After a conscientious briefing and the inspection of the mobile for possible damage, we can start and set off, always to the west. We want to tour Normandy by motorhome and start our tour on a Friday evening. Our destination for the day is near Etretat on the Channel coast.
Here we can admire the sisters of the world-famous white cliffs of southern England and nowhere is the common geological past of France and England as clear as on this coast. We reach our destination late at night and the small RV park, which we actually thought was an insider tip, turns out to be hopelessly overcrowded.
Annoying, but in itself no problem, if, yes, if the place would not lie at the end of a dead end, where the access road is only one lane. This is where man and machine face their first challenge - reversing for almost a kilometer in the middle of the night and without street lighting.
Thanks to the combination of modern technology and human help, we manage to find our way back - the reversing camera proves to be a saving instrument and the co-driver an able pilot.
We spend the few remaining hours of the night at a local parking lot, and here once again the strength of the motorhome becomes apparent. No long setups, no time-consuming "pulling in", turn the key, close the blinds in the cab, turn on the gas so that the fridge doesn't have to work on the battery and then after a few minutes everyone is in a deep sleep. Hooray for freedom on four wheels!
We get our first impression of Normandy in the morning in Etretat. This impressive little town lies in a bay framed by two enormous chalk cliffs. The rocks are a reminder that there is a close geological connection with the British Isle, for there stand their "sisters", known from many postcards.
We let the late summer wind blow around our noses on the promenade and watch, shuddering, as undaunted vacationers still bravely enter the water for a swim. After a stroll through the picturesque town with its half-timbered houses in Tudor style, we set off to explore Normandy.
