Exploring Etretat.

Étretat is really nice. Well worth a visit. I can't remember who recommended it, but it was a good tip. The town radiates out from the pebble beach, with enormous cliffs at either end. One cliff has a chapel at the top while the other cliff has a noticeable lack of a chapel. Although a ww2 bunker sits at the base.

The streets are closed off, I assume for the festival. I think it might be a festival of closing streets, because that is the only inkling I've had that anything special is going on. It is called the Offenbach festival, if anyone knows what that means.

The camp-site is maybe a kilometre from the beach so I rode my bike down this morning and went for a swim. The water was about as cold as any I've been in. I couldn't breath at first. After a minute or so I got used to it and as is always the case, it's nice once you're in. I built a sandcastle out of pebbles. Although it was more difficult to build and doesn't look as nice, it's defensive capabilities far outstrip it's sand beach counterparts.

I climbed up the chapel-less cliff (Monet did a painting of it with some Sardinian fishing boats in front, which I think is pretty rubbish but apparently is wonderful if you feel like some googling), which is the larger of the cliffs, and the view was incredible. If I had my quadcopter I could have made a killing selling the video footage. I might climb the chapelled cliff this evening. The potential for sunset photos is strong here.

Étretat was the reason why I cycled from Ypres instead of getting a train to Caen, and I'm glad it is worth it. From tomorrow I'll most likely go back to wild camping, unless a camp-site happens to be where I am when it gets dark.