Dieppe; Saturday, 20 May, 2017

I was up so early that after showering and getting dressed I ended up being stood outside breakfast for a good five minutes before it was due to open.

Breakfast completed I collected my luggage, checked out and waited for the cab I’d booked to take me to the ferry terminal. I’d mostly booked it as I was just feeling lazy the previous evening and didn’t really fancy the quite boring 10 minute walk to the terminal. As the rain absolutely pelted it down I thanked my laziness for ensuring I didn’t get soaked.

Down at the terminal I checked in and waited for boarding to start, trying to steer away from the rugby club/stag do that were already pretty wasted at 8am. A little while later we were called forward to board the bus to take us the 400 or so yards to the ferry. With the rain having given way to clear blue skies I headed up to the deck and watched as we cast off and made our way out of Newhaven harbour.

Carefully avoiding the rugby club party, who were continuing to drink copious amounts, it was a pleasant and relaxing crossing with the boat arriving into Dieppe around 15 minutes early and once again it was onto a bus to take us back to the terminal – a bus that was delayed for a few minutes by a missing member of the Rugby club. We eventually made our way back to the terminal, picked up my luggage and headed to the bus into town. This bus was a very small bus and was already packed – mostly with the rugby club guys and at several points on the five minute journey into town I was convinced I was about to have someone throw up over me, but I thankfully made it to the centre in once piece before and from the bus stop walked the 10 minutes or so over to my hotel.

Checked in and with my luggage stowed in my room I headed out into town for a wander. I had a long walk around the beach area near the hotel before heading inland arriving on the main street at the same time as some parade was taking place, so I watched that go past and then continued back down the main street.

That brought me up to the Eglise St Jacques, one of two very big churches in the city centre, so I had a look around that before wandering on a bit further until I reached the harbourside.

With almost perfect timing I arrived at the harbour just as they were announcing boarding for a 45 minute boat cruise along the coast, taking in the stunning cliffs, so I joined that tour and spent another 45 minutes on a boat, to add to the four hours earlier in the day.

Back in the harbour it was already gone six so I headed over to a nearby restaurant and had a very nice dinner, before gently waddling back to the hotel weighed down under the mass of mussels that I had eaten.

I had a bit of a rest in the hotel, waiting for the sun to set, which for a pretty much West facing seaside town were suitable spectacular, before heading back out to take some night time shots of the city. Photos taken I headed back to the hotel and turned in for the night.