Étretat - the place and how I got there
Paris was a pretty full on time. I definitely needed another recovery period, especially considering I'll be heading back to work very soon. I had been thinking about where to go next for quite a while and the obvious choice was to head to Belgium, which is en route to Amsterdam where I fly out from. Something in me didn't feel excited about this idea. It wasn't Belgium, because I've wanted to go there for a long time, so I have no idea what it was. Just a feeling, I guess.
On Saturday night in Paris, I met a French girl named Clémence. I was in bed about to go to bed on Sunday night when I thought I'd try my luck and ask her for a recommendation. The brief was somewhere quiet, small, with beautiful views, not so touristy, and French people who don't speak much English. She suggested Étretat, which I had never heard of before. I didn't look it up beforehand on purpose except for its location, and trusted her description. That's how I ended up coming here.
I was startled upon arrival at the place. My bearings were completely thrown off and I ended up walking around in a big circle and ended up back at the bus stop where I disembarked. I looked around, and there was a tourist information office directly in front of me. Silly me.
It was dark and all I could see were closed restaurants and shops. Cobble-stone roads and old, church-like houses and buildings. Narrow roads for cars with even narrower walkways on the side that my suitcase could just fit in. It was sort of like a ghost town. I felt like I was in a suburban area from the 1800s. I checked into my hotel and went out to find dinner. Nothing seemed to be open and I walked towards the only lit area in the town. When I got up to the T intersection, I marvelled at what I found. It was the beach! I knew already that the town was on the coast, but I had completely forgotten about this due to my initial surroundings. The opposite ends of the beach was brightly lit in fluorescent white. On these ends were huge cliffs that had naturally formed arches at the base of them. It sort of looked like a film set with the lighting and all.
Étretat is famous for its three arches. Two of them are visible from the main town, but the third is only visible once you climb the left cliff, looking out towards the ocean. The place has been used by many artists and authors to inspire their work, including one of Monét's paintings. It was incredible seeing green grass, specks of snow, massive cliffs, big rocks, the ocean, the arches, and even a cave all in one line of sight. It matched the absolute awe-struck feeling I experienced upon reaching Lake McKensie during our Routeburn hike in late 2013.
On Saturday night in Paris, I met a French girl named Clémence. I was in bed about to go to bed on Sunday night when I thought I'd try my luck and ask her for a recommendation. The brief was somewhere quiet, small, with beautiful views, not so touristy, and French people who don't speak much English. She suggested Étretat, which I had never heard of before. I didn't look it up beforehand on purpose except for its location, and trusted her description. That's how I ended up coming here.
I was startled upon arrival at the place. My bearings were completely thrown off and I ended up walking around in a big circle and ended up back at the bus stop where I disembarked. I looked around, and there was a tourist information office directly in front of me. Silly me.
It was dark and all I could see were closed restaurants and shops. Cobble-stone roads and old, church-like houses and buildings. Narrow roads for cars with even narrower walkways on the side that my suitcase could just fit in. It was sort of like a ghost town. I felt like I was in a suburban area from the 1800s. I checked into my hotel and went out to find dinner. Nothing seemed to be open and I walked towards the only lit area in the town. When I got up to the T intersection, I marvelled at what I found. It was the beach! I knew already that the town was on the coast, but I had completely forgotten about this due to my initial surroundings. The opposite ends of the beach was brightly lit in fluorescent white. On these ends were huge cliffs that had naturally formed arches at the base of them. It sort of looked like a film set with the lighting and all.
Étretat is famous for its three arches. Two of them are visible from the main town, but the third is only visible once you climb the left cliff, looking out towards the ocean. The place has been used by many artists and authors to inspire their work, including one of Monét's paintings. It was incredible seeing green grass, specks of snow, massive cliffs, big rocks, the ocean, the arches, and even a cave all in one line of sight. It matched the absolute awe-struck feeling I experienced upon reaching Lake McKensie during our Routeburn hike in late 2013.
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