| 1. You can make this route more difficult, if like me, you take the cunningly timed 22h30 ferry which gets into Dieppe at 03h30 local time and cycle via St Valary Caux in the Dark.
The route follows minor roads and a signposted coastal cycle route. St Valery is where the 51st Highland Division were surrounded after Dunkirk - the navy tried to save them by mounting a similar operation but were thwarted by weather and the collapse of the front.
St V i s a nice town with lots of character and harbour. Look out for Neville as you head south, however, inland, much is intensive a rolling, open intensive arable landscape.
Some things to look out for, older farmsteads and chateau surrounded by earth banks planted with rows of beech trees - these are called "Clos masure" - the banks contain many familiar wild flowers and are often the only nature in the area, Dieppedale and the valley at Robertot are nice as is the approach to Lillebonne from Grand Camp.
Lillebonne is industrial and very non touristy (there is a TiC though) and there is little accommodation in the town. Huge petrochecmical complex on the floodplain to the south of the town on road to ferry to Quillebeuf. |