Étretat

The cliffs at Etretat form an impressive natural view.

Our last stop on our Normandy excursion was at the coastal town of Etretat, long made famous for the cliffs that form a natural harbour protecting the village from the sea. Due to the flow of the currents in this part of the english channel, the bottom of the cliffs have been eaten away by the constant flow of the tides to form a natural arch under the cliffs as pictured above. They are the subject of a few paintings by the noted french artist, Claude Monet, and it is easy to see why he was so inspired.

The town itself has only 2,000 residents and so retains a small community charm about it. The seawall is filled with coffee shops and ice cream vendors for the tourists that flock to the area, but without the big chains. After exploring the seawall, we made our way up the hiking path to the top of the left cliffs. The view was stunning and as it was a beautiful clear day, we could see for miles in all directions.

Mindy can't believe she has to climb to the top of the cliffs.

Okay, she made it to the top, only to discover another cliff point just down the coast.

I tried to squeeze into a picture as well, however Mindy (while sporting her Chanel sunglasses) was not impressed about having to share the camera.

The view of the harbour from the top across to the right cliffs. The town can be seen on the right of the picture.

Another amazing view witnessed through the lens of Chanel by Mindy.