Holidays at the mountain, at the sea or in villages? What do you prefer? This was the question in my French language book when I first started learning it in the year 2005. Later, the same question also arose when I took some Italian lessons. Quite funny! Isn’t it? Often, the words and ideas take a whole new meaning when we actually get to live and experience them. At least for someone who grew up in India, this question seemed very intriguing. Leisurely vacation is an alien concept for most of the Indians, and perhaps will remain so for quite some time. And that too, vacations, the French way, are a wonder apart! Holidays are institutionalised in France with the two major ones during summer (July-August) and Christmas (December), but also as winter (February), spring (April) and autumn (October) breaks. Of course, the duration for each of these vacations and the activities that one chooses to do, are matters of personal choice.
For me, it had to be the sea this time. Since last few years, I have developed a strong affection for the sea. To the point that to me, a year without a visit to the sea is like a year lost! And Covid did make the year 2020, a lost year. So, I had to make sure that 2021 does not suffer the same fate. But here again, it was rather chance that came into picture and brought me so close to the sea. Because initially, my plan was to follow on bicycle, the Somme river, from Amiens in the north of France until Saint-Valery-sur-Somme (in Upper Normandy), where it meets the sea (British Channel). But just a couple of days before, I had to change this destination due to inclement weather.
So finally, I left Paris in the morning of Tuesday 13th July 2021 in a train until Caen, which is in Lower Normandy (basse normandie). It is a TER (regional train) that has a special coach to transport bicycles. As luggage, I had with me saddle bags (sacoches) for the bicycle as well as a detachable basket in front. The luggage I carried mainly consisted of some cloths, a raincoat, a sleeping bag, an inflatable mattress, a light weight tent, few bicycle repair tools and a book. In all, weighing around 15-20 kg. The plan was to do a solo weeklong bicycle journey between the coastal cities of Caen and Cherbourg. Additionally, after a night’s stay at Cherbourg, I went to meet an Indo-French couple (a friend’s friend!) at a nearby village (around 30 kms away) with its famous Sciotot beach and camped overnight there. In 7 days, I visited innumerable small and beautiful villages on the French west coast, covering around 275 kms in all. For the return journey to Paris on 19th July, I took a train from Cherbourg. The inspiration for this solitary trip had come to me after reading the magnificent travelogue “Les Chemins Noirs“ by the famous French author Sylvain Tesson.
During this trip, I had a broad rule that I would do the bicycling during the day until 18h. (July in France meant that it would become dark not before 22h30h!) From 18h-20h I would start looking for a suitable site to camp. The ideal place for camping for me was a place that is a bit secluded and has a flat, even surface. I used to have lunch in restaurants while for the evening, I often settled for a sandwich. For the breakfast, I usually had fruits and also the famous French bakery delicacies (croissants, pain au chocolat and much more)! In the morning, I used to make a break at the village cafés for a coffee and get my water bottles refilled. While, the afternoon lunch breaks at the restaurants also meant a recharge opportunity for my mobile and power banks.
Arrived at around 11h in the morning of the first day at Caen, I started exploring the city on my bicycle. What stunned me were the beautiful and exquisite churches and ancient buildings in the city! I had read almost nothing about this place beforehand, and thus, everything was a like a pleasant surprise. In particular, the carvings on the churches are intricate, detailed and yet the structures very imposing. Through the city runs a small river named Orne. Not sure that I will get to eat enough spicy doses along the French coastline, I began my culinary experience with a lunch at a Pakistani restaurant named Benazir! I guess, the name alone was intriguing enough to draw me to this place. In addition to the delicious food, the hospitality of the staff was so wonderful that I even earned a free dish!
After having lingered in the city until around 17h, I finally decided to get closer to the sea. I started the bicycle journey following the canal of the river Orne. In France, many rivers also have a canal that runs in parallel, and many a times, one sees quite a handful of factories alongside. These canals are meant to allow easy navigation of boats and also for transporting material for the factories. One good thing about the journey (for most of it) was that there was a dedicated bicycle track. After around 18 kms when I reached the first coastal village named Ouistreham, the landscape had changed. The beach was filled with families and kids all over. Running, swimming, playing…joyful was the mood! It was great to fill my lungs with all that fresh and lively sea air.
However, the clock was ticking and I had to get going to decide about where I was going to camp on my first night. I continued for some time but couldn’t find a suitable place. The problem perhaps was because this initial stretch is quite touristic with a lot of cement concrete banking and flooring. Something I hadn’t expected. When it was almost around 20h, I coincidently passed in front of a camping site. I enquired and decided to pass the night there. It was quite inexpensive and had toilets and bathrooms to offer in addition to a place for my tent. Somehow, the camping sites in France often remind me of the Indian slums, just that the former are way too resourceful, organised and comfortable! Here, I met a family of three (with a young kid) who were going on a bicycle excursion until La Rochelle! They were very friendly and offered me a fruit the next day before we said goodbye.
The ride on the following days got more interesting. The landscape, mostly left to itself, had all the charm and natural beauty to mesmerize the viewer. Also, the Normandy coastline is littered with World War II museums and monuments. On 6th June 1944 Allied forces consisting mainly of American, British and Canadian forces landed on the sea shore of many small villages in Normandy, to fight against the Germans. And thus, a lot of villages today have their own museum or memorial sites, linked to the war years. Even the beaches have names after the (American) army divisions such as Utah beach, Omaha beach, Juno beach, etc. The atmosphere unmistakably takes you to those troubled times.
The interactions I had with people on the way were quite engaging. Asians as tourists, in this part of the world are still a rarity, more so in the times of Corona. Once, in a small village, I was eating my sandwich alone, along the beach. At some distance, a group of villagers; men-women, young-old were having coffee and friendly discussions. One of them came to me, enquired caringly and then invited me to join them for a coffee. Pleasantly surprised by this kindness, I joined and left them after around 45 minutes of pleasant chat!
Getting my mobile and power bank recharged as well as the water bottle refilled, was part of the day’s routine. It went pretty smooth all along the journey, but for one instance when a bakery (boulangérie) in a small village denied refilling my water bottle, although I had bought some pastries and coffee there. Their reasoning was that since they also sold bottled water, it didn’t make business sense for them to refill my water bottle for free. I didn’t argue and left. After few minutes of bicycling, I came across a house with two ladies sitting in their garden. I stopped and requested if they wouldn’t mind refilling my bottle. They happily agreed. When I told them about the bakery experience, they were upset and started criticising by saying how people choose to be narrow-minded! I hurriedly protested saying that all my experiences with people in this journey were great and this was the only exception. And thus, it would have been unfair to judge all people as narrow-minded. By refilling my water bottle I wanted to avoid unnecessary pollution as otherwise the water bottles came really cheap.
What I enjoyed most during this trip was the possibility to stop at will and swim in the sea. The water is so welcoming, refreshing and even healing. And on almost all the occasions, it was my substitute for a daily bath! Thanks to a two litre bottle of fresh water, I could wash myself after the swim in the sea.
By the way, sleeping and waking up alongside the sea offers you some wonderful opportunities of appreciating the beautiful spectacle that both the Sun and the Moon play. On one of such nights, I had camped on a plateau of a cliff, looking at the sea. The sunset and the sunrise that I had there were simply breath-taking. At another instance, in the middle of the night, when I woke up for peeing, I had a mesmerising view of the yellow Moon, setting on the sea, with its beautiful yellow light reflected in the water! It was dark everywhere, the whole world sleeping, while the yellow, beautiful Moon whispering to the sea before finally dissolving into it. And on some other nights, I could marvel at the beautiful star lit sky, away from the city lights. I believe, these were some rare nights when I did not regret my nights’ sleep getting interrupted due to pee breaks!
During my entire trip, I had tried to stick to a route that is as close as to the sea. The navigation application Komoot that I used was quite helpful in this regard, however, it was not always easy for the bicycle. As often, there used to be a lot of sand or pebbles or thorny vegetation. Although not best suited to such terrain, during this entire week, my bicycle got punctured just once!
For those who enjoy seafood, Normandy region is a perfect destination. The restaurants offer a variety of sea creatures with some very original dishes. The 'Coquilles Saint Jacques (scallops) à la normande' was one such delicious treat. While in Cherbourg, upon recommendation by some local friends, I went to a famous restaurant named ‘La Satrouille’ and ordered an ‘assiette de la mer’ (Sea’s platter). It was a true feast with langoustines (scampis), bulots (whelks), crevettes (shrimps) and huîtres (oysters), served with mayonnaise, smashed corvettes chutni, vinegar, salade, toast, bread and butter! By the way, famous for its dairy products, the typical restaurants of Normandy always serve bread with butter.
When we travel along the sea, what accompanies us continually is the distinct, strong smell of the sea. Fortunately, I do like it. We also get to hear the music of the tides and that of the seagulls. The wind that sweeps the shore and brings in the news from far, helps keep the mood lively and playful. What struck me most were the numerous snails, occupying almost every possible surface that included plants, grass, dustbins, rocks , cement structures and a lot more. Just before saying goodbye to the sea, I brought with me in a bottle some sea water and some algae.
The vegetation along the seashore is so distinct. Many plants have very thick and long leaves. This being summer, there were beautiful flowers everywhere. I also got to go past many agriculture fields close to the sea. One morning, in one of such fields, I saw a pair of deers! And of course, herds of the famous Normandy cows as well as horses and sheeps on the way. And on one occasion, some wild rabbits as well.
Perhaps, one might wonder, didn’t I feel lonely during the trip? Not that quite. Actually, I felt that we are never really alone. Being outside, in the nature, I was always surrounded by trees, birds, animals, wind, sea…and even people. It was enough for me. Traveling solo gives us this rare opportunity of engaging with nature in a harmonious way, allowing our instincts to express, observe, feel and breathe.
It is certain that I would like to do more such trips in future. But what are the lessons learnt or aspects that I would like to improve? I guess, I would like to upgrade to a better sleeping bag, the present one being suited only for temperatures above 15°C. Some nights were indeed cold. Perhaps also look for a more comfortable inflatable mattress. A small photovoltaic power generator could also rid my dependence on restaurants for recharge of my mobile and power banks. A spare, new and tested tyre tube could help me save repair time on a punctured one. Also, choosing to consult my mobile phone as minimally as possible could help for a better immersion into the nature. Finally, a nonstop, weeklong bicycling effort in tough terrain does tire you considerably. Maybe, a day of rest after every 2-3 days could be a good compromise.
All I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. Through this solo journey, in a foreign land, I not only trusted myself but also the nature and the people. And it was worth trusting….
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