St. Pierre du Port to Norte Dame de Gravenchon: Monet again and away from the coast.

August 1, 2014

The Norman coast is stunning, with its cliffs, narrow inlets, and old fishing villages. It naturally attracted artists from many places, but most notably from Paris, and in increasing numbers as the railways made access from the city easier. Etretat was a favorite destination for Monet, with its famous natural arches carved into the cliffs by wave action. As the village was only about 35 kilometers from St. Pierre, it seemed like a good destination for lunch.

Monet painted the cliffs at Etretat many times, and as with everything else the master painted, it has became a tourist destination because of it. The town itself is very beautiful, with many old buildings in traditional Norman style as well as belle epoch mansions. Unfortunately it can be difficult to see this under the glitz of restaurant signs offering moules (mussels) and galettes (buckwheat crepes stuffed with ham, cheese, and egg). RVs are kept out of town, but the beer trucks are not, so it's also congested with cars, cycles and pedestrians. I took a snap of the arch, than got a galette for lunch. Then it was time to leave the coast and head into the real non- touristy Normandy. The climb out of Etretat was a long gentle one, following the river valley rather than going across it and before I expected it I was rolling along through fields of wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, and buckwheat. It's wheat harvest time, and the tractors and combines are busy. Unfortunately for me, this provokes my allergies to wheat chaff, and I need to keep my medicines close to hand to prevent skin eruptions and sinusitis. But that's secondary to enjoying a calm, flat ride. At Fauville en Caux, I turned south to follow the old roman road, which has been paved to modern standards and goes straight as an arrow for miles. It ends near Notre Dame de Gravenchon, where I found an inexpensive family hotel for the night.

First view of another coastal village, and another descent/climb.

The arch at Etretat, painted many time by Monet. At low tide one can walk under it.

And in the other direction, there's a smaller arch, also accessible at low tide.

Going inland, there are lots of houses with thatched roofs. Notice the plants growing along the ridge top.

Today's ride: 95 km (59 miles)
Total: 360 km (224 miles)

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