Dieppe Raid and Gite holiday - 2015

On Thursday June 25 Liz, Pam, Tony, Colin, Tim and I caught the evening ferry from Newhaven, arriving latish in Dieppe. We rode round to La Plage where the ever-efficient Isabelle and daughter Camille were waiting for us.

After a leisurely breakfast (a little later than planned due to noisy gulls reducing hours of sleep for some) we headed eastish - it doesn’t matter which direction you leave Dieppe - it is UPHILL. Tim had planned a quiet route to 11s at Tourville-la-Chappelle. Soon we changed to Plan B to Criel-Plage where we found one restaurant which closed promptly despite having six customers at the door. However we dined very well across the road with huge salads various and croques messieurs for most. The return to Dieppe was via further peaceful roads passing a nuclear power station at Penly. After studying dinner menus at several restaurants we (Tony?) chose the one which offered rhum baba - a very good choice.

Saturday is market day in Dieppe - and what a market. It is well worth a visit - you don’t have to buy anything. After lunch (and another rhum baba for one of us) we split up and ‘did our own thing’ ensuring we arrived back in time for the Raid welcoming ceremony at 1700 where we met many other Sou’Westers and Raiders.

Sunday, after signing on, about a dozen of us set off on the 100k route - the same route as 2013. The route is well marked out on the road but we had two pre-programmed electronic gizmos (thanks, Tim), two maps and about twenty-four eyes (you can’t be too sure). There are usually about 250 English entries and about the same French but you see very few others on the road. The French name for the event is ‘Randonée des Trois Vallees’ but the ups and downs are easier than Surrey hills. Having covered most of the morning’s route we stopped for 11s at Les Grandes Ventes (the only opportunity), just up the road from a gite we used a few years ago. The route to lunch at St Aubin le Cauf included a few miles of an Avenue Verte, also being used by cycling families. After lunch there were a few longish climbs but well worth the effort for the views. It was wonderful to find the ‘usual’ bar open at Envermeu but surprisingly some rode by.

a celebratory drink in Dieppe

Having had an incident-free ride we arrived in Dieppe in good time for a celebratory drink before going to the prizegiving ceremony at which Pam won the award for Least Young Lady, Eric Ashford for Least Young Man and Sou’Westers for Largest Club entry. A very enjoyable day was rounded off with the traditional dinner at the Windsor Hotel.

Unfortunately Tony had had news from home and had to return Monday morning. After Isabelle supplied us with a generous picnic lunch we headed south using a different Avenue Verte to Offranville, a convenient spot for 11s. By choosing minor roads we saw very few vehicles, they gave us a wide berth, the road surfaces were good, the sun was shining - what more could a cyclist ask for? We ate at a restaurant mid-day, keeping Isabelle’s contribution for evening. The gite was at a tiny village called Villequier on the north bank of the Seine - an ideal location.

View along La Risle in Pont Audemer, by Liz

Chez nous in Villequier

Tuesday was another fine, sunny day. We started riding alongside the Seine to the nearest town, Caudebec-en-Caux, then headed south, crossing the river by the Pont de Brotonne, a high suspension bridge which had a lane for cyclists and slow moving vehicles. In Normandy there are several thatched houses - some of which have irises planted in the peak of the thatch to help anchor the thatching. The ride continued through the Forêt Domaniale de Brotonne to Bourneville then on to the picturesque old town Pont-Audemer for lunch. Continuing on minor roads to Quillebeuf-sur-Seine we crossed the river by one of the several free to all ferries and had good views of the local refinery. After briefly seeing the outskirts of Notre Dame de Gravenchon we were very pleased to find an open shop selling cold drinks, albeit only a few miles short of the gite.

Irises growing in the thatch

 
Wednesday proved to be the hottest day but it was quite pleasant riding alongside the Seine for some miles before having lunch at Lillebonne. The temperature decided the length of ride - we soon returned to Caudebec for refreshment where a nearby thermometer indicated 34C. Certainly the amber liquid available was more palatable than the lukewarm water in our bottles.

Heavy traffic at the bottom of our garden    

Thursday was much cooler riding alongside the Seine westwards but before catching another free ferry we had to don waterproofs. Fortunately there was a café just beyond the ferry and the rain had stopped by the time we emerged. We then rode mostly close to the south bank of the Seine to cross it at the Pont de Brotonne and have a late lunch at Caudebec.
 
Friday was a fine, dry day. Our ride took us east alongside the Seine before turning south east to Duclair for 11s. Continuing to ride near the river we arrived at the old  town Jumièges and its abbey. After a brief stop we had a short ride to another free ferry, after which we rode mostly alongside the Seine to our favourite Pont then returned to the gite. Despite looking all week we couldn’t find any hills comparable to Surrey’s. We then visited the Victor Hugo  Museum next door. In 1843 his daughter Léopoldine and son-in-law drowned nearby in the Seine.

Departure from our gite in Villequier

An early start was necessary on Saturday - we had about 45 miles to Dieppe by 1600. Fortunately the weather was good, we had a different return route rejoining the outgoing at Offranville. After a pleasant mostly downhill run on an Avenue Verte we were in Dieppe with plenty of time for a late lunch before catching the ferry. After disembarking we stayed at the Premier Inn, Newhaven.

Sunday morning started wet and didn’t stop raining until after 11s at Ditchling. Liz and Tim wanted to go to the Hampton Court flower show so caught a train from Lewes. Tony joined us for lunch at Pease Pottage (pub large, but well worth a visit) and we rode to Dorking where I stopped and the remainder made their own ways.

A very enjoyable trip, gite worth repeating, excellent company, thanks all.

Terry

More photos, from Terry: http://tinyurl.com/q42u69k
from Pam: http://tinyurl.com/2015PamInNormandy
from Tony: https://goo.gl/photos/m3Qv6YGTRf4s4n1p7
from Tim: http://tinyurl.com/2015DieppeRaidPhotos