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Travel StoriesA Holiday In Normandy
Pretty Yport And Unfine Dining
Ride Date 24 June 2026
By Ren Withnell
Blummin' 'eck it's 'ot!
Hey guess what!? We are up early again, not quite as early as yesterday's 0730 departure but we get the side stands up at 0755 which is still impressive. Where are we going? Oh yeah.
I want to go north up to "The Alabaster Coast" (Côte d'Albâtre). That's the bit between Le Treport and Le Havre. However there's no point going to Dieppe as we'll be there on Saturday going home. Fécamp and Étretat seem popular so I expect they'll be busy. Le Havre is a city, no thank you. On Google maps I spy this little place called Yport that looks nice. That's where we are going at this early hour.
It is still too hot. Once we're moving and the air is flowing over ourselves it becomes tolerable, barely. First we cross The Tancarville Bridge and then we're into the vast open fields once more filled with golden wheat or green crops. The verges are dry and withering yet the crops seem healthy, I figure there must be irrigation? Ah this farm has cows and hay drying in the fields, it smells delightful.
I'm hoping Yport is small enough to be friendly, large enough to be interesting - I'm thinking Brixham or Tywyn (not Towyn). And for once we are lucky! Yport is just about right - there's a town centre with a few shops and cafes, but nothing excessive. We even manage to find a parking space on the sea front we don't need to pay for... as far as I can tell... hopefully... I think...
I can't see any "Vous Must Give Moi Money" notices.
The sea front.
Sharon's lid in her top box, mine hung on the mirror and locked. It is now 0915 and we're a sweltering mess as we start to explore the town on foot. As we meander Yport is turning out to be a little gem. Save for a monstrous glass and steel thing on the sea front almost all the buildings hail from previous eras in either rough-n-ready brick or I'm guessing flint and mortar construction.
It's all narrow lanes at jaunty angles, tiny houses close to grand 3 storey apartments, a garage tucked behind a wall, freshly painted render, and then intricate old brickwork. We note a few properties with unusual and time consumption pointing - the mortar juts out from the brick or flint then cuts flat, it must take an age to make it such. This is all on a gentle hillside so there's all kinds of levels at all sorts of orientations, higgledy piggledy and fascinating,
Sharon is relishing the abundance of flowers in tiny gardens or simple planters and pots outside many homes. While I might not see it with such joy as she does - it makes the place feel cared for, looked after, and enjoyed.
Yport feels loved.
It's not perfect though. The roads are patched and rough, not all houses seem to be enjoying the same level of love and care, and the age shows through in places. I prefer this as it feels real and lived in rather than some stuck in a moment museum piece. If it were not so ridiculously hot I'd be having an agreeable experience here.
Yport is not a museum, it's lived in.
We purchase a bottle of ice cold fresh orange, then sit on the steps of a narrow alleyway in the shade to share it. As we do this and discuss our findings we are joined by one of the locals - a small cat. It has no fear of us at all, approaching inquisitively, most likely hoping we have some food. It's not interested in the orange juice but it is happy to enjoy a tickle and chin scratch. Once sated for attention and no hope of food we are now merely in it's way. We move on.
Our new temporary feline friend.
The motorcycles have not been ticketed so it seems this spot is indeed free of charge... or the parking attendant hasn't been round yet... or we'll get a parking fine though the post in 4 weeks time due to ANPR. Urgh, that last thought turns my stomach. It's now 1050, the sun is high and burning brightly, it is a most unpleasant exercise restoring our jackets and helmets and gloves.
We discuss exploring a little more, there's a lighthouse at Saint-Valery-en-Caux about an hour away? It's too hot and when Sharon shows little interest in the notion I have no cause to argue. As such I set sat-nav to lead us back to the gite.
Yup, more fields, more moo-cows, and more sunshine. I wished for good weather on this trip, I didn't wish for this much good weather. By the time we're getting close to The Tancarnville I'm ready for a stop and a stretch and cool down. I blunder into Tancarville not far from the bridge and we find a cafe-come-restaurant.
If I look hot and bothered it is due to my being hot and bothered.
We were planning on just a drink. However they have burgers for €5 and a steak panini for about the same - so I order that with 2 colas. I'm thinking €14-15? €19.50?? How much are the blummin' colas?!?! Ho well, is this tourist prices again? I fear it may well be. The burger is undercooked and lobbed on a dry bun with a stray ring of onion next to it, Sharon's steak panini is undercooked mince on a flatbread with a stray ring of onion next to it. Don't ever tell me ALL French food is wonderful - I can assure you it is not.
With this disappointing experience behind us we return to the bikes and make haste for the gite in case there's any ill effects from consuming undercooked meats. There are none, thankfully, other than a huge sense of regret.
The problem with an early start is an early finish. We're back at the gite by 1315 so now there's nothing to do but relax, try to cool off, sleep, and drink copious amounts of tea and water. And yet oddly I'd rather be here in the pool or the shade than out on the bike because it's too damn hot to ride.
The only other event of note is that evening as the air finally moves from gas mark 6 to keeping the stew simmering we all take a walk to the recycling site behind the church. Luke is lifted up to help put the noisy clanky bottles into the hole that makes more clanky noises and paper into the slot. To be honest I don't think he gets it just yet (he is only 1) but he's happy to oblige. He's more interested in the trees and plants, I reckon he's a hippy.
Sharon's very good with her piccies. The church as the skies darken and the air becomes merely hot.
An outline of our route
Contact Ren via ren@bikesandtravels.com
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?
Hot And Simple Normandy
Sharon is in her element, Ren is at risk of melting as a heat wave hits Normandy. There's a little motorcycling and a lot of pool time, plus some sweating.
The Surprising River Seine
The River Seine is not at all that which Ren expected, which is a good thing for once. Save for the exceedingly hot weather and questionable pricing it all turns out rather well.
Pretty Yport And Unfine Dining
Another hot day with another simple ride, this time to The Alabaster Coast. There's a nice seaside town, and some not so nice dining in this episode.
Reader's Comments
Bogger said :-
All cooked meat in France is practically raw. De la viande tres bien Ciute s'il te plait. Merci
Bogger
16/10/2026 14:19:26 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I remember having pig in the Pyrenees many years ago, it squealed when I cut into it. A good vet could have had it up and running in no time.
Glad you're enjoying a little misery Ed, not our Sharon though. Poor girl.
Upt.
16/10/2026 16:24:21 UTC
nab301 said :-
I feel a bit queasy just reading about consuming raw meat....
Is that a new tupperware lid you have as a screen extension, I always thought you had a clear piece of perspex attached...
Nigel
16/10/2026 16:36:30 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
The original screen extension was a piece of perspex but that was eons ago nab301. It snapped off along a busy road. I've since had a tupperware lid with the sealing edges removed. That too eventually split. As you can see I now am running a full lid, hopefully the additional structure keeps things together.
16/10/2026 20:08:23 UTC
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