France – Étretat (En)
Étretat is a town on the north coast of France. It’s known for the striking rock formations carved out of its white cliffs, including the Porte d’Aval arch and L’Aiguille (the Needle), a pillar rising from the sea. It is also famous because Monet painted many pictures of the town.
We stayed at the Municipal Camping (49.70067, 0.215385 lat, long) just a 5-minute walk to the town centre. The camping is quite expensive, 29 euros per day including electricity. We arrived early in the morning and we got a spot but a few hours later it was full. The facilities leave a lot to be desired, and there is no hot water in the showers. The plots are big but it is almost impossible with so many people to empty the grey water. We gave it 3 stars only. There is an area next to it but it is also expensive and it was full. The good thing is the location to visit the town.
We went to see the town walking with Asha. The first thing that caught our attention was the beautiful half-timbered houses typical of Normandy, as well as the only protestant church we have seen so far in France. On the right, just before arriving at the town centre, you find the house of the writer Maurice Leblanc, the creator of Arsenio Lupin, the gentleman thief, who published The Arrest of Arsenio Lupin in 1905 and became famous. The house is called Clos Lupin, which in addition to being a museum, is the home of Maurice Leblanc and his hero Lupin.
When you arrive in the town the first thing you see is Maurice Guillard Square where is the Town Hall and the Tourist Office. The town is full of restaurants and very cute shops with regional products. In another square, you find the Old Market built in 1827. During World War II, it was used as a hospital for both British and American soldiers.
The town is very touristy and the food is very expensive, for example, ice cream is 7 euros! We went to the promenade where we saw more of the fairytale buildings. From the promenade, you have amazing views of the cliffs. To the left, is The Needle, a natural arch that was formed by sea erosion and measures 70 metres high, and to the right is the Aval cliff. On the promenade, you come across reproductions of Monet paintings that he painted right in the place where they are located.
We finished our visit to Étretat and we went to Caen, a port city and capital of Calvados department, famous for its castle built by William the Conqueror, which you can see in the next post!
