Le Treport Dieppe boasts

Le Treport Dieppe boasts exquisite parquet floors, a priceless art collection, and extensive gardens. Nor was Victoria the only English monarch to make her mark on Eu. William of Normandy married Matilda of Flanders here in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, some 15 years before they became King and Queen of England in 1066. Back on the coast road, I stop in the bustling fishing port of Dieppe with its deep water harbour protected by those signature white cliffs. France’s first ever seaside resort, Dieppe became popular with Parisians from 1822, attracting the attention of Impressionists such as Camille Pissaro who painted the inner harbour in 1902. Look out for reproductions of Impressionist paintings all along the Alabaster Coast in the exact places where the artists placed their easels. Today Dieppe is classified as a French Art and History Town so I stop to learn about its seafaring and trading traditions, as well as its Impressionist connections at the museum in the hilltop castle. Just west of Dieppe is Varengeville-sur-Mer and the 12th century church of St Valery, renowned Chateau of Eu, rear garden for its coastal views and sailors’ cemetery. Master Impressionist Claude Monet painted the exterior of St Valery from many angles, but look inside too. The Tree of Jesse stained glass window is the work of Georges Braque who died in 1963 and is buried in the churchyard. Beyond Veules-les-Roses, bustling with visitors on market day, I find another Valery, the pretty port of St-Valery-en-Caux with its small harbour nestled between high chalk cliffs. Then it’s on to the fishing port of Fécamp. Hardy fishermen in centuries past set off from Fécamp and Dieppe to fish for cod off Newfoundland. Discover their story at the excellent Fisheries Museum, housed in a converted fish-smoking and packing building beside the harbour. There are circular views from the seventh floor roof terrace, including a tantalising glimpse of the extraordinary Benedictine Palace in the heart of the old town. Benedictine liqueur was reputedly created in the 16th century by a Benedictine monk named Dom Bernado Vincelli, using a secret mix of 27 plants and spices. 22 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 23