We picked up Carolyn & Lucca (Rod’s sister and great nephew) at Yvetot and headed to Etretat to enjoy the cliffs and spend some time here. The day was cool but stunning and sunny not like when we previously visited on our bikes. We wanted to visit the gardens but they were closed for maintenance – in other words hedge trimming that the French are obsessed with, they are trimmed to perfection with machines that have string lines and trimmers attached to them. We enjoyed the cliffs taking numerous photo’s – a photographers paradise I was having fun.  

We left and headed to the famous fishing village of Honfleur experiencing the Pont de Normandie enroute into Honfleur – WOW what a bridge!!! The Kiwi's were very excited crossing the bridge and a bit freaked out how high it was and of course in Europe user pays - a toll to cross. The evening was quite chilly however we were determined to sit outside, have a drink and soak up the town and harbour atmosphere, we missed out on a place in the sun and ended up in a restaurant that was a bit of a tourist trap due to the location, all in all it was ok, at least the view was great, we left feeling cold and a bit deflated on our experience in Honfleur  

Next morning - our thoughts were turned as we experienced the town market, WOW what fantastic market it was, we went a bit crazy buying food as we were staying in a farm gite that evening and knew we could cook a meal for ourselves - we came away with, chicken, pickled pork, a pork terrine, veges, strawberries, melons, and for picnic a few quiches, it was a great market!!! The town was bursting with people on the Saturday by the time we headed out, glad to be leaving, in another hour we could tell you wouldn't be able to move in this little - so called fishing village - really a tourist town now. Our drive took us south through Calvados & Cider country, the villages, countryside lovely. We stopped for a Cider tasting at an old farm - the cider was like old smelly socks!!! - funny experience in the old cave with big old barrels that they don't use anymore. Rod was loving it talking with the old guy - he spoke no English and our French is very limited - it was smiles all round and we bought a bottle of the old sock tasting cider and promised Rod could have it all to himself.

Next stop a upmarket cider producer, Domain Dupont - whowzer - this is more like it....... We tasted about 5 different ciders and 2 Calvados - too strong for me.  I absolutely loved the reserve cider it was like an amazing champagne so there was no discussion 2 bottles of that please yumo. We headed to our farmstay gite and cooked an amazing meal, with reserve cider, only meaning to have 1 bottle but it was so good we cracked the 2nd and scoffed that too. The veges, potatoes, carrots & beans all tasted amazing with Normandy butter and pickled pork for dinner. To top it off as if we hadn't had enough we had a traditional Normandy pastry - kinda weird a fluffy meringue with spiced apple and crunchy pastry - ohlala those 5 kilo's I have lost since leaving home are going back on - better get on that bike!!!!