Jardin Gorbeau Etretat

... The gear box was in need of some TLC. Kim came back to find me covered in grease and waste deep in Scooby. I am certainly learning my way around a car engine.
A quick pit stop via McDonalds for free internet to upload our blog and photos and then onto Ouistreham code name Sword Beach - the first of the D-Day beaches.

Onwards to Etretat for our first overnight stay in an Aires de service. These are overnight parking areas for campers and moterhomes and supply fresh water, electricity and waste dumping facilities. All at a rock bottom price. This one was 5 Euro for the parking a and extra 2 euro for the water and electirc hookup.
Town has spectacular cliffs beautiful old building full of character.

... to our van in the early hours of next morning. one remarkable sight that had even the French reaching for their cameras - twentysix storks which flewover several times, getting ready for their flight to Africa. 24.08.09 Echillais N45.53.847' W0.57.335' 25.08.09 Saint Pompain N46.26'33.5" W0.35'56.7" A lovely French Passion owned by a 'Camping-Cariste'. We had thought that C-Cs were camping car suppliers but no - they too have motor homes and have enough land to ...

Drove about an hour to really cute seaside town with fab cliffs. One looks like an elephants nose tucking into some water (not my likeness). Kinda reminded me a bit of Jason with his first pint of the day…..Found a hotel here, and I broke one of my only 2 requirements on the trip by day 3. We took a room in a cute small hotel without a private bathroom. Granted, all the ones with private bathrooms ...

After scouring our France guide book we find a place in Northern France that has these beautiful cliffs and one in particular that resembles an elephant's trunk (Falais D amont and Falais d aval). This is a few hours out of our way (each way) so we almost bag it a few times along the trip. When we get there we are not disappointed.

Not only are the cliffs beautiful but ...

We started this morning planning to visit Honfleur and spend a couple of days here as it is so beautiful. But today it rains, so today it loses!
As the battery is flat too, we simply cast off and drove south west.
On the way out of Cite Europe where we took on some diesel we say a couple of hitchers, and as we were feeling in good spirits we picked them up.
They were quite chatty but after a while we were ...

TomTom is great, expect when you don't have the maps for the country you're in!
We have the full european DVD but loading all the maps onto the phone was one item that did not make it onto my big list of jobs to do before we left.
I still have the DVD with my but no DVD drive!
We have been navigating with googlemaps since ...

The first night was spent in a nice stop on the edge of the old port in Calais.
I've been here before when i did some sailing in my youth so i know it well.
It seemed safe enough as there must have been 50 motorhomes but there was a broken window overnight for someone!
We moved onto honfleur and found a nice stop 2Km from honfleur which was free and had a large football/basketball court for jake to play in

... eye-sore. We didn't even get out of the car...we stayed on the road and headed to Etretat. I loved Etretat. The weather was perfect, around 80 degrees or so, and the wonderful rocky beach looks just like Monet's painting. It was such a treat to lay out on the beach (I had forgotten to bring a bathing suit with me so I have a funny tan now...and yes, I used sun screen) A few interesting things happened along the way. First, I stepped in mule ...

... sitting on tarmac... We arrived at Charles De Gaulle airport and our nightmare started as soon as we got on highway. We couldn't figure out which sign on top of the toll meant (they didn't have words, but only pictures), so we pulled into the highway card only toll ...