Welcome to Transeurotrek.com - 3rd Trek: France
Germany Munsterland to Brandenburg
<France Aveyron to Haute Provence
ENGLISH CHANNEL TO MEDITERRANEAN
France - Calais to Normandy
FIRST SECTION 9 to 16 March 2010. Calais (Nord Pas-de-Calais) to Hangest (Picardie) by GR 128, 120, 121 & 123 - 176Km.
Started on the Channel coast in Calais and made our way southwards inland. It was impossible to follow the GR consistently as we had to stray away to find accommodation and this kept us away from the coastal route. A lot of small quiet roads - which meant sore feet - with some field paths and woodland trails. The sky was clear for the whole week with a strong and cold north-east wind. Undulating farmland through some poorly maintained farm hamlets and small rivers. There were big views to the Channel, electricity pylons, quarries and drainage ditches. Recent heavy rains had washed soils away and created deep clefts in the fields. We entered forests after Condette south of Boulogne-Sur-Mer before coming out once again onto exposed open fields with no hedges. A pleasant hour by the side of the river Canche after Beutin then the day was spent on the road until the last hour through the forest into Hesdin-Marconne. We left Pas-de-Calais for Picardie at Dompierre en Authie. The countryside around Crecy en Ponthieu had more little valleys and villages and smaller hedged fields alongside the big fields. Deeply set hedged paths gave shelter from the wind, now gone round to the west. Much more off-road walking and along sweeping ancient field paths. Overnight in St Riquier next to the huge benedictine abbey in white stone and visible from miles away. On the last day dropped down to Hangest-sur-Somme on quiet paths and along the Somme canal towpath in warm spring-like weather. Passed the spot where Maurice Ternisien was shot by the occupying Germans just one day before Liberation in 1944. His memory lives on.
SECOND SECTION 15 to 25 May 2010. Longpre les Corps Saints (Picardie) to Breteuil (Normandie) by GR hors, 25 & 222 - 249Km.
A sunny warm week through pretty farming countryside dotted with attractive half-timbered homes. Hard dry tracks and temperatures soaring to 40C by the end, made for tiring walking. Discovered Chambres d'Hotes - high quality B&Bs with evening meals. Lots of chat with our hosts about the area and its food, drinks and culture. Enjoyed calvados, pommeau, walnut liquers and cider. Started at Longpre les Corps Saints on the Somme just along from where we finished in March as accommodation logistics made it difficult to continue from Hangest. Easy walking across huge fields of wheat, clover, barley, peas and rape. Mostly field paths with small bluebell-strewn woods. Few flowers in the fields - driven out by the farming methods we guessed. On through Picardie on prairies of fields with long views. Lots of larks and some butterflies- white and blue. Crossed River Bresle from Picardie into Normandie (Seine-Maritime) with deeper longer valleys with more woods and more mixed farming with cattle - white, brown, black & white - and more hamlets and small streams to cross. Dropped into valley north of Neufchatel to follow the River La Bethune southwards along a cycle track from Dieppe (Avenue Vert)and then lanes with flowery hedgerows and butterflies. Aternoon tea at Ry on River Crevon. Came across the well-maintained graves of a Canadian airman and two Frenchmen killed in May 1944 near Heronchelles. Followed the first significant Grand Randonnee on our route, GR25 through Rouen, a lovely city once we had found a way across the highway around it. The city is separated from the River Seine by a 6-lane highway and a railway and consequently features little in the life of the city. Enjoyed visiting the cathedral - beautiful mediaeval stain-glass and architecture. Poorly signed, unattractive, route above the Seine southwards and we rarely saw the river until crossing it on a very busy bridge with no provision for pedestrians and cyclists, to reach the attractive town, Pont de l'Arche. From there the deciduous forest stretched south to Evreux with breaks for mixed farmland where we followed the pretty River l'Iton for three days. Lots of wildlife: deer, snake, fox, coypu, hare, shrews, beetles and the butterflies were plentiful: red admirals, swallow tail, speckled wood, brimstones, skippers, fratilleries, whites, Adonis blues, holly blues. The birds were especiallly noisy this week - lapwings, woodpeckers, cuckoos, blackbirds, robins, wrens, blackcaps, whitethroats, willow warblers, chiff chaffs, great tits.
DISTANCE FROM ENGLISH CHANNEL (LA MANCHE) – 425Km = 266 miles
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