Cycle Touring in France: Old resorts and rain!

Our next destination was Honfleur. We had heard that it was a pretty old town and the source of inspiration for many artists. As it was not too far away we took it easy at the start of the day and visited all the coastal towns, taking the roads that were closest to the sea. Houlgate had some 19th century houses by the sea as did the next town, Villers-sur-mer. Just as we entered the town we saw a large congregation next to the war memorial and a line of parked army vehicles. There was a drumbeat and a minutes silence, then the band played the Marseillaise and a group of soldiers marched down the road preceded by the band and followed by the cars. One of the veterans stayed behind and an ambulance came to his assistance. There was an exhibition of a tapestry in the local hall that was around 20 meters long and told the tale of a Northmanen (Viking) in the style of the Bayeux one. The town is also known for it's fossils which come from some 'black cliffs' nearby. We walked along the beach and found a few ourselves before making the acquaintance of an old French lady. She invited us back to her apartment for an aperitif and we had a chat. She did not marry but has over 100 nephews and nieces. The morning was soon afternoon and we had not gone very far before the rain came and did not stop the whole way to Honfleur. We cycled through Deauville and Trouville without stopping, and probably did not appreciate much about them as it was grey and the roads and town were very busy. Cycling along this part of the coast was not very pleasant with all the traffic. Some of the roads are very narrow, steep in sections and dangerous in the rain when cars pass close by at speed. We were glad to reach Honfleur, although soaking wet, and had an extra day in town to look around. It has not fulfilled our expectations and is jam-packed full of tourists. I have never seen so many cafes and restaurants in one town and the prices are all higher than everywhere else we have been. The Boudin museum was also closed on Tuesdays so we are going to visit tomorrow morning before setting off for Le Havre. Julie is not looking forward to going over the bridge across the Seine, but at least there is a dedicated cycle path.

Houses on the front at Houlgate