After Honfleur we drove north along the coast to Veules-les-Roses, mainly because we had failed to find anywhere to park on a previous attempt to visit. Diane had suggested we visit as she found it a lovely sea-side town. She said there's a stream down the main street. These things are true, but it hardly prepared us for just how lovely this place is. We pitched up at the local camping site - on a hill with no view of anything much at all.
In the evening after dinner I set off on my own to discover the place. Chris's feet and legs were playing up some. That road sign was not very encouraging for us lot.
I walked towards the flags and 'gun'. In June 1940 the place was the site of prolly the last armed resistance on French soil by the allies before the fall of France. Upwards of 12,000 French, Belgian and British soldiers were caught here by advancing Nazis. The Royal Navy supported by an armed French merchant ship poured fire into the invaders, but the merchantman was sunk. However the flotilla sent to evacuate the soldiers did manage to take off about 7,000 personnel.
And then in the failing light I saw the bay and the town in a tight valley with sheer cliffs.
All was calm and beautiful, even the villas of style had some restraint. I don't know if the town is known for being infested by artists, but Victor Hugo stayed here, writing his novels.
No comments:
Post a Comment