Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Along the Alabaster Coast of Normandy

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

We'd been expecting, and certainly hoping for, the clear day that had been forecast, but clouds were the order of the most of this day.  Nevertheless, we continued with our planned itinerary, and took the express route to Dieppe, our starting point for a much more leisurely drive along the part of the Normandy coast whose sheer pale cliffs provide its name.  The Alabaster Coast is to France what the White Cliffs of Dover, just across the Channel, are to England.

Throughout the day, we skirted the coast, passing through towns barely bigger than an intersection, driving small roads in beautiful green farmland, catching sight of the occasional chateau, grazing cows and sheep, and the many pointed church steeples that dot the villages.  We made many stops along the way; brief descriptions of some of them follow.

At Ste. Marguerite sur Mer, we stopped in the town's small 12th century church.  A plaque on the grounds commemorated  British troops who'd lost their lives in the area.  In several churchyards, there were signs indicating that members of the Commonwealth military were among those buried within.

Before the Normandy landings in 1944, the Allied presence was felt along this part of the French coast.  In 1940, the British had been forced by the Germans to evacuate at Dunkirk, and a 1942 attempt by UK and Canadian troops to invade at Dieppe had failed.  Despite what we think of long-standing British-French rivalries, we saw much appreciation of the UK and many Union Jacks flying on our drive today.

At St. Aubin, we began to get a good look at the white cliffs, dotted with dark flint and other rocks called orange marl.  Stopping at Les Petites Dalles, we stood where Delacroix and Monet each painted the cliffs and began to see areas of fallen rock turning the sea a chalky color as they were pounded by the surf.


The sun had been teasing us all day, and finally, at Fecamp -- where it really mattered -- the day brightened.  Above Fecamp, we stopped at an area where we saw the remains of several German gun emplacements and fortifications on sheer cliffs high above the sea and the town below.  These battlements had been part of Hitler's "Atlantic Wall", a chain of fortifications that extended from Scandinavia to the Spanish border to repel any invasion from the sea.  The promontory now houses a French military installation, but we were able to walk around most of it and enjoy spectacular views.  This area, like many we visited today, was signposted with warnings of crumbling cliffs, and there was ample evidence of fallen rocks below.  On the promontory is a small pilgrim and sailors' chapel, Notre Dame du Salut where memorials of many fishermen and sailors lost at sea are displayed.








Even more stunning were the views from the overlook at the small church of Notre Dame de la Garde above the town of  Etretat.  As we stood on the cliff, two arches and a jagged rock "needle" protruding from the water far below were gleaming white in the late afternoon sun.  The views extended for miles, with the turquoise water turning almost white near the base of the cliffs.













Dinner tonight was a real find, both literally and figuratively.  We headed out to a restaurant we'd read about in a place that barely rated as a micro-hamlet, down roads that got progressively narrower.  Just when we were about to lose all faith in both of our GPS units (Francois and Francoise) -- voila!  On this weeknight very out of season, we were the only patrons, but we had a terrific meal with lots of regional specialties and pleasant conversation with the maitre d', chef, sous-chef, pastry chef, dishwasher, waiter and owner -- all in one!

And Francois and Francoise got us back to home base, even if they didn't agree on the route!


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