Day Two - The Long Rain of Henry IV

Obviously I Don't Recognize Art

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I found this stained glass to be interesting and hence this photo. It turns out that next to it, the blue stained glass window I found boring, was a masterpiece by Georges Braque who died in 1963 and is buried in the churchyard.

On the Other Hand, Gail DOES Know True Art

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I may have the taste of a Philistine, but it looks like Gail recognized a real Braque. This is "The Tree of Jesse".

Now This is a Name I Do Recognize

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As we were leaving the deserted parking lot I noticed this sign at the edge of the seascliff. 150 years ago Monet had painted a view of this church from the sea below. If you blow up this picture you can see even then the church was literally hanging off the edge of the bluff. There is real fear now that a violent storm can collapse the whole hillside and bring the church and graveyard tumbling down.

Taking Advantage of the Ocean Breeze

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Throughout Normandy we encountered wind turbines in almost every open field. Often there were clusters of 5 or more bunched together. These we spotted towering above the seacliffs on the road to St. Valery-en-Caux.

Another Stop Further West

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We continued along the road paralleling the English Channel. Unfortunately because of the fragile nature of the cliffs, the road was often rather distant from the seaside. At Sotteville-su-Mer we were able to get closer to the cliff where I saw this sign. Too bad it was raining so hard and I didn't get time to enjoy the view or read the sign. Looking at it now it's interesting to see the wide variety of sea creatures found in this area. But the most fascinating part of the story here was learning about an event I never read about before: in 1940 as the Germans Blitzkrieged there way across France the Allied army was forced ever Westward toward the English Channel. I had certainly known of Dunkirk and the valiant rescue of thousands of British, Commonwealth, French and Belgian troops by virtually every single boat that could be marshalled from Southern England. But now I learned that another Anglo-French army was also caught against the sea in in this area of Normandy. While British and French naval forces helped evacuate the troops as the Germans nipped at their heals, select British units harried and delayed the German advance so that their comrades could get away and fight another day.

Escape Route

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According to the sign this was one of the few sections of coastline where the Brits could get down off the cliffs safely. After the Germans secured France and turned it into Fortress Europe they set up barbed wire, landmines and bunkers to defend this approach from the sea.

Double Click Picture and Read

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Compelling stuff.

Dangerous Waters

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When we rolled into st. Valery in the early afternoon before looking for our hotel we took a peek at the harbor. I wish I had videotaped the ride because getting to the beach required rounding the 270 degree bend of the river on a one lane road with no guardrail or even warning signs on the water side and crumbling chalk cliffs on the land side. It had been raining so much lately that huge chunks of the cliff were strewn across the road.

The Cliffs of St. Valery-en-Caux

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According to Wikipedia: "It (St. Vaery-en-Caux) is said to have been founded by Saint Valery in the 7th century. A monastery was built on the site of the present-day town and was known as ‘’’Sanctum Walaricum’’’ in 990 CE, according to the charter in which Richard I, Duke of Normandy, gave the town (part of his personal property) to the abbey of Fecamp. A busy fishing port from the 13th to the 17th century, its decline was due to the growth of the much larger port of Fecamp, to the west. It is perhaps best known as the place where the British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division and French troops surrendered to Erwin Rommel on June 12, 1940. The town was largely destroyed in the fighting in 1940. During the action, French cavalry on horseback faced German panzer tanks. Saint-Valéry-en-Caux was liberated on 11 September 1944. In 17 January 1945, the railway station was destroyed when a runaway train full of American troops crashed into it. Eighty-nine American soldiers were killed and 152 were injured. A lively and interesting little town that boasts a casino, waterpark and the maximum four flowers on the France in Bloom placards. Tourism now accounts for much of the town's prosperity."

The Lighthouse of St. Valery-en-Caux

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Because of the wide beaches and rocky shelf it is still necessary to keep a lighthouse at the harbor entrance.

Why Did This Town Die?

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Wikipedia claims that the port of Fecamp's growth eclipsed St. Valery's over time, but I can't imagine a better geographical location this: a harbor linked to a fresh water river, high cliffs for defense, wide rocky beach and bountiful fishing right offshore. The harbor itself curls around those high cliffs like a question mark meaning the inner harbor is fully protected from North Sea storms and medieval pirates. I would have thought the town might have grown immensely over the years.

Too Early to Check-In

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We weren't supposed to check-in at our hotel until 6 pm. Since we had a couple of hours to kill we took a trip out of town to explore the environs. Just outside of St. Valery we saw a huge building with " E.Leclerc" on the sign. With my diminishing eyesight and approaching senility I read it as "Electric" and assumed it was a lighting store. But the parking lot was far too packed with cars to be a lightbulb shop. Realizing that this was another Walmart superstore chain, we figured we might check it out. Like Carefours this place sold everything from food to electronics to clothing to housewares. We spent a good hour inside loading up on snacks, clothes for Cassie, souvenirs to bring home and a hairdryer. Continuing our little ride Westward we again tried to stick closely to the coastal road. And again it wasn't taking us all that close to the shoreline. When I decided to detour North just to reconnoiter the beaches, we began to pass through huge Norman farms which were built much like forts or castles: big farmhouses surrounded by 6 foot high stone walls that formed large courtyards for the cattle, sheep and goats.

Thatched Roof House

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This was the first of quite a few farmhouses we saw that had thacthed roofs. I wish I had taken a closer shot, but as it was I stopped the car in the middle of this tiny narrow farmpath of a road to get this picture. Almost as soon as we stopped someone came from the opposite direction and we had to make way.

The French Stonehenge?

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Driving through the wide flat expanse of Norman farmland we saw this looming ahead of us in the distance. Gail and I thought we had chanced upon some Neolithic stone circle.

Upon Further Review

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We were quite wrong. It turned out to be a six story high structure comprised of haybales. Note the water beginning to totally inundate the farmer's fields.

Camp Lucky Strike

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As we cruised around on the narrow country roads our journey through acres upon acres of rolling farmland was suddenly broken by a monument denoting the location of "Camp Lucky Strike". It meant nothing at the time, but later that night I went on the internet and learned that this was where a huge American marshalling zone was set-up after the Allies had invaded France. Not wanting to give away the location of the camps by using local names, the powers-that be-named these various camps after popular cigarettes of the time - Camps Lucky Strike, Old Gold, Chesterfield, Pall Mall, Phillip Morris, etc. The camps served as staging areas for troops and supplies first arriving in France before heading onward to fight the Hun.

Cold War Leftover

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After the War the Americans set up an air force base on the site of Camp Lucky Strike. The Germans had built an air base here to defend their nearby V1 rocket launchers hidden in the woods. Before long the French kicked us out and took over the long (more than a mile) landing strip and apparently operated jets from here.

Look What We Found Out in the Middle of Nowhere

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Nearby the abandoned airfield we soon stumbled upon this impressive estate. Although still a private home, Janville Chateau is open for public tours....during the summer.

Parc du Château de Janville

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Not much information on the internet about this place other than it is still occupied and that it was built in 1610. It also served as the base commander's Headquarters for Camp Lucky Strike.

My First Dovecot

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The estates big claim to fame is the stone dovecot (a fancy house for doves or pigeons). I assume that round building is the dovecot. Since the owners weren't letting us on the grounds I couldn't check it out.