Our last day! We awoke early, and were on the road by about 8.30am. This was our last day, and we definitely had to make it to Dieppe in time for the ferry. Our map led us past another pretty cathedral, and then up a hill. A Very Big hill. Most of us ended up walking up it, coz it was quite steep! Silly hill. We decided that Rouen was kinda in a hole, so the way we were going, any way to get out was up a hill. That made us feel slightly better. We had 60+ kms to get to Dieppe, so thought we would get a nice start. Once at the top of the hill, it was pretty easy after that. Lots of cute, old houses, and even a few with thatched roofs, and grass growing on top. We found another tiny town, another patisserie, and got a bit carried away again.
All the french people seem to go out and by their breakfast from the patisserie every morning. True, that theyre mostly buying baguettes, and not all the yummy tarts and pastries, but we usually had a bit of a wait, and there was usually a line, to buy all the delishuz things.
Breakfast was a long time in coming that day, and 30km later, we found a little pull over place to sit and eat. Turns out it was the place that the local French people came to fill up their bottles with spring water, as in the half hour we were sitting there, four separate cars came, pulled out their boxes of empty bottles, filled them up at the spring, loaded them into their cars, and drove off again. We followed suit, emptying all our bottles, and filling them up with delishuz french springwater.
Lots more biking, a couple of bright squirrels, and a squished snake on the road, lots of cute houses, and we eventually made it back to the place where we had tea and coffee, near a little lake, at the beginning of our trip. Looked a bit different in the day.
We headed in to Rouen, where we discovered all shops are either closed on Sunday, or close at 1pm. We biked around, praying to find a pattiserie, and luckily we did, where we stocked up on our last lot of bread, cheese and pastries. The lady in the pattiserie looked very, when I managed to ask for everything in French, including saying ‘That’s all”. The range of response when trying to talk to the locals in French was always interesting. Pretty much all were pleased when we actually tried, though some would just talk to us in English, once they realised we spoke it. The smaller towns were always interesting, as often the locals would speak little English, if at all, so we would definitely have to try.
At the last moment on the way to the ferry, we found a little market, where we got the last of our provisions (IE cheese to take home, and drinks for on the ferry), and then headed to check in to the ferry.
Going from England to Europe, they don’t seem to care all that much. However, going from anywhere in Europe, INTO England, man, they ask a lot of questions. Who are you? How long are you staying? Where have you been? What is your job? Where is your husband? What do all your family members do? Will you promise me your first born child?
Well, not quite that extreme. But I usualy have to tell them exactly where I went, and why, how long was I away, and why I want to re-enter England, who I am travelling with.. . I think they ask more questions than even the USA did.
Anyway, again with the weird biking through customs, weird exciting. We headed onto the boat, found comfortable seats, and proceeded to spend the four hours: eating, yum, playing cards, watching the sunset, napping, reading, and being tired. Off the ferry in NEwhaven, then the bike back in the dark, along the undercliff trails, to home! Arrived about 11.30pm, all ready to go to work tomorrow.
Dale and Becca 