Le Bec Hellouin Sorry the Update from Here Is Rather Tardy As No

Le Bec Hellouin

Sorry the update from here is rather tardy as no weeeefeee because their mast blew down!

We are adopting Barbara's motto 'adventure before dementia' although we fear it may be too late! Nicki has maintained and even improved the amazing quality and colour of her assorted bruises by hurling herself on the ground outside one of the churches in Pont Audemer today. The grazed and swollen knees and shins now go with the 'oops I slipped off the bike pedal', 'oops I didn't quite realise that the camber left me without anything under the bike', the 'oops this bedroom isn't quite big enough to accommodate my dancing skills' or 'eeeeek where on earth did that one come from?' bruises. We have enjoyed Le Bec Hellouin and Pont Audemer (both boasting that they are France's loveliest villages which seems accurate) but are making little forward progress. Hey who cares? We cycled to Harcourt yesterday where there is a fabulous chateau and arboretum and enjoyed several hours searching for special trees (adventure before dementia?). Prior to that we did a monster 48 mile ride round the Marais Vernier and the Thatched Cottage route. Absolutely delightful and although we have no intention whatsoever of succumbing to Normandy's charms, we do look in all the estate agent windows and marvel at the properties (and their prices). Seriously, it looks as if most of Normandy is up for sale, loads of houses, land and so many bars and cafes that it has frequently been impossible to find any type of drink in the middle of the day.

We have had lots of emails and thank you everyone although just sorry our internetting is so erratic ... at the last campsite they had no wifi because their mast blew down in the storms. We are getting used to requesting weefee as our language skills improve ... gotta go – come and visitez soon!

Le Bec Hellouin – one of the most beautiful of France’s villages

7 May 2015 – Harcourt

Another day out on the bikes … we picked up the green bicycling route to Harcourt via a ‘belly busters’ under a viaduct … very bizarre but perfect for some refreshment and nourishment in the sunshine … Harcourt was amazing with a wonderful chateau and arboretum. And on the cycle ride home we stopped at Brionne where we had a drink in the square … our days are just perfect!

More amazing places – 8 May 2015

(1) Note from Nicki: when this happened, Chris rushed over and picked up the camera (which had gone flying) and then proceeded to take a photo of me on the floor and announce ‘well the camera is not damaged’. It’s ok Chris – I am alright.

Pont Audemer

The life of Old Monro …

Eggistentialism is no yolk!

The spirit of Matisse lives on and joined us for breakfast creating an intertwined couple in the egg white! Great to have company!

It’s hard to believe that four weeks has elapsed since we deserted the windy and cloudy Normandy coast, taking refuge a few miles inland. However, last Thursday, we returned to the coast at Honfleur. Here are some excerpts of Nicki’s diary for what has been our quiet period.

Camping in the grounds of a chateau - Brevedent …

So this is what happens when you get up before midday …

Cormeilles is a most delightful town where we spent loads of money on gorgeous gourmet 'stuff'; the town was actually open as we were there early enough and our support of the greengrocer, the poissonnerie, the patisserie and the charcuterie not only significantly increased their income but probably also France’s GDP!

Generally, we have been horribly slow in the mornings and consequently by the time we arrive anywhere for anything, it is the French equivalent of siesta time which seems to be a bit of a moveable feast (they must see us coming). One day Chris didn’t get up until so late that we eventually got out at about 2.45pm (albeit that I did take rather a long time doing kedgeree for the first time on the induction hob for lunch). Our afternoon bike ride consisted of going round in small circles because we couldn’t make up our mind where we were going / didn’t realise that the bar was shut until 4.30 on our second circle of the town, and the chateau, to which Chris spotted signs, turned out to be about fifteen rough-hewn stones that hadn’t actually crumbled over the millennium!

Record breaking riding …

The ride to Lisieux was glorious and we took in some beautiful countryside in the sunshine. There are a lot of birds to be heard and meadows to be seen and it was all very perfect. We had coffee in the town sunshine before starting to explore the town, which is a variety of old and new, beautiful and ugly but the Basilica was the highlight of the visit and was amazing. During the ride back to our campsite I reached 38mph (latest record) going downhill with a good following wind and casually asked Chris what my terminal velocity would be. He replied zero ... eventually I realised this would be the point at which I ended up in a hedge – not funny at all! The drink must be strong at Blangy le Chateau where we stopped for a swiftie on our way home as we spotted camels and llamas on the ride back to camp! Not really the beer and wine goggles working but a circus camping nearby! The campsite is in the grounds of a chateau and we are pitched beside the lake overlooking the ‘big house’ and our evening barbeque was glorious, sitting in sunshine enjoying the lake and the birdies and ducks and fish. I probably wouldn’t like it here later in the year because there are about a gazillion tadpoles in the lake which, presumably, might – no will – turn out to be not my most favourite things (anyone who knows the frog stories from Inchmery will understand). Although they do have nice legs. Just like Chris who is looking very athletic at the moment. The miles of cycling have made absolutely no difference to my waist / bum although my legs are now a bit brown … I am telling myself that but they might also be a bit sort of ‘windburnt’ like that funny red / blue colour they used to go when we were forced to run round the sport's pitch in February at school!

Lisieux basilica

Lisieux

Star recommendation …

Lunch at the most amazing restaurant garden at Pierrefitte en Auge on our way to Cahagnoles via Ouilly le Vicomte chateau which was exquisite. Funnily enough, whilst perusing a glossy tourist brochure they were featured with a star recipe … ‘Camembert AOC cuit au four au pommeau, salade’ mmmm!

Auberge des deux Tonneaux

The village and view from our table

Surprise … our first guest!!!

Although we have / had trouble with lack of internet access, an email did get through to announce that our lovely friend Becky was visiting France, from Kentucky a few days later. To cut a long story short, we did meet her with her friends, in Bayeux, where we enjoyed a marvellous afternoon seeing the tapestries, getting drenched in torrential rain, exploring Bayeux with soggy shoes and having the odd glass of vino and a fabulous meal before leaving the American party and making a mad dash back to camp before their curfew when gates are locked and we would be locked out. Chris ‘Button’ Monro succeeded Bayeux Becky … and Chris in getting us back inside with 13 minutes to spare leaving a trail of sonic booms along his trail …

Views of Bayeux (above and below)

Best campsite?

A fabulous municipal spot in Pont Farcy which was only a two star campsite but I think is my favourite - we don't need much and we were right on the river and they had brilliant showers ... who needs more? The previous one had every facility known to man but the electricity was a bit dodgy as were the dog owners (what is poop scoop in French?) and the child owners (do you always leave your children at the bar unsupervised and annoying other bar users who have more serious plans for the evening) so rather left a certain amount to be desired. However Chris almost got revenge mowing down a few of their rose Municipal campsite at Pont Farcy bushes (they jumped out of the way just in time!) as we tried to manoeuvre in and out of the 'service' area. Why on a campsite the size of a small airfield are the showers and the 'service' areas built for extremely small people with their Corgi or Dinky vehicles? We see campsite adverts boasting such pitch sizes that you can almost play a football match outside your motor home but they mention nothing about the fact that you need to be a contortionist to shower, dry and dress without getting everything soaked or risking dislocation.

Best campsite the morning after – after being rudely awakened by Madame de Camping pour les argents (and obviously then leaving home at a very respectable time) we did the Route des Gorges de la Vire on our bikes; perhaps not as geologically dramatic as we had imagined but it was a wonderful day with fantastic views, great downhill slopes and horrible uphill ones (even with our motors) and we only got lost a bit at the end before finding the rather – erm unusual – Grotte de Bodion!

Our ever changing garden …

Today at Pont d'Ouilly we look out over a river and are greeted by a field of buttercups climbing to and beyond the horizon … ok sounds rather dramatic but we are in Swiss Normandy where the hills are definitely alive … Suffering dreadful downpours, but dressed for it, we cycled to Roche d'Oetre for glorious views across the Rouvre and Orme valleys; we met a lovely farmer who laughed with us trying to find out what French was for rainbow (we eventually made ourselves clear but promptly forgot what French is for rainbow – now found out it’s l’arc-en-ciel) and ended the day with a glass of wine

and a beer at the local bar where we laughed again with the madame de maison about wind, sun and rain ... in equal quantities and sometimes all at the same time ... our day was spent in turbo going up hills or in freewheel at tremendous speed going down ... a day of extremes! Well a few of our favourite things? Sunshine, cycling, beautiful views and the end of day reward for such hard work!

Pretty miserable n’est-ce pas?

Back to the coast …

Cross country exploring including the most beautiful French village of Beuvron en Auge which was even more idyllic than promised; sadly the aire here is limited to 24 hours, so another day saw us driving through wonderful countryside on our way to the seaside, pitching up about two miles from Honfleur which is a most perfect harbour town where the Seine meets the channel ... very lovely indeed.

Various faces of Beuvron …

You can take the girl out of the town but …

A spontaneous (late) decision to visit Le Havre gave us the opportunity to cross le pont de Normandy and to witness the post-war rebuild of the town, including the impressive St Joseph’s church. How exciting to be in a city! Concrete and pavements, miles of walking, sightseeing, people watching … we even went to the museum of modern art (MuMa) … it was exhausting!

Bridge to Le Havre

Above – St Joseph’s Church – the ‘lantern’ tower is 107m high … and from the inside you could be looking out to the edges of the universe … and below back on the ground for views around Le Havre

Sun sea and sand …

This is our foreseeable future as we start our journey west and we are currently spending a few days visiting Trouville, Deauville, Equamauville … and all seaside places on the coast round Normandy and Brittany.

Villers-sur-mer, Trouville and Deauville; miles of golden sand, some very weird cliffs and nice shopping and drinking centres. Also got very worrying wobbles on both bikes sorted, ready to go further afield tomorrow.

The architecture in Trouville/Deauville was stunning 'Belle Epoch' with the most beautiful houses of that period. How elegant it must have been to live at that time in such places. The fish market in Trouville was particularly impressive (and mouth-watering) with the most fabulous arrays of the most perfectly arranged selection of just about any variety of 'prawn' you can imagine. And not only crustaceans … also a lot of tarts!

Trouville king prawns

Honfleur tarts

Around Honfleur

The towns from Honfleur to Villers-sur-mer were the liveliest seen so far but, as the season gets underway, we decided to go inland a little and have settled in a superb campsite, Les Haute Couture, right up our street, the great fashionistas that we are. So appropriate, we might stay for a while, having given up all plans to be out of Normandy by the end of May.

Deauville with its amazing Bavent finials …

In fact, these fabulous finials adorn the more ornate villas of all these coastal towns stating the owner’s business, calling on fables, making political points or just to look gorgeous!

Deauville

Trouville

Could you ever buy a more beautiful box of tomatoes?

One of my favourite sculptures – In the Jardin du Tripot by Annick Leroy in 2013 (Honfleur)

Postcard from Dives-sur-Mer

The Pottery at Mesnil Bavent

This is a fabulous way to spend a couple of hours looking around the potteries … Inchmery Road may not have seen anything like it (but if I get my way it will someday). An absolute delight!

Model (left) and finished model (right)

Back in Blighty…

So we now have a new government with a majority – endless hours talking about coalitions, minorities etc etc and then they get it wrong! I am sure our votes would have made a complete difference! Yes we followed the results of the voting with almost more enthusiasm than watching paint dry. Equally fascinating is the postmortem on why they got it so badly wrong. We are thinking of you all and sending beaucoup d’amour.

25 May 2015

Holiday or Life?

Our local highway

9 June 2015 – OK, OK, I give in………. It is a holiday. I keep saying it isn’t, it’s just life, but we are told that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is, so it must just be a holiday.

Our two weeks at Les Hautes Coutures, just two miles inland from Ouistreham on the L’Orne estuary, and about 400 yards from the Pegasus Bridge, famous for the D- Day (J-Jour) landings, is almost at an end and we prepare for our next push which is into La Manche and probably signifies the end of our Normandy explorations (although this could take another month!), so a quick update before we go off the grid again.

The campsite has been one of the best, although it was fairly busy due to all the D- Day celebrations. A huge amount of sunshine significantly enhanced the pleasure. The Gondree café despite, or because of, its fame provided the worst and the most expensive coffee. Everything else has been splendid, especially the myriad of cycle routes. We have now done justice to the Normandy coastline from Le Treport to Langrune-a-mer and we still have a bit to see, on our way to La Manche.

Nicki’s research into Brittany suggests that we will need at least two months*, so our outline plan is now to spend time with Philippa and John in the area of Malestroit and then after our time back in England (early in August) to meet with Lucy and John wherever they favour and Carol and Colville, somewhere else in Brittany before making tracks for the south of Spain. We will then return to France, next year, for all the bits we will have missed.

Church windows at Montebourg (left) and general scenes (below)

Notre-Dame de l’etoile Abbey … where legend has it that Friar Roger saw a star falling from the sky which told him where to build an abbey during the time of William the Conqueror …

Best wishes to everyone, enjoy the summer and we will, no doubt, see some of you early in August.

Note from Nicki: *Two months??? This would be our whistle stop itinerary!

We will be unconnected for a while now as we move round La Manche with no real plans but will be thinking of everyone and will write again when we get another ‘fixed’ abode … a final thought as we enjoy ‘the summer’ is that I still haven’t paddled! We had an outing yesterday to include a trip to the seaside with this specifically in mind but when we got there the sandstorm was so strong that we feared being exfoliated to death … so we settled for moules and frites and a carafe of rosé … gosh life is tough!!!