Blonde and Abroad: The Tales of a SoCal Girl Living la Vie Parisienne: A Weekend Trip to the Alabaster Coast of Normandy

Following Dennis' visit, Daisy and I had decided to visit

Haute (or Upper) Normandy for the weekend to view

and admire the effervescent Alabaster Coast.

We decided to stay in Fécamp, a quaint port town

north of Le Havre, because of the sites found there and because

of its relative proximity to Etretat,

whose magnificent cliffs and arches served as an inspiration for

many Impressionist Artists, particularly Claude Monet.

Needless to say, these two days spent in Fécamp and Etretat

were quite magnificient, and I hope you too can appreciate

and admire the beauty of these cliffs, arches, and waters.

SATURDAY: MORNING IN FECAMP; AFTERNOON IN ETRETAT

We arrived from Paris to Fecamp at 10:00 in the morning,
and like many coastal cities (including those found in southern California),
the morning was overcast, and the sun finally broke through in the afternoon.

Due to the brick work and the fog, this town actually reminded me of Liverpool!

We had lunch at the most charming restaurant that was voted #1 in Fecamp by TripAdvisor!
It was run by a husband-wife pair, and the pre-set menu changed daily due to what
was fresh and available in the market.

Hands down: our four course lunch (with cider, of course) remains one of the best
lunches I have ever had in France.
(And only cost 22 euros!!)

A very content Daisy with her "tartine de campagne" appetizer

Tomato Basilic Soup with tapanade toast

A selection of three Normande cheeses

Cherry creme brulée

After lunch, we hopped on the bus to Etretat,and

boy oh boy were we in for a treat!

A charming souvenir store with Normande goods

Walking along the boardwalk

Smiles all around!

You would have guessed that we were in the south of
France, given this water color, no?

Hiking up and along the cliffs

Behind is the most iconic arch of Etretat

The trail on which we walked

Interesting how white the cliffs are in the sun,
and dark they are when not in the sun

We took a nap at this very spot, and twas it relaxing!

That same arch, but from the cliffs on the right hand side of the beach
(We originally walked along the cliffs to the left of the beach)

The small town of Etretat

After our leisurely (albeit hilly) walk in Etretat,

we took the last bus back to Fécamp and decided

to walk along its harbor

What I believe to be remnants of the Atlantic Wall,
the extensive system of coastal defense set up by the Nazis in the advent
of the imminent invasion by the Allied Forces

The Alabaster Coast

The arch of Etretat in the distance

Walking up to the top of Fécamp
(As we hadn't had enough walking up hills already today)

The sunburn...

German command post

German fortifications

From there, we went back to the harbor for dinner
and walked back to our Ibis hotel

SUNDAY: FECAMP

We had a very nice, leisurely Sunday morning (as

we woke up at 11:30) and made the most of our

remaining hours here in Fécamp

The walk from our hotel to the town center

William the Conqueror Fort

Palais Benedictine

Palais Benedictine is a 19th century palace built in neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance styles by Alexandre Le Grand, the entrepreneur who developed the alcoholic herbal drink, Benedictine. This

liqueur, which is made from 27 separate herbs, was developed by monks of Fécamp during the 16th century and thought to be an elixir. Having re-discovered the recipe in the 1850s, Le Grand produced and patented it here at this exceptional site, and the drink has subsequently been exported all over the world, for over a century.

The Palais Bénédictine contains three centers of interest: the distillery in which the famous liquor is prepared; its collection of religious works, mainly from the 15th and 16th centuries, displayed just as they were at the end of the 19th century and a contemporary art gallery.