Vive la France

It's post number two, and another holiday post at that.

First Wales, now France ... Vive La Difference? Quelle Difference? We're in France for a couple of days and we're rained out of Rouen and drowned in Dieppe. Fantastique!!

So having managed to dump both the children, one in summer school, one at Explorer camp, it's off to France for a couple of days. We've booked a couple of days in Hostellerie near Mesnil-val. When you get there it's surprising how many places are called Mesnil-xxxx. Confused? I was.

However, I must give the French their due, getting there was a pleasure ..... used mostly side roads, very scenic, no traffic, little stress, road signage was up to scratch, road surface was smooth, not riddled with speed cameras or groups of policemen in vans armed with radar guns every 6 Km. In fact the 'side' roads were so good I used them in preference to the motorways for all our travel.

So, if it's Monday it must be Rouen and Dieppe. Not the best idea in the rain and drizzle, but what the hey. Rouen was grim, Monday? Oh yes, on Mondays everything is shut, except for the big stores. Still the architecture is on the outside, and it is fantastic - so a few piccies of that then.

Bored of Rouen in the rain we head Dieppe. Bad mistake. If it was wet inland, it was even wetter on the coast. The umbrella sounded like the drums in a Black Sabbath concert. Rain bounced off the streets, so if it didn't get you on the way down, it got you on the rebound. Every now and then the clouds broke and the sun hinted at its presence, but then gave up and let the rain have its way again. Still, bought an Opinel folding knife, some jam and some other viandes, so it wasn't all bad.

It was sunny as we arrived back at the hotel, minutes before sun set!

Day two, last day! Oh look, it's sunny. Lets visit a few places on the way back. I recommend Eu. It's fantastic. What a charming place, could rave about it for a while ... but basically it's eveything you expect of a small French town. There is a Hotel Dieu .... which is kind of different. And a chateau, where they signed the Entente Cordiale - which is like Lime Cordial ..... not!

Then on to Abbeville. Bad mistake! This is everything that Eu wasn't. Modern square architecture. Grotesque, peeling concrete. Probably the most depressing place I've seen - living there would drive me to take my life in a brutal and messy manner as a protest. We lasted 30 minutes before we left.

Boulogne sur mer. Bit of a cliche, but if you ignore the brash new town and head for the old walled town it is possible to spend a couple of hours there quite enjoyably. We did, walking about admiring the narrow streets, enjoying the views from the walls - general tourist stuff, but that's not always a bad thing. We even managed to get a climb up the bell tower on the town hall.

Then Calais, and straight onto the boat for the trip back. Work on Wednesday ..... ho hummm.