This year it was Newhaven/Dieppe again, as the DFDS route from Portsmouth to Le Havre was still not available. Same old boat though (the Seven Sisters). As last year, I stayed in a B + B (Flint Lodge, recommended) in Peacehaven, just a few minutes away. My “usual” posh Commodore cabin was available, so a few hours snooze was just the ticket. Now that I know “the system” on the boat, I was first in the queue for breakfast, but was a bit worried about one particular item available…..
Following on from my previous expeditions to the Normandy beaches, there was one place I couldn’t get into, because of the crowds. That was the D-Day Museum at Arromanches. In 2014 there were queues right round the building, so I vowed to go back mega-early on one day during this trip. Also, I’d never been to the city of Caen itself (not knowingly , anyway)- stayed near hotel-wise on the outskirts, but never explored the city itself.
My destination today was a Campanile Hotel on the north side of the city in Herouville Saint Clair. This place turned out to be a bit like a UK “garden suburb”, very well planned and landscaped with plenty of greenery, as well as a decent shopping centre. And a bus straight into the city……..
But first, some time on the Autoroute to Caen. I still get amazed by the incredible Pont de Normandie The ramps up either end look incredibly steep in comparison with something like the QE 2 bridge across the Thames. I thought we were in for loads of “camions lents” ( sorry, slow lorries), but everybody seemed to manage OK – and FREE ! See 2014 posts for pix.