We walked the GR21, along the Alabaster Coast of Normandy, between Dieppe and Le Havre. The coast is named for the white colour of the cliffs, and the colour of the sea – a pale and luminous blue, shading to darker colours. It is a holiday area made popular in the late 19thcentury and was home to many artists and writers, notably Monet, Georges Braque and Maupassant. The sea colour comes from the chalk cliffs (which are layered with dark flint) and we had many close up and long distance views of the dramatic and crumbling cliffs with their caves, arches and detached ‘needles’. Above the cliffs the land is flat, mostly farmland, with vast fields of sweetcorn – used for animal feed - and herds of cows. We became good at spotting Normandy cows – dark brown noses and eyes, and random blotches of dark brown on their white hides. The area is also full of history, often shared with the English, which we found in churches and abbeys, and also all around us in the many bunkers and other WW2 traces – the war is still  a prominent memory.

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Our daily walks were a mix of the flat farmland, woods, pretty villages with the distinctive Normandy architecture, and the dramatic descents down the wooded valleys (or valleuses) formed by the sea, to seaside villages and towns, and sometimes lonely beaches with treacherous steps. Each day we counted how many valleuses we had to cross – one day it was six! The descents and corresponding ascents were sometimes easy, and sometimes narrow, steep and stony, or with narrow steep, seemingly endless, steps.

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During the walks we visited interesting and sometimes astonishing churches and hilltop chapels, chateaux and gardens, and the wonderful Abbey in Fecamp, where Richards I and II are buried. Fecamp was our ‘day off’ and our only day of rain, so besides the Abbey, we were more or less forced to visit the Benedictine distillery and partake of their generous tastings!

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Which brings me to our hotels – a mix of modern and old, from the bland (though with good views) to the ‘quirky’. Most of us will remember the deathtrap stairs in some of them, and regret our choice of suitcase. Part of my interest in the trip was to get another taste of French food – and I was not disappointed. We had superb 3 course meals every evening, with aperitifs and wine, and of course proper bread and butter. Not only dinners, but lunches as well, always with a delicious French pastry.

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Besides Barbara’s always impeccable organisation overall, the GR21 walk was imaginatively and impressively organised by the tourist office in Fecamp, who also recommended our wonderful guide – Adeline or Adi – who took us to her heart, and who we hope will be an honorary member of EOC. She dealt calmly and kindly with every difficulty, was immensely proud of her country and of Normandy, had an intricate knowledge of history, geography, geology and botany, and a great sense of humour. We felt we could not have had a better guide.

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