Friday 25th Aug 1980
We nearly didn’t make the 7pm boat. I was going in the District Line to meet G at Blackfriars. A woman had fallen in front of a train at Putney Bridge Station so no trains! After a panic, unsuccessful phone calls to reach G, a bus, a train to Waterloo, Taxi I finally got there about 20mins late and luckily not too much traffic for Bank Holiday weekend, we made the boat by 3 minutes.
On a calm crossing at 9am, we drove to the campsite on the edge of Boulogne and the road! Tent up and dinner of cold chops, rissoles, tomato & crisps.
Sat 26th
Drove towards Normandy stopping to look at places one normally thunders through on ones way elsewhere. We went slightly south of Rouen, and then through Normandy countryside very like south England only often more wooded and endless apple orchards (almost all cider apples). And black and white decaying buildings (some yellow and dark red ribs instead) onto Honfleur on the coast. Very picturesque fishing port, very touristy A LOT of French and fair number of British cafes restaurants and all around the harbour etc.
Weather no rain but not marvellous.
On down the coast sandy beaches and French on holiday and camped just before Trouville and went there for dinner. First of endless seafood, especially mussels, gorgeous in vast quantities and big and Lucious.
Sunday Next day into Trouville, everything seemed open Lovely fish market, beautiful looking we took a picture hope it comes out.
Trouville Deuvulle twin towns – almost one, originally very English holiday and still rather. This whole coast English boating trips come over to.
On slowly down the coast to the Normandy landing beaches and battle grounds. First just north of Caen – Pegasus bridge – this didn’t mean much to me except from ‘The Longest Day’ Lord Lovett / but of course G knew about all the names.
From there to a camp at Riva Bella – another seaside resort. None of the sites too crowded although some others we saw were. Usual smelly lavs etc. I waited for dark and the shelter of the tent rather than going to smelly lavs, no rain but hardly sun either.
A lovely train at Riva Bella, it charged up and down up and down the road and peeled forth jolly tunes all brightly coloured and chirpy presumably for children like adults on it too and I thought it gorgeous. Never seen a train on a road before.
Into Caen for dinner and looked up two of my old Romanesque church friends the Abbaye au Dames & Hommes. Dames mainly rebuilt but Hommes more genuine. Caen practically flattened in fighting and re built, but these still there. I liked the city, nothing aesthicaly beautiful. Remains of William the Conquer’s castle walls but very few buildings, must have been huge and very impressive. Our Michelin guide proved invaluable, a very good and cheap meal because of it 9Francs, 13/6 for 4 or 5 courses – and everywhere else about £1 or so. As usual too much food and wine and I staggered out. On the drive back the red light came on and G found the fan belt had gone. We hadn’t a spare.
Monday Clever work with the nylon stocking by G and we got back the 10 miles to Caen. It slipped off after a few miles so we crept slowly to the Austin Agent – no the far side naturally. Finally located it and with a new fan belt back into town to a huge ‘quincaillerie’ we’d seen (hardware shop) for our kitchen shopping for me (Yvonne, Marie Lees & Maureen). Monday morning so closed till after lunch. We looked on our map and saw Hill 112 (do you know it – a great battle there) so we drove out and had lunch on it. Hardly a hill but a steady rise up out of Caen that you hardly notice – all very peaceful, many fields around some sun and we sat out in a field. A memorial nearby standard for all this area, something like ‘Here on 6th June 1944 Europe was liberated by the alied forces’ .
Back to Caen for an orgy of spending and gazing at pottery, cast iron. At the end of the trip we had acquired for us a saucepan very clever, double boiler or steamer or double cooker sort of thing, whichever you want. A small cast iron saucepan, lovely brown pottery long bottle for Calvados apparently, a brown butter dish and pottery storage jars. Longed for heaps more but cant really say we need them. Eventually later out of Caen by now we felt we’d never move away. Up to the coast again and right along the British landing beaches.
Ideal– flat and sandy for miles. Our Blue Guide told us who had landed where – Sword, Juno, Gold beaches etc. Everywhere of course tremendous rebuildings. In Northern France G said you seemed to have the choice – either your village was destroyed in 1940, or in 1944 – or rather you didn’t have the choice it just happened.
The weather got mistier and mistier. Thoroughly miserable . The seaside resorts (apart from sandy beaches), depressing English or Welsh type in the dull weather, and by the time we were in then fog, we decided to stop (and move out of the area quickly the next day!).
Arromanches for dinner
Arromanches which exibits now on the fame it got through its Mulberry harbour. Very surprising to see in the morning, there is almost complete Mulberry still there. I thought they were very temporary! Quite a few British around – revising the site.
Tuesday In the morning the mist gone, and finally sun out. First to view point – a hill outside overlooking the whole area. A structure up there with museum on the front. All very organised the British, Americans, Canadians, French, Norwegians all have sections of the display – a British film (French speaking – we were given headphones!) the building of the Mulberries. The cinema packed – mainly French. All closed after 12.00 so we drove a little way out to have lunch & back to finish the museum. All very interesting. We now have a book out of the library on it. (didn’t A. Margie have a friend – Bunny/ty?? Who had a Mulberry man friend?? Who was he?). Extraordinary feat.
Finally inland to Bayeux to see the Tapestry – some more ancient history. It’s all round the walls of a room and in remarkably good repair, great fun – some very rude scenes on the boarders I’d never noticed before. Remarkable account of the events of 1066 & before.
A look at the cathedral opposite, & then out to a little village with 3 potteries – all lovely brown stuff, to buy and look, and then back towards Caen (would we ever get away?) to Tilling Crossroads the scene of more better fighting and passed a huge British cemetery. Beautifully kept – green lawns & roses growing and flowering on each grave.
And then finally down to Vire. A municipal campsite – ground next to the swimming pool! – but first overnight we decided to stay there. A One- star hotel (fairly reasonable) there, we had a marvellous rich, sick making very well cooked meal .
Most days till near dinner time I’d fed and I couldn’t face another dinner, but I managed.
Vire once again practically totally rebuilt.
Wed On towards Mont St Michel – still in Normandy but almost Brittany. The weather finally sunny and out of the wind, hot but on the coast a terrific wind.
Mont St Michel a great let down – unbearable touristy. We should have been warned by the approaches – great flat marches or ex-marches & the restaurants all employ boys to stand outside and wave menus and shout at passing cars.
It is an extraordinary sight – out of this flatness this mound with abbey at the top. You park on the beaches below / unlike Cornwall’s St Michaels Mount you appear to be able to drive up and walk up through the cobbled streets being called all the time. All buildings below the abbey are for touristy things, Masses of people & horrible. As you climb up its ok and you can realise its actually picturesque. We didn’t go into the church – you pay of course. Sat in the sun a bit & then fled across what the map interestingly calls Polders to near St Malo.
Sand along this area too and we were looking for a place to stay a few days. Finally found a huge camping site with hardly anyone in a bay facing North. Someone had opened sort of field after field up for tents – a lot camped on top of the sand dunes overlooking the huge sandy bay. We got below one because of the wind but were also on sand.
Nothing else in the area but campers – a dead end road from the village. All this area very like Devon and/or Cornwall in many ways but of course so few people. There are enough beaches for them to be able to be empty still. Hardly any British either.
We ate that night in Cancole – a rather nice fishing village we’d been through earlier.
Thursday Sun (and wind) but we swam! Cold water but I got myself in, it was lovely once in. Hardly another soul swimming. We sunbathed on the sand in front of the tent rather than the windy beach. Later we bathed again rather to both our enjoyment but it was really very nice (and calm and sandy) and lovely to wash – and feel clean!).
Onion fields around (where the onions I had came from) and what looked like fields & fields of cabbages (odd – we never saw anyone eating cabbage).
Later we drove into St Malo, almost completely rebuilt but the old town appears to have been reconstructed on the old plans – quite pleasantly! All uniform grey store and still feeling of the old sea port it was – with fortifications around. We dined there.
Friday Not such a good day but we swam! Then went off to see something of Brittany – on this little part anyway.
St Malo is in on one side of the estuary of the Rance & Dinard on the other. You can cross by ferry boat but we drove inland then up to Dinard – apparently a characterless seaside resort and along the coast – all built up for some miles. Finally away from the fashionable area and with other rivers all close to each other the same lovely country like the Cornish Falmouth and other boating river estuaries – wooded and most attractive should anyone around and at low tide all these inlets with sandy beaches.
We didn’t go as far as St Briance, but went back inland to Dinar for dinner. Unexpectantly pleasant. At the end of the Rance estuary – embatlemented, old streets and buildings – some very and obviously not fought over. Back in the dark along what must have been a nice country.
Saturday We were the only swimmers, but as we were leaving after lunch I dragged G down. Once in Ok but we weren’t in long and I dashed to our towels. It had rained in the night (our first rain) and it wasn’t warm!
Then stroll along the beach and up to the headland.
Then back again to Dol – an old town & for the night to Caen – camp on the edge of the racecourse. Dinner at our cheap place.
Sunday Back through the pretty Normandy countryside to Point L’Eveque and over the Bridge of Trouville & up to Boulogne. Weather forecast said gales, and wind blowing – some rain and generally miserable (we could get all the BBC programmes including 3, all the time clearly – often more so than one does in remote parts of Britain. Also the now illegal Radio Caroline).
Got to Boulogne about 3.45pm and found a queue of cars waiting – all returned early. Pouring with rain, wind blowing great guns (my heart sank at the thought of the crossing!). They hadn’t been able to use the berth all day because of the wind and so were behind anyway. We almost got on the 5.45 – but were the 10th car not to . In a way I was relieved. It was the Normandia – small and I not a very good sailor. We managed to escape down to the restaurant as I insisted on some last mussels. I had soup as well – all between 6.20 and 6.35. We had to leave some uneaten, what a waste – I dash back in case they were loading. Got up to find the ship hadn’t even arrived! Anyway we were all a lot fuller and happier than all the hundreds just sitting waiting in the cold who hadn’t found the way out.
The so called 7.15 finally sailed at almost 8.0 and instead of taking 1.5hrs took 2h (we literally inched our way into Dover for the last half hour). I wasn’t sure although lots were, and felt quite proud. Actually I’ve been in much worse gales. No trouble at customs in spite of the kitchen we’d acquired. home 12.30 ish and bed finally 2ish.
Please keep and return sometime