20th of August Saint Sauveur to Etretat.

I'm very pleased about two things today. Firstly when I woke this morning, stowed the van and fired up the satnav everything worked, apart from the satnav. I kind of knew where I was heading and set out regardless, this included heading over a rather large suspension bridge (not quite as big as the St Naizarre bridge) I knew I was going to before I left because I could see it from the Aire, we all know by now that I like a good bridge and this one didn't disappoint, I smiled for the first time today. I successfully navigated the bridge, some motorway and some rather confusing triple roundabouts before finding the road to Etretat at the first time of asking. Upon arrival the Aire look pleasant enough but was right next door to the municipal camp site, seeing as this was to be my last full night in France I thought I'd treat myself for the princely sum of 8 euros I was not only given a pitch but electric and a shower ! God I've missed showers. It turns out that I made the choice at the right time, I was only gone for an hour on the bike and when I returned there was a sign to say the camp-site was full, I was tempted to have another shower to celebrate.

I know I said there were two reasons I was pleased with myself today, the first was getting here unaided and the second is choosing to come here in the first place, I'd never heard of Etretat before, it was merely a location in the green binder that was on the coast and in the direction of Dieppe. It is a lovely little seaside town with lots of shops, bars and restaurants as well as a pebble beach that is flanked by two large cliffs that have eroded to provide some quite spectacular viewing, so much so that Claude Monet painted scenes depicting both ends of the beach as he could decide which he liked best ! Coming to the end of Quartermaine I sat in the sun and watched the sailing school and the windsurfers before the local fishing boats returned. They are aluminium hulled small boats and when they returned to the beach they are simply winched up the pebble slope on pallets, spun round and left ready to head out again on the next tide, very simple but very efficient.

I enjoyed a meal out this evening and spent a while idly cycling around the town, this was a great way to bring my last full day to a close, I hear there's a market tomorrow morning so I must be up early for that and I'll need to have at least two showers before I make my way to Dieppe.