After a drive of just around 300 kilometres, Wanda and I arrive at the Sûnelia L’Aiguille Creuse campsite in Les Loges. The campsite is luxurious and lies just five kilometres from Étretat. The little village is known, amongst other things, for its chalk cliffs, which were even painted by Monet.
To have a look at the cliffs, I’m going to leave Wanda at the campsite and take the bus into the village. The lady at the campsite is convinced that cycling there would be “trop dur”. But the bus timetables are so inconvenient that I treat myself to an Uber, which arrives quickly and even gives me some interesting information about the region on the way.
The village of Étretat is pretty, but also very touristy. You can climb the cliffs on either side of the village or walk along the pebble beach. It’s impressive to see the force with which the waves roll up and down over the pebbles, some of which are almost as big as a fist. I realise this particularly keenly when I try to call my family and can barely hear my own voice.
I’m supposed to be back in Wanda by 2 pm, as I’m on phone duty. But to my great surprise, there’s not a single Uber to be found anywhere. The bus doesn’t leave until after 2 pm. Luckily, I find a taxi rank with a phone number. When I call, the lady on the phone tells me she won’t be back in Étretat until 5 pm at the earliest. What now? I won’t make it in time on foot either. A friendly-looking woman is selling tickets for the tourist train next to the taxi rank. Using my limited French, I ask her if she knows anyone who could give me a lift to the campsite. It’s not that far, after all. But she shakes her head rather disinterestedly. But when I add that I’ll pay 30 euros, it takes less than ten minutes before the ticket seller’s mother, looking visibly confused, picks me up in her little car and drops me off at Wanda’s in no time at all. Luckily, because the phone rings at 2 pm sharp.
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