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Travel StoriesA Holiday In Normandy
Hot In Honfleur
Ride Date 21 June 2026
By Ren Withnell
Apparently it's going to be hot this week. I had worried before we set off that this holiday might be cold wet and windy, according to Dave's phone app we're looking into the high 30s (Celsius, none of your Fahrenheits here) today and a chance of 39 this week. Oooo that's gonna get sticky real fast, it could be as much of a problem as rain.
It seems our accommodation is working for us. It's a little odd having Meg and Stan asking if they can use the peculiar shower cubicle in our room but it's no problem. Some of the crockery has been left a little less clean than we'd like by the previous occupiers but we can wash them. Sharon doesn't rate her mattress much but she's slept well enough. It's not ideal but then nothing is, it's all fine.
Luke isn't quite walking yet but his crawling pace is sufficiently fast enough to be causing an appropriate amount of chaos. He's a happy fellow, exploring his new world by grabbing everything and bashing it, or chewing it, or tossing it away. With 6 adults(?) he's supervised, keeping the chaos to a superficial level.
Dave and Luke, a right pair of cheeky chappies.
After 3 days on the road there's no real plan at all today. I have a notion to revisit Honfleur where Sharon and I took our first foreign trip back in 2011. Sharon agrees and eventually it seems we're all piling into Honfleur. It's a slow, easy, and relaxed morning though and we're not even thinking about leaving until lunchtime. Big mistake.
Sharon and I will ride into town, the rest will jump into Dave's rental car. This leads to a complicated and convoluted plan... OK, deep breath. I know where to park in Honfleur, there's a space where all the other bikes park near the harbour. Dave wants to charge up the rental - it's eleccy see - and there's charging points in Honfleur. Once parked and on charge Sharon and I will make our way to the car and leave our bike kit in there so we can walk around unencumbered.
With me so far? Oh the best laid plans of mice and men.
By the time we're kitted up and ready to ride it is clammy, hot, and disconcertingly bright outside. Of course I expected there to be countryside in Normandy - but I hadn't expected it to be quite this nice. I didn't really notice yesterday as I was tired and focused on just getting to the gite and settled in. There's hills here, nothing radical but sufficient to make interesting curves through the trees and fields.
The outskirts of Honfleur are - to be frank - ordinary. Car dealerships, Lidl and McDonalds, builder's merchants, you get the idea. The town centre itself is where it starts to become charming, it's also here I realise our mistake. It's heaving. This is Sunday afternoon on a nice sunny day. The French still restrict their Sunday trading hours more rigidly than we do in Blighty, so this means not only is the centre filled with tourists like ourselves it's likely filled with many locals also enjoying the day.
Parking the bikes is fiddly, but manageable. Dave et al in the car however are struggling. One charging point isn't working. Sharon and I wait. Another is occupied by a non electric car. Sharon and I boil in our bike gear while waiting. Dave drives to another charging station - occupied. Sharon and I sit in the shade melting. The final charging station is out of order. He gives up and parks in a regular space.
We lock the helmets to the bike, I deposit my jacket etc into Dave's car and Sharon actually changes into a summer dress discreetly. Ideally I'd like to be in shorts but my work-style bike pants will have to do, this being said it's far far better than walking around in this now scorching sunshine while carrying my helmet, jacket, gloves, and tank bag.
You'd never know she'd ridden a motorcycle here.
In spite of the excess of tourists and visitors I'm glad to report Honfleur is still a lovely town. All too soon there's talk of getting food as we walk by numerous restaurants. We approach one and scan the menu outside. The younger folks all agree this place looks fine, personally it's mostly sea food and I believe if we were meant to eat fish we'd be born with gills. Meh, it'll be fine, there'll be something I can have but the prices are making my eyes water.
Busy, but a lovely harbour at Honfleur.
Either Sharon can read my reticence after all these years and takes pity on me, or she's just not feeling it herself either. "What do ya think? I can't say I'm all that bothered myself" she says to me. I have no hesitancy in stating I concur. "We'll catch you guys later, go enjoy your meal we'll get a snack from someplace." Blimey, I got out of that one Scott free!
We leave them too it, the restaurant looks like chaos. We meander a little more, sweating, even suffering in the heat. We find a small supermarket on the edge of the town centre where we purchase some snacks and drinks, momentarily enjoying the air cooled comfort and the chill of the fridge area. We find shade and a rock to sit on beside the car park. It's hardly classy dining and the scenery ain't up to much yet there's a simple pleasure in just watching the folks parking while chatting with Sharon.
We wander, we take some pictures, then we're re-joined by the rest of the crew. I'm not getting the sense their meal was the best ever and there was indeed plenty of chaos in the restaurant, they are however fed and watered. We continue to look around Honfleur while dodging bus-loads of oriental tourists, frustrated locals, and sweating Brits. The problem with nice places is lots of people go to nice places.
Sharon captures the only quiet bit of Honfleur today.
By the time we're swapping back to bike gear at Dave's rental car my feet are aching and I'm too damn hot. I really don't want to walk any more, nor do I want to don my jacket, back protector, gloves and helmet. The merest of relief comes once the engine is started, we're on the move, and the air flow takes the edge off. It's stinkingly hot. I make a short detour to look around though I'm just not feeling it. We stop a moment in some random village, consider whether to have a look, then decide it'll be better to get back to the gite and get out of this clammy bike kit.
It's a right old faff getting out of the bike gear. It sticks to me, I have to peel off my pants turning them inside out, shake myself out of the jacket, then slither out of my tshirt. I jump in the shower for a quick rinse and don fresh clothing. It's hot. It's too blummin' hot. We while away a couple of hours by dipping in the pool, moaning about being too hot, hiding in the shade, and I have an old man nap.
Oh! Apparently we're dining out for tea. We're going into Pont-Audemer, a nearby town some 5 miles away. Sharon and I get into the back of Meg's car, and Meg puts on the air conditioning. Oh... my... goodness! That feels so so so very very good. It feels like a weight off my chest, like there is hope for the world. The word "oppressive" is used to describe heat, now I understand. Maybe we should just travel in a car Sharon?
Opening the door 15 minutes later is like opening the oven to get out a Sunday roast. I just want to stay in the car, someone bring me a takeaway please, and leave the motor running for the air-con. We're parked across from a restaurant outside of town, but not the one we're heading to. As we walk into the town Pont-Audemer is clearly a very busy place this evening.
There appears to be a music festival. Crowds fill the broad streets as various artists strum and sing into PAs. It's a cacophony of drums and twangs and vocals, all intermixed and muddled into the chatter and murmur of the crowds. This is definitely not my comfortable place, I'm coping admirably though. We connect with Beth, Luke, and Dave who's happily finally got the EV on charge somewhere over there. He was down to 7%.
The restaurant we're after is not just full, it's rammed solid. We'll not be dining there. We meander between the crowd, the PAs, the singers and the food stalls. It's chaos, why on earth people go to festivals of any kind is beyond me. This restaurant is just a bar tonight because of the event, that place stopped serving at teatime. This one is packed to the rafters. By the time we've meandered for half an hour it's starting to go dark.
I... I don't think we'll bother dining here, looks quite busy at the moment.
Guess where we end up... back at the first restaurant we parked across the road from. This apparently is Lebanese food. Errrr... OK... I have zero knowledge of Lebanese food, but here we go. Oh hang on it looks like they're closing, no, wait, they'll keep open just for us! Blimey. While everywhere else is rammed this place being outside of the town centre we have to ourselves, and a few staff. Should I be worried about that?
As a child I was your typical picky eater. I have broadened my pallet in my dotage, but it's still nowhere near as broad as Sharon's extended family. Luckily the food is brought in shared dishes which means I can try things without having to eat a whole plate of it. I've heard of falafel, I learn it's edible but meh. There's something kebab like that I rather enjoy but I wouldn't know what to ask for. Something chickeny in a sauce is good, but the red meat thing is, well OK but no thanks.
No chips, no sausages, no baked beans! Is this even food?
If friends were dining Lebanese I might join them, but it wouldn't be an option I'd actively seek out. I'm secretly quite proud of myself for at least trying. The air is cooling in the evening but it's still too warm, get me into that air-con car!
As I settle into the bed it's still sticky warm. This trip feels different, logically because it is different. I'm with not just Sharon but her extended family. We've used cars not just motorcycles. We're staying here we're not touring. It's hot. And yet I'm fine, it's fine, I'm here and I'm doing and I'm at ease with it. Strange, I can do holidaying as well as touring.
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A Holiday In Normandy - Prologue
France! Well northern France because our soft arsed lazy writers can't be bothered to go any further. It's time for excuses and explanations as to why The Dynamic Muppets are off on holiday and not an exciting expedition.
Bedfordshire Is Not In France
And they're off to France! Well Bedfordshire today, but they will get to France eventually... hopefully... maybe?
Struggling Into France
It's time to go to France, alas there's far too much time to go to France. Ren is early, the trains are late, it's hot, and it's disorganised. Oh and Sharon's life flashes before her eyes - or was it a Transit van?
Finally To The Gite
It's a much less stressful day's ride today. Good weather, a sensible mileage to cover, and no reason to rush. Fear not Ren will find a few things to gripe about.
Hot In Honfleur
It's hot, it's busy, and it's all a bit odd. In spite of all this and some confusing food Ren might possibly at risk of almost having an OK day?
Reader's Comments
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Having fun as usual then.....
In my experience the restaurants clustered round harbours and the like are generally overpriced and not particularly good. It's better to explore the side streets. It's a long time since we were in Honfleur but I seem to remember a cheap little place up the hill from the big church (which itself is worth a look).
French sundays? Love 'em. They do know how to live don't they?
I think we ate at the pictured restaurant in Pont Audemer on our trip in 2004. It does look very familiar. Mind you, there are a lot that look like that.
Oh, the music festival? It's an annual event - la fête de la musique. Apparently it covers the whole of France. I'd never heard of it till a couple of years ago when we stumbled across it in Malestroit. Brilliant - musicians of all types on every street corner. And free!
01/09/2026 14:48:18 UTC
Bogger said :-
I think that you really enjoy being pampered. Hard, rough camping biker?
Yeah my a**e. You like the good life too much pal.
The next story from you boyo needs real hardship and suffering please. Bike breakdowns, getting soaked and frozen. We want mental and physical exhaustion. Getting lost, running out of fuel. You get the drift man.
Air conditioned cars for Gods sake!
Bogger
01/09/2026 16:30:46 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Too many people Ian! I think I'm getting old and grumpy see.
Fear not Bogger, there's bound to be rain on the next trip (in fact I can guarantee it, I'm looking at it from the tent right now). How do you keep an idiot in suspense? All be revealed.
01/09/2026 18:34:12 UTC
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Travel StoriesA Holiday In Normandy