YA-4: Toussaint break I -Fécamp, Étretat, Caen, Mont Saint-Michel & Fougères !

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Salut les lecteurs!

This is going to be a long one since I’m covering my adventures road tripping around France over the Toussaint break, so make sure you grab yourself a cuppa before starting! I’m dividing the trip into three posts, just so I can properly tell you all about what I got up to in such amazing places, so make sure you tune in in the next few days for the rest of the tale!

First of all, just to let y’all know I’m also writing for my University’s Placement Blog which you can check out here: http://blogs.bath.ac.uk/hss-placements/2016/10/15/year-abroad-i-moving-to-france/ I will be posting about my placements in both France and Italy, but from a more placement-oriented point of view.

Now that is out of the way, let’s dive right into it.

As I said on my last post, my dad came over to visit for ten days. He arrived the night of the 20^th after having delays and losing his suitcase during the layover in Barcelona. Therefore, when he got home he was really tired and just had his stuff in his back pack. It was great to have him around though; getting to Fécamp isn’t easy but he made the long journey to see me!

The following day we did some tourism around Fécamp. The morning was lovely and sunny so I took him to the Mill where I work first. He was able to meet my boss and have a look around the classes where I teach as well as taking a look inside the actual Mill itself. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but I work in some adjacent rooms to an old flour mill that was closed in 2007, but all the objects are still well kept inside and it could easily be re-run if wanted. I knew he would love seeing all the different tools and objects in there so I had to take him! He also loved the views from the top, which is one of my favourite things!

We then walked into town. I showed him the exterior of the Abbatiale (not the interior because it was closed) and the Palais Ducal and then we made our way to Place Bellet with the Monument to the Fallen stopping by the hidden park and I also showed him the philatélie shop –more cool and quirky objects to look at! We had lunch at one of the kebab places and then walked to the Église de Saint Étienne. We thought it was closed but a man stopped us on the way to say the entrance was round the other side, so we went it. I’d never entered before, so it was a first-time for me. The interior is quite dark but the newly restored stained glass windows are beautiful!

Then we headed down to the Tourist Office to ask for some maps and information for our road-trip. The lady there, who actually spoke a bit of Spanish, said there was a car rental company in Fécamp so we went to check it out after dropping by the Bénédictine Palace to have a look. However, it was pretty expensive for a car rental so we decided to rent it in Le Havre as we had planned instead. We then went to Texti to get my dad some clothes since he still hadn’t got his suitcase back. The air company said the suitcase was in Paris and would be delivered within 48hrs so he needed some clean clothes in the meantime. Oh, we also saw some shop window theatre in a couple of streets – it was really cool because they used their hands as puppets! In the evening, while we were sorting out our trip to Le Havre the following day, my boss’ husband came over to meet my dad before they left on holidays. I’m really happy my dad got to meet them both; my hosts have been so nice I really wanted him to meet them.

Saturday morning they delivered his suitcase – fortunately they brought it all the way here and we didn’t have to pick it up from Paris. And then we headed into the town centre to check out the market. There were so many stalls selling fresh fruit and veggies and also fish and seafish and shoes and it was amazing! I should definitely try to go more often because there were some real bargains! We picked up lunch from La Mie Câline and then went to the station to get the coach to Breauté-Beuzeville and change to the train to Le Havre. It takes about an hour as we found out. Apparently they will open the train station in December and then it will be quicker but for now it’s either that or a long bus ride. Also, I got confused with the ticket machine and bought extra tickets oops. Better luck next time! Once in Le Havre we walked to Hertz in the industrial area near the gare. The distances in Le Havre are so much larger than I thought; it’s a very industrial city and not very pretty in my opinion (bear in mind, I only visited the area near the station). We did take some amazing pictures of the reflection of the buildings on the bassin because there was not a breeze of wind and it looked like a mirror – it was wonderful. In Hertz a lady called Veronique took care of us and, although the car we’d seen online wasn’t available, she gave us a better one for a reduced price and we got out of the place driving a silver Kia Ceed. We popped the Sat Nav to get to the station and check out where the Flixbus stop was for when Dad left. Lemme say, driving around is so much harder and so much more stressful than walking! Just the trip to the station and the drive out of Le Havre were a complete nightmare because of so many different roads and entrances. The sat nav definitely helps but it was hard to get used to. Finally, both with dry mouths and stressed out, we arrived in Fécamp and found a parking spot. All we did the rest of the day was rest at home, plan the road trip and have an evening stroll to the beach (buying myself some Mexican dinner on our way back).

Since Sunday is an awkward day because most shops are closed, we decided to venture out with the car and go to Étretat to see the Falaises. The weather was lovely (kinda windy but that is normal). Some lovely tourists took a picture of us two together and we wandered around the town. I also managed to get a pin of the blazon of Normandy for my backpack! I’d already added a Fécamp one I found over the weekend and I added a couple more pins I got over the week from different places – I will cherish this backpack forever. We then came back to Fécamp and were super lucky to get a table for two at Chez Nounoute since we hadn’t made any reservations and literally arrived after closing time – she was in a good mood because I can’t explain it otherwise! She is such a character, she reminded me of what my Grandma would be like if she ran a restaurant, teasing clients and showing off! I had some hard boiled eggs and moules while Dad opted for the paté and salmon with Norman sauce. And for dessert, apple crumble. So yummy! After that the sun had kind of hid and the temperature dropped but we drove up to Cap Fagnet anyway to show him the éoliques, the views of Fécamp and the Falaises, the Chapelle du Notre-Dame du Salut and the bunkers. I love it up there, the views are truly amazing and I actually find the old bunkers along the coast really interesting. Once back home I took a warm shower to heat me up and then packed for the trip starting the following day early morning. I was planning for a long night sleep but, unfortunately, an alarm went off in the street during the night and Dad thought it was our car so not only were we woken up but we had to go outside and check on the car… Turns out it was a house, but it was quite a fright!

On Monday we got up early and set out for a long drive to Caen. We made the mistake of removing toll roads from the itinerary so the sat nav took us along the Seine past Pont de Normandie and Pont de Tancarville and Lillebonne to this random spot next to the river and then suddenly said ‘Turn right and board the ferry’. We looked at each other so confused omg literally what?! Apparently there was a free ferry that you could board and it took you across the river to the other side. A man told us it was free and that we had to line up behind the rest of the cars. I swear, we were so taken by surprise! The ferry trip was fine, but it was such a stupid loop that we did and wasted so much time… On the other hand, it was quite an adventure. The adventure continued when we got to a random turnabout that the sat nav didn’t recognize and the exit directions were Le Havre and Paris, which were definitely not where we wanted to go, so I just said, ‘take the other exit, to Évreux, and we’ll work from there!’. So we did and thanks to my co-pilot directions we slowly made our way to Caen through the normal road parallel to the motor way – even if that meant going slower. We went through tons of little villages which were actually nice to see, we went through Beuzeville, Pont l’Éveque, Dozulé, Troarn… And in about three hours finally made it to Caen and successfully managed to find the parking lot.

Caen itself was actually really pretty for it being a city. We first went to Église de Saint-Saveur and then stopped by Quick to have lunch before heading to the Tourist Office by the castle. Turns out it was closed for half an hour more so meanwhile we popped into Saint-Pierre’s Church. It was very pretty and it was amazingly restored after being bombed during the Second World War. 

Then we headed to the Caen Castle. We were unlucky because all the museums were closed that day so we couldn’t go into the Normandy Museum they have there, but it was worth going to the castle anyway. There was a photo exhibition about medieval castles and abbeys in Normandy and also the views from the ramparts were amazing! The sun was shining which was a plus. 10/10 would recommend climbing up there to have a look at the skyline; you can catch a glimpse of the many church spirals in the city! 

After the castle we went to the Abbaye aux Dames where Mathilde of Flandres, William the Conqueror’s wife, is buried. I must say, I’ve learnt a lot about him and this period while I’ve been in France this time… I’ve seen so many different churches over the past few days that the places mesh with each other, but I do remember the amounts of cobwebs coating one of the windows at the Abbey… 

Then, on our way to the Abbaye aux Hommes at the other side of the town we stopped by the Maisons au Bois which are some medieval houses in the middle of the city. One is undergoing restoration so the façade was covered but we were able to see the other one – old house with wooden façade, tiny windows and lots of sculptures. On our way to the Abbaye we also saw tons of little Parisian-style cafés packed with young people having drinks together – so lovely! Once we saw the Abbaye aux Hommes (only from the outside because we had to pay to go inside), we grabbed some dinner at La Mie Câline and then continued our drive to Villedieu-les-Poêles, a small town famous for its copper work and bell-making.

It was really easy to get there because we just took the high way. The town was cute because it was so traditionally French with the town hall, a church, a square and the tall Norman grey houses. However, it did feel a bit sad despite the sunny sunset; perhaps it was the fact that there was moss everywhere and not too many people around and lots of closed shops. Anyhow, we were only going to be there for the three nights we’d be exploring the area. We stayed at Hotel Saint-Pierre and a neighbour let us in because the reception has weird opening times. The whole hotel and restaurant were run by a woman and his husband – literally everything, from cooking to housekeeping to check-ins, it was insane. We had booked a twin room but they gave us one with a double bed. Five minutes later the woman knocked on the door with some story about another client who had swapped rooms and so we had a twin bed room just how we wanted – I guess it was her seeing that we weren’t actually a couple! We dropped our things in the new room, went out for a look around the town and then back for a shower and some sleep – we were knackered!

The next day we got up in a freezing cold hotel room – apparently, there had been a problem with the general heating over the night which they were getting fixed. On Tuesday there happened to be the weekly market of the town we were staying in, so after breakfast we ventured into the cold and misty morning (honestly, so much fog! Like in India!) and had a look around. There were a lot of fresh veggies and fruit sellers – the size of the spinach leaves and nuts was incredible – and a couple clothes stands and other kinds of food. If only I had been home, I would have definitely done the weekly shopping there!

After that we got our things and headed to Mont Saint-Michel. That is a place I knew I wanted to visit before I leave France in December, but it is a four-hour-drive away from Fécamp, so I was lucky that my dad came and we rented a car. Thing is, there was fog everywhere. I swear, we could not see a thing. Basically, you could only see what was happening around 20metres around you and that was it. Needless to say, we were quite sceptic on the idea of seeing the Mont but we went anyway and decided we could always come back if it didn’t work out. We followed the sat nav and arrived in the parking lot where we left our car and headed to the coach stop. The queue to board the coaches was quite long but it didn’t take us long before we were on one. Well before arriving at the parking lot we should’ve been able to see the Mont in the distance so the whole thing felt really strange and unsettling because we didn’t really have any references around us. Anyhow, we boarded the coach which took us the distance left to the base of the Mont, and dropped us off on the far side of the bridge connecting the island to the main land. At this point, we were getting off on a bridge with only the flow of people to guide us through the fog. It wasn’t until we were literally 100 metres from the walls that we actually started to see the vague silhouette of the Mont. Surreal. 

Honestly, the fact that there was fog everywhere and that, despite it being October, the place was flooded with tourists anyway, was quite depressing. The plan was for Dad to stay somewhere around the base so that he wouldn’t have to climb a lot of stairs since he has knee problems, but in the end he made a massive effort and went up to the top with me – kudos for him! We went into the Abbey (which is free for EU young nationals between 18 and 25 years of age, so I didn’t pay a dime!). The Abbey itself was like a labyrinth; so many different rooms! It was quite disappointing to get to the ramparts from which you are supposed to see all the marshes surrounding the Mont, and not being able to see much further from the base of the island because of the thick fog. But, if we were not going to be able to see the views, then at least we were going to make the most of the inside! 

We were lucky though, because just as we were leaving the Abbey, the sun started to shine and the mist cleared for a little bit, so we actually were able to see the view! We were really lucky because we managed to get back down and take some touristy pictures of us with the Mont at the back before the mist ate the whole thing again and the Mont disappeared into the fog. One more destination ticket off the bucket list!

At this point, we’d had nothing for lunch other than a few bits of cheese and fruit stolen from the breakfast buffet, so we were quite  hungry but all the places were closed since it was around half three. We decided to have a look at a German War Cemetery I’d seen some signs of on the way to the Mont, so we followed the directions to Huisnes-sur-Mer. There we found the Mont-de-Huisnes German Cemetery which is an ossuary in which are collected the remains of German soldiers and some civils from different parts of France. There are the remains of over 11000 people, which is crazy to think about but it was nice to see they have a place in France where they are together. The place has a modern design with the different crypt chambers organized in a circular two-storey structure surrounding a central lawn with a big cross in the centre. You can also see the Mont Saint-Michel from there (or that is what they say, because it was covered by mist again by the time we got there). It was incredibly moving to see all the names, some of them with flower crowns, pictures and letters from their families. I will never be able to wrap my head around the massive massacres that these wars were on both sides.

We then decided to drive to Fougères, since it was quite early to go back to the hotel. But on our way there we saw another sign, this time for an American Cemetery near Saint-James. We decided to go there instead and had to stop for directions, as per usual… By the time we got there, it was unfortunately too late because it closed at 5pm and we arrived five minutes before then and were not allowed a look. Bummer!

So then we went to Fougères which is known for having the one of the best conserved medieval castles in Brittany, and it truly is a sight to see. Here there was no fog anymore and we arrived just as the sun was setting so the views were lovely. I must say, people in small towns are really nice because we were having problems finding a parking space and a woman explained to us how the different coloured lines work and directed us to a free area nearby… It is different depending on the town, so make sure you look it up to avoid a fine! The castle itself was closed but we walked around it (massive hill included, poor Dad). 

We were starving at this point so we looked for a place to eat and ended up in this small crêperie called Tante Suzette. Let me tell ya, the food was heavenly! I had some artisanal cidre to accompany my ‘farm’ galette with eggs, ham, mushrooms, onions, tomato and cheese. It was so, so good! And after not having anything to eat since the morning, it was a long overdue meal! And, for dessert, I had a crêpe with apple and salted caramel butter – my mouth is watering. The owner was really nice and even complimented my French! On our way back to Villedieu, the sun set and the fog reappeared which was really stressful since we had trouble finding the anti-fog lights, but we eventually arrived, ready for a well-deserved sleep.

Keep an eye out for the next two instalments of my Toussaint adventures!