Walk, Deauville and Trouville, Calvados, Lower Normandy, Approximately 3.5 mile or 5.6 kilometres.
Got the scooter off the back of the van and set off for Deauville, where we parked up in one of the large car parks on Boulevard Eugène Cornuché, which runs along the sea front. We walked towards the sea and then along the sea front on the Promenade Michel d'Ornano and Boulevard de la Mer, a long boardwalk, towards a marina. Along the promenade there are sun loungers, sunshades, bars, restaurants, shops, swimming pool, crazy golf, etc, you know the stuff. Although it was midday on a warm Saturday, the a sea front and promenade were practically deserted, in the UK, the seaside would be crowded on a day like that.
At the end of Boulevard de la Mer we had to walk around the marina back onto Boulevard Eugène Cornuché and headed to the river Touques, with the town of Trouville-sur-Mer on the other side. There are some fantastic houses to see along Boulevard Eugène Cornuché. At the river we crossed over the lock gates of another marina, here there was a small boat ferrying people over the river between Deauville and Trouville. We decided we would walk the long way round over the road bridge to Trouville and later get the small ferry back.
On the way to the bridge we walked through the marina we came across the free Aire de Service, and had a chat with an English couple staying there for a few nights. Using Aires may be the only way we can afford to go to France next year, so we have been checking a few out.
Over the bridge in Trouville it was market day along the quayside, so we did some window shopping (if you can do that on a market). There were lots of stalls selling Levi jeans relatively cheaply, so I was rather suspicious that they were not genuine, anyway there was none my size in the colour I wanted. We got chicken baguettes and can of cola from a small shop and then sat on the quayside overlooking the river Touques to eat, attracting the attention of many seagulls
After lunch we walked away from the river and headed into Trouville along Rue Victor Hugo, to have a look around the shops but that didn't last long. We got as far as Rue de Paris which led down to the Promenade des Planches (also a boardwalk) and the beach. It was a lot busier than the beach in Deauville, perhaps it was just the time of day.
We had to have walk along the pier (as we usually do when we see one), we sat on the pier in the sun for a while and as the tide was out, I even climbed down for a look underneath. There was a longer pier on the other side of the river and also a new breakwater but it looked like you had to go through private property to get to the breakwater (probably wrong though).
Looking forward to going over the river on the small ferry we set off back towards the landing point next to the large Casino, only the ferry wasn't there. Instead there was a temporary bridge, that is lowered from the quayside at low tide, so you can walk back over, it is half the cost of the ferry though. We did do the walk another day and we did get to go on the ferry.
We then walked back over the lock gates and in to Deauville centre along Quai des Yachts and Rue Gambetta which takes us to the marketplace and the market. As it was also market day in Deauville we had a good look around the stalls and then the rest of the town centre before heading back to the sea front and the bike. Along Rue Désiré le Hoc and Rue Eugène Colas to the Casino on Boulevard Eugène Cornuché.
Back on the sea front there were more people than earlier but it wasn't very crowded.
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