Day Two - The Long Rain of Henry IV

Fatcamp

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We were trying to take advantage of every minute of daylight so we continued our drive to nowhere. In the fading light we entered the medium sized town of Fecamp - the very place that had supplanted St. Valery-en-Caux as the chief port of the Caux region of Normandy. In one of those "You had to be there" moments, we started to call this place "Fatcamp". Like Dieppe and St. Valery the shoreline in this town also nestled between chalk cliffs.

The Harbor of Fecamp

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Fecamp was never on my itinerary. He just happened to end up here as we tried to string out our day of sightseeing. I liked what I saw in the growing darkness. When we got back to our hotel later that night I went online and read up on Fecamp. I learned it was a place we needed to return to - the next day.

This Looks Very Promising

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For a brief momenty I considered stopping in town and searching for a restaurant for dinner, but I didn't like the idea of driving back to St. Valery on those narrow flooded farm roads.

Do They Eat in France?

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In the center of St Valery we parked in a big parking lot surrounded on three sides by storefronts. All the bright lights led us to believe the area was hopping and full of bars and restaurants. We got out of the car and started to walk and walk and walk. Just like back in Rouen. A couple of butcher shops and bakeries, two restaurants closed for the season, a few real estate offices, a pharmacy and not much else. Back in the corner we located a brightly lit Brasserie (bar) and headed inside. We immediately ordered drinks (beer for Gail and I), then asked for menus. It seems this place only deals in booze and dessert. The Grimbergen Blonde was awesome.

Our Dinner (First Course)

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We settled on crepes with Nutella just to put something in our bellies. Grandma got her new favorite : Chaud Vin (hot wine).

Photo Record

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I took this picture just to remember the delicious beer we ordered. We didn't see it very often later in the trip, but I bought a bottle to bring home.

A Note About our Party Girl

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Back home Cassie loves to go out with her friends and have fun. I assume that entails the consumption of adult beverages. But for some inexplicable reason she never touches a drop when we travel. She puts up with the old farts and rarely complains as we drag her to historic sites and tourist attractions, just as long as she gets in some shopping for fashion. I suppose she's afraid that a beer or two might reveal the wacky Cassie.

You Didn't Think a Little Crepe Would Satisfy Me, Did You?

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After leaving that Brasserie we continued to search for sustenance with little success. Nobody wanted fast food and we walked by Kebab King numerous times searching for a place to eat. Finally we had to admit defeat and walked inside. It was a simple little shop with just four tables since it was primarily a take-out business. The menu was pretty extensive with many variations on the kebab and skewered meat theme. The Arabic guy at the counter spoke passable English and was very friendly and helpful. Gail and her mother shared a kebab while Cassie and I had our own individual ones. The fries were amazing. _____________________________ Our hotel was only a 5 minute drive from there. The door was locked when we arrived and I started to worry after we rang the doorbell twice with no response. Finally a teenage boy came and let us in. We were very happy with our rooms and the hotel in general. Another great deal.