Needing only to plan our return around the continuing need to nurse Evie home by not driving too far, we left La Fléche, heading for Breteuil in the Eure department in Normandy.
Apart from giving us an excuse to swerve the Chartres, Evreux, Dreux route to Rouen, which we have done to death (and is quite dull), it meant we could approach Rouen from further west and hopefully avoid the embarrassment of getting lost we suffered on our last trip though in the autumn of last year!
Arriving at camping Les Berges de l’Ilton (€19 plus €2 taxes – the highest daily tax we have paid the entire trip), after a slightly scary drive through the mediaeval cobbled and bumpy roads of Verneuil d’Avre to the south, we were left a little underwhelmed compared to the run of excellent sites we had enjoyed so far, as the site had an air of neglect…
Still, it did have a small pool and it was adjacent to a lake and stream, so we pitched up and went for a walk into the village near the site for an explore.
Apart from the interesting town hall, built in the style of a church (as opposed to churches that were turned into town halls after the Revolution) there was not much else to keep us, so we ambled back to the site for a swim.
In spite of the chorus of frogs that started up right next to our pitch, along with all the other campers, they were tucked up in bed by 1000pm so we turned in early as well, ready for the final drive up to Dieppe the next day. How can it be our last day already?!!
We had yet to stay on any of the sites in Dieppe, so Mrs B chose one that might allow us to cycle or bus into Dieppe for supper at Le Newhaven restaurant (as recommended by Rick and previously enjoyed by us – and also, as it turned out, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so not great timing on our part!) or, to explore the nearby beaches in the afternoon.
But by the time we arrived at Camping La Source the weather had filled in and, in an almost predictable repeat of so many final afternoons/evenings/nights on the northern coast, we just put our jumpers on and hunkered down on the pitch instead!
The highlight of this site (which has an excellent heated pool too) is its location, largely surrounded by a clear and fast flowing stream, compensating for the pretty closely packed pitches!
As we sat chatting about this trip and preparing for our final French supper, we were drawn to a commotion further along the stream, where, like a bookend to our experience at Les Andelys at the start of the trip, we got to see our second Coypu, or as we now know thanks to the multinational gathering on the bank, a Ragondin (F), Nutria (D) or Beverrat (NL).
Renegades from fur farms and introduced to Europe in the 19c from South America, as cute as they may appear, they are seen largely as pests due to the damage they do to the aquatic and riverside environment.
Leaving the site just before the electronic barrier would have locked us in, (Mr B got chatting with a friendly German woman who had clocked our *U*K Brexit country designation sticker and wanted to share her sympathies – and frustrations at not being able to visit the UK without a passport now – before Brexit, EU nationals could use their country’s ID cards to travel) we made our way to the port, after a quick stop at an E.Leclerc supermarket for some final reminders of France to take home.
With the weather getting bleaker and wetter, we abandoned any plans to fit in that last bit of sightseeing, and arrived at the port rather earlier than planned.
Early on also meant first off the boat on this crossing…and fearing that this might mean we got pulled by Customs for a search, we were pleased to see that advance intelligence gathering by Customs had clearly assessed the ferry as zero risk, so there were no Customs officers to be seen, anywhere…
After a short and uneventful drive back home, we were so pleased that Evie had made it without incident, we treated ourselves to an extra night’s camping in the driveway – and slept like logs!
It’s been an interesting trip this one, with the most wind we have ever encountered on a van trip, more changeable weather, and some amazing discoveries and experiences that we likely wouldn’t have encountered had we not based the destinations (loosely) on Rick’s Secret France series! So thanks Rick, and thanks France yet again for a fabulous time! À bientôt!
S&J 03.07.23
