My journey in France...
Rouen and Dieppe
Visit in Normandie (August 27th 2000). That is the region of France where my ancesters left to colonize the new world. That is on those beaches that the new world came to give a helping hand nearly 300 years later...
The first Lemieux to disembark in Nouvelle-France, Pierre of its first name, was originating from Rouen. It's my grand-mother that told me when she learned I was going to visit the place.
The Normandie, although it neighboring Britain, is not at the door!
Given it was my first visit in the region I decided to ride along the secondary roads in order to appreciate the landscape.
On the same occasion I would also try to look for my ancesters' genealogy! And why not a small breakfast while arriving.
Rouen
Arrived on the scene: desapointment. I expected a small and quiet place where I could spot the local touristic office, sit on a terrace at a public square, take beer while having a * , look at the people, etc.
Well there's no deluding. First it took me half an hour before arriving in downtown. Rouen is far to be a countryside village: it's a heavily industrialized city. So we can forget about "finding things easily". Moreover it's Sunday and everybody disappeared. Where? I have no idea.
As I observe the area that is exactly what I would do too...
So I found no touristic office, no public square, and given there is nobody around, I had no breakfast. That is a bad start for a Sunday...
Now that I know what the place is all about, I gonna try to find some gems around here.
Being located on the verge of the Seine, the city sits on many hills. A bit like San Francisco but less clean. Perhaps ther will be some interesting photos to taken from the top of those hills.
The southern side of Rouen |
The western side of Rouen |
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Zooming in the previous picture: a community garden. |
Dieppe
Rouen being deserted there was nothing alse to do over there. So taught I could visit the seacoast. And Dieppe was not that far to the North. I would also have the opportunity to see the large cimetery dedicated to the soldiers that died at the Normandie landings. As the one we see at the beginning of Saving Private Ryan.
Arrived on the scene: contentment. I found the people, a public square, a terrace: finaly a place like I imagined! An more importantly a place to eat and have a fresh beer!
Being gastronomicaly filled, I started to look for the famous cimetery. At the restaurant they told me there was precisely a Canadian military cimetery in the area. And guess on which street it is located?
Ok, that is not the one in Saving Private Ryan, but let say that this one, though smaller, is symbolicaly greater due to its patriotic atmosphere. And why not going to see the famous Normandie beaches?
The Normandie beaches, at least those of Dieppe, are filled with white pebbles. And this is not some 0-3/4"; they are heavy-duty 2-5". Try to walk on this! This is not surprising there was a massacre at the landings.
But as we go down to the sea, the size of the pebble reduces, and at leats some fine sand appears at the foot of the waves.
The Normandie's cliffs are intriguely very different from those of Britain: They are all white. I don't know why they are like that?
On the way back
It was becoming late so I left for Rennes. It took about 15 minutes before I catch up with a series of tourists driving slowly. You know those kind of drivers like the one that arrived at Rouen sooner that same day...
I decided to take the paying highway, without knowing if at the other end I would have to pay cash, and especially how much money it was to cost me. Thinking back at the earlier tourists, the decision was almost immediate.
Whoua! Liberty! 130 km/h on the road signs! Bye-bye slow drivers! Althoug I'm running on the highway, there are nice landscapes. Excep that it pass much faster than this morning...
The toll was fair finaly. Except for the Normandue bridge where I found the toll a bit salted, as well as the place indeed...
In summary, an excellent ride back, and a very interesting trip overall.
* In France, at noon, we breakfast. And in the evening, we lunch. This way, either we are in Quebec or in France, everybody breakfast or lunch at the same moment!
The
pictures contained in the following web pages were realized by, and
are the property of: Martin Lemieux (a.k.a. Maître Bart).
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