Tuesday, July 1: France, Fécamp to Étretat

On the road early for us – about 10:30. We left Jumiéges, heading to the coastal town of Étretat when I noticed in the guidebook that a nearby town called Fécamp is the home of Benedictine liquor and was open for tours. We gave the GPS new directions and it took right to the gate (as long as we ignored the occasional make a u turn and recalculating it did when it did its temporary insanity thing) and we found parking right across the street. The tour didn't start until 2:00, so we had lunch and a nap.

Prettiest Factory I have ever seen

This palais (mansion) was built in the late 1800's by a man who discovered the monks' secret recipe, using 27 different herbs and plants, for Benedictine liquor that had been lost during the 1780's revolutionary times. He built this monstrous mansion to house his factory and a museum that contained artifacts from the abbey that had been disbanded by the revolutionaries. Lots of stained glass, vaulted ceilings, gigantic chandeliers, fancy woodwork and stonework – every room was a different over-the-top design statement. The artifacts were incredible – I loved the illuminated manuscripts from the 1500s.

Next we went into the cellars where the aging liquor is stored in huge oak casks. It takes two years to make the liquor from start to finish. We ended up in a tasting room where we could compare the basic Benedictine liquor to Benedictine Brandy (liquor mixed with brandy). The obligatory shop was at the end of the tour and we did buy a bottle, probably more expensive than we could have purchased it at home, but this is special – bought right at the source!

We drove the short 40 miles west to Étretat, another town on the English Channel. We found our campground just outside of town, settled in, and with the rainy skies clearing, we walked to enjoy the quaint seaside resort. Lots of neat buildings, many private mansions hidden behind double rows of 7' hedges, and half-timbered stores, hotels and restaurants. 

We see these thatched roofs occasionally

Note the interesting tile and brick work, especially the twisted chimney in the center

This area is called Côte d'Albârtre – Alabaster Coast because of its white cliffs – similar to the white cliffs of Dover across the Channel. At each end of the pebble beach are massive white cliffs jutting out to the sea, ending in dramatic arches. On top of one is a pretty little church. We were surprised by the blue/green color of the water as I expected the dark gray of the north Atlantic.

Weather is forecast to be in the high 60s/low 70s and sunny for the rest of the week.