Normandy by the SeaÂ
I’ve needed a break from Paris for a bit now. How can that be? In my fantasies, I never imagined I’d tire of the City of Light with all her culture, her poise, her beauty. But lately all the noise, hustle and pollution has seemed to be too much for me. I was getting pretty edgy for a breather and had a long weekend coming up.
After consulting with a team of French coworkers and an American friend who is a seasoned traveler, a destination was picked - Etretat, a small coastal town in the upper (Haute) Normandy region in northern France. I hesitated to leave once I saw the weather report. Rain. Ugh. A colleague advised me to pick another weekend. And I thought about another weekend spent fighting traffic in Paris. When my American friend was quick to suggest that I not let a little rain deter me from my travels I was off and running.
I decided on a short getaway so I could first have some relaxing time at home to decompress from the week. Then I would leave early Sunday morning and return to Paris on Monday. I purchased my train ticket and soon was on my way to the city of Le Havre, beachy and beautiful in its own right, and then an hour bus ride to Etretat. The bus deposited me in front of City Hall and off I went to seek out some lunch. Typical of the Normandy/Brittany region, I had a savory sarrasin crepe with egg, cheese and mushroom. I love that type of crepe. My favorite parts are the brown crispy edges and the look of the little air pockets that burst into holes when cooked. Food and refreshments are, in my opinion, an essential part of a good trip and an excellent way to get the ball rolling. I was off to a good start.
Then to my hotel. I highly recommend where I stayed at Hotel la RĂ©sidence. My room boasted a shower and thankfully a very clean bathroom. The sheets were pretty stripes of red, hot pink and purple. I made myself at home by unpacking my toiletries on the table, putting my pajamas under my pillow and setting up my little iPod stereo for ambiance and company.
Off I went to adventure with my camera, sketchbook, markers and journal in tow. I first headed out to the beach, about a five minute walk from my hotel. A coastal city nestled between two magnificent, chalky white cliffs (called a “falaise”) topped with bright, lush green grass; Etretat is quite the picturesque getaway. It’s tough to say if the sprawling cliffs or the aqua/green ocean was more captivating.
I hiked up the Falaises d’Aval on Sunday, well known for a natural arch just off the coast, as well as what is called l’Aiguille (the needle) for the rock that is shaped in to a point and stands on its own in the water. It’s quite a steep hike but do-able, even for the girl ahead of me in high heels. (I reached deep within to consider why on earth she might think they were a reasonable pair of shoes to wear but I couldn’t come up with much of an answer as my feet are comfort whores and I brazenly trekked around in my Sauconys… maybe she accidentally left her tennies at home…?)
It was a beautiful view and I wandered around the cliff to see the magnificence from many angles. Seagulls dashed in and out of the water, sailing high into the air and then swooping down on the cliff far too close to us humans. I sat down on a grassy patch once I reached the top and watched the gentle waves rolling in and out. I looked up again at the bird and suddenly a shooting burst of whiteness was sent flying from a seagull tush! Landing about five inches from me, I thanked my lucky stars I hadn’t been pelted and decided it was time to head back to the hotel, have some dinner and call it an early night.
Monday’s cliff hiking adventures were, gratefully, less risky with the birds. This time I climbed up Falaises d’Amont which is the northern cliff that snuggles next to Etretat. The wind was strong and it pushed me around once I made it to the top. I asked a fellow traveler to take a photo of me (the endless quest of those travelling alone) and he kindly took a few shots. Each has comic value – one where my shirt has somehow scootched up, turning into an unexpectedly bare midriff shot; one where I’m squinty and looking confused; and my favorite, where the wind was so fierce that it whipped my hair up in the air and my scarf in my face so I’m all covered up. I think the third one takes the cake.
I mosied around and saw stairs that headed down, down, down to the nearly the water’s edge. Imagining myself a daring type, I took the challenge (reminding myself I’d have to make my way back up, up, up.) it was pretty isolated on the way down, only three people crossed my path. Descending many very windy stairs, I made it to a rock just up from the water. To my surprise and confusion there was a nearby ladder that descended into the freezing water. Who is going to need that? I pulled out my journal to chronicle some of my musings and adventures. I felt so peaceful as I sat looking at the great expanse of ocean and majesty of nature. I was tucked away next to a break in the cliff and could look to my right at the length of the continuation of it. I heard the rushing waters rumbling around the pebbled shore and the cloud layer above set a serious tone in their billowing, puffed up, grey tones. The winds continued to howl but I safely settled on my little rock next to the break in the cliff that sheltered me from its force.
It was time to head back. There was time to check out of my hotel and get a bite for lunch. I let myself drift around until I saw a restaurant that really called my name. It was the posies in test tubes hanging in the window that caught my eye and knew I’d found my place. Dark wood floors, hot pink and lime trim – I fell in love. I sat at a table next to the window, next to the posies. The server, who I think was the owner, came by to take my order. I was full of delight at their menu, at the look of the restaurant, the coziness and charm of it all. Asking in customary French style if I would be having wine with lunch, I hadn’t planned on wine but found myself asking if he could make a recommendation. With a gleam in his eye and an eager smile, he said he had just the wine for me and I was going to love it.
My beautiful meal arrived of salad, a variety of four cheeses, braised potatoes baked in a fiery wood burning oven served with chives and some ridiculously delicious cream based sauce, and of course the wine. Not having asked me my preferences in wines, I was excited to try what he proposed. It was fantastic. Other than saying it was a red wine, I can’t think of more to say other than I loved it. It went seamlessly with the meal I’d chosen and I felt like I was living in a movie. The moment felt so perfectly aligned with the stars.
I was sorry to see the time had flown so quickly and needed to make my bus back to the train station. I asked for the bill and noticed he hadn’t charged me for the wine and he smiled to say “It’s on the house”. I paid and left a note thanking him for his kindness and the wine, wishing him well. I hustled off, wanting to make a quick stop to pick up a white apron with red polka dots I’d noticed in a shop window (a small memento of this wonderful trip) and ran back to the bus, carry on suitcase dragging behind me.
I made it to the bus with no time to spare. As I paid the driver, the sun finally came out and I felt grateful I didn’t hold off on this lovely trip for fear of a downpour. In fact, the rain that had been forecast turned out to be fairly benign. Only one little storm that found me without an umbrella, but it felt so good to be sprinkled on without worry of mascara running or how my hair looked…a vacation in itself!
Once we got to the Le Havre station, I took a seat and a cup of tea while waiting to board my train. I found myself in the company of a pigeon again, inside the train station. He looked up at me as thought to remind me that Paris was just a moment away. The train shortly arrived and soon I was leaving the station.
Time and fields of yellow rapeseed flew by. Before I knew it we pulled into Paris and it was back to real life. Not so bad to call Paris “real life”! But I knew I had my eyes set on my next adventure. The only question was where?
