Villedieu-les-Poeles to Donville-les-Bains (Camping de l'Ermitage)

 Friday 2nd September

After a very noisy rainy night and a very overcast morning we left Villedieu and drove west to the coast of the Baie de St. Michel and into this campsite with no sign of any rain. 

It's quite a large site with some very hilly pitches, but we found a lovely spot at the bottom of the hill.  We have to walk out of the site to get to the beach, but it is very unspoilt and has super views in both directions.

Looking towards Granville.  NB we walk to the far tip on the right tomorrow!!

Looking north up the Cherbourg peninsular.
Dishing up dinner.

Saturday 3rd September

Today began overcast, but soon warmed up and we set off for our long walk to the Pointe du Roc beyond the old town of Granville. 

We began at sea level past these pristine beach huts.

Soon coming around the bay, up steep paths and steps.
A clever geocache en route.  The stone block had a hole through it with the black and white tube beyond reach.  But John quickly spotted the piece of pipe on the back of the road sign - placed there to be able to push the cache through!

Several sailing ships do trips out around the bay.

We stopped for a rest when we reached the gardens and the childhood home of Christian-Dior.  Cuppas and pain au chocolat at the pretty cafe.




Then it was back down steps to the promenade, getting close to our destination.


Up again - this time onto the ramparts to discover the Upper Town that developed in the 15C when the English fortified the rocky promontory as a base from which to attack Mont-St-Michel!! Cheek of it!  But this didn't last long - the Normans soon got it back again in 1442.

This was the Main Gate the English built - including drawbridge.

Super views from up here.


Just an ordinary house from the back.....

..... and the front.
The outer harbour.

The Eglise Notre-Dame

Time to eat our lunch almost at the point and to see the tall ship up close, obviously drifting while lunch is served on board.

At the point we learnt how the WWII Resistance workers have been honoured for saving so many lives.


One of many signs directing us around the ramparts and the old town.
Then the long walk back to Donville, this time staying mostly up above the cliffs.  Here, as the tide goes out, the Piscine de Mer comes into view ....

Zooming in, you can see the lower pool emerging. 

A brilliant day in a lovely place - our longest walk this holiday - 20,000 steps!

Not the greatest sunset this evening, but good to have an evening wander on the beach.  (The lone figure to the left is a young lady we inadvertantly saw changing into her bikini - she eventually reached the sea and enjoyed her late swim!)






Comments

  1. Carolyn5 September 2022 at 12:14

    That sounds a great walk! Hope you weren't too exhausted the next day!
    Writing this from our hotel in Cologne, the first stop on our holiday to Germany and Austria. Getting here was harder than it should have been; thanks to the RMT for calling an all -out train strike on the day of our return, we decided the best idea was to drive to London this morning, leaving the car in secure carparking in Camden, a 12 minute walk from St Pancras. Timing was tight and the queue at St Pancras large, but we made it onto the train with 10 minutes to spare! We zapped through France and the sun came out! Sadly the onward train to Cologne was not so efficient, engineering works added an hour to the original 2 hour journey! Glad to relax now in our lovely hotel, onward to Munich for a longer stop tomorrow.
    Love to you both and keep on blogging! x

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