yellow room, I'm hoping that the weather starts to clear up as I'm quite obviously not prepared for this amount of precipitation and cold, but I'm here for two days and there's lots to see in this little town, so I'll make the best of it and then take a train inland to Rouen (no more biking for a bit) in hopes that its a little warmer there, or at least drier! Before I head out though, I'll be sure to post some photos of this place, there's a little landmark Mark and any other cocktail enthusiast willl find quite entertaining!
Ta for now!
3 comments:
Ah, to be a Canadian in Normandie... You know Phil that's where the d'Aousts came from (or maybe it was Brittany, but I think not). Also of course the Bourchiers, a good deal earlier. Looking at your pictures, I think that the country I should've gone to was France. Anyway, see if you can find some names like ours! Gosh I envy you! You're my hero; I can't even stand camping in the rain at the KofC campout!
Well, that's kinda sucky that you've been rained out... Arianne and I were both sad when we read that. Not the best of starts to your France trip. I hope that your host with her happy yellow room and Tintin décor managed to brighten up your mood. I imagine it will be a bit drier inland.
Do you think you'll go to Fécamp on your way back up to England? It looks pretty -- I'd never heard of it, so I Googled it and there are some epic cliffs there.
We tore up the backyard on the weekend. The pond and the plum tree are completely gone, and so is... well, everything really. The compost pile, the blackberry, the horseshoe bed in the middle... We put down grass in the middle and put a few flowers in the outside garden beds. It looks a bit different now!
(By the way, when you said you had to share a showertub -- you mean you had to get in there at the same time as someone else? Yuck.)
(Just kidding; I'm not that stupid. Just so you know.)
People who have never traveled/back packed have NO idea how amazing the offer for someone to do laundry is. It's like...someone buying you a new car! Haha
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