Le Havre to Honfleur – Climate Change en Route

It was a shorter walk today, just 14 miles, although it felt a tad longer. I set off from Hotel Premiere Classe in the dock district of Le Havre just after 10am. Breakfasted and not too damaged from the previous day’s yomp, I was heading down towards the River Seine. As I walked through this cargo port area on a Sunday it felt post-apocalyptic in its quietness, with a sense of foreboding and threat. It’s a great location for a frightening movie. Mummy, can I come home now please?

My aim was to head south for a few miles, the road then turns eastwards, up the river, to the relatively new Pont de Normandie. It’s a mile long suspension bridge joining Northern Europe and the south, without the need to spend hours in a queue around Paris to cross the river there. But for now I had to grit my teeth and get through wasteland!

The sky was grim and rain was forecasted. This added to the sense of unease. Nobody for miles, no cars, no people on the street. Nothing.

There were areas where fires had burnt on the street, and then this turned up.

I felt a little bit uncomfortable but I had my dark glasses and sleeveless black top on so I knew I was quite intimidating. Daddy come home, mummy don’t go…….thanks John.

Strangely I felt at home. I loved working in Bristol docks. Me and Maggie had some of our happiest times down there, and this heaviest of industries lies gently in my memory. Avonmouth. It’s like Avalon to me. Halcyon days.

And from the tiny Halcyon to the beautiful Swan. Cop these beauties.

As the road turned to the east, and followed the Seine upstream, I began to feel more relaxed. There were cars every ten minutes and it was more of a natural feel. Eventually the wetlands opened up to my right and suddenly emptiness was friendly rather than threatening. With my first view of Honfleur across the estuary.

And then the bridge appeared in the distance.

I had been very lucky so far. The rain storms had belted up the south bank of the river and avoided me on the north so I had only felt light spray, which had evaporated in the warm and windy conditions. Long may it last. Although my lightening mood was tempered a bit by the sauvages animals sign. What the bleeding hell is so substantial that it requires a warning sign? I’m the only potential lunch within 5 miles, should I be worried?

Suddenly the bridge, intermittently hidden by rain, became close and clear. Hello bridge.

I made it there before the heavy forecast rain, and set out on the footpath over this engineering marvel.

But then the storms came. I legged it across the rest of the bridge and off to a side path leading to a backroad. It was relentless and I had to take shelter under a big beech tree. The rain intensified so much that it came through the leaves, dripping on to me, and began to stream down the road. I covered up my rucksack, got my wet weather gear on and took off, but it got through the slightest of gaps in my armour, and pierced my goretex walking shoes. I made it to the main road in to Honfleur, and all the cars were stood waiting for the rain to ease. Eventually it did, I managed to get my iPad out and booked a cheap hotel. Tents aren’t good in these conditions! And after a great duck Parmentier in a local PMU I’m back in my hotel. I didn’t think I’d get out of the PMU!

All’s well that ends well and here I am in a warm room with dry sheets and a good night’s sleep to look forward to.

Nice to talk to you and hopefully I’ll be able to blog a day ending under canvas tomorrow. Mes amis, je vous aime.

Night night.