Normandy: Etretat

When in Normandy, try to visit Etretat. This little town on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean is about 40 minutes driving from Le Havre and is best known for its beautiful chalk cliffs including 3 natural arches and a pointed formation called l'Aiguille (the needle). This place inspired many great artists like Claude Monet and Eugène Boudin.

Once you arrive and walk onto the pebble stone beach, you'll be stunned by this natural beauty and the turquoise blue color of the Atlantic Ocean.

You can enter a walking path which takes you to the top of the cliffs. From there the view is magical, but due to a slight wave of fog we couldn't take the pictures we wanted to take. Absorbing the moment is more than enough for me, as the real stuff is always better than the one you see on a picture.

On the other side of the beach there is another walking path which leads to a church on top of another cliff.

We decided to skip it as the kids were a bit tired, and preferred to throw stones into the ocean. The dissapointment when someone like me has to settle for half of the beauty around, is not an easy one. But then again, I was pleased that they (they are 6 and 8) enjoyed the steep walk to the top of the first cliff without complaining.