A Weekend Near Dieppe, France

My family and I recently spent a long weekend at an Airbnb located on the top of a cliff with a view of the French coast near Dieppe.  It was by far the most relaxing vacation we’ve taken since moving to Europe.  It was a simple weekend of simple pleasures.

I won’t write much in this post because the pictures express it far better than my words.

We walked along the shore each day in search of sea glass and shells and dipped our toes in the cool waters of the English Channel.  My daughter and I even ventured into the water up to our waist…well…my daughter stumbled a bit when a wave hit her and was soaked from head to toe, but it was purely accidental.   

We witnessed the setting of the sun each day from the cliff top.  These were some of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen.

We grilled out each evening and ate at a makeshift table in the garden.  My husband prepared steaks that we brought from home and fresh seafood from a market in Dieppe. I worked on the sides of pasta salad and veggies.  While we waited for the steaks to cook, we played soccer or bean bag tic tac toe with our daughter in the yard.  We ate at sunset and asked each other trivia questions while sipping on wine and munching on brownies.

We spent a day walking through the historic streets of Dieppe, France. My husband’s mother vacationed here as a teenager…so we spent some time trying to figure out the exact house.  We toured the castle art museum and walked along the pebbled shore where we bought a kite, a slushie and pomme frites. We stumbled upon a farmer’s market selling fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, plants and seafood.  We bought seafood from a market to grill for dinner. We ventured down to the historic harbor and our daughter rode the carousel.  We marveled at the historic architecture and the city’s historical importance.

We flew a kite for hours and picnicked on the cliff.  We took turns flying the kite and munching on snacks.  The black cat from next door ventured down to us for some snuggles. We are cat lovers…so…she was a welcomed addition to the afternoon.

We hiked. There was a nearby cliff that was higher than ours.  So, we hiked up it to see the view from the top.  It was worth it.

We played Uno as a family after dinner.  Each night we sat around the coffee table listening to music and playing Uno.  Our daughter dominated the first night and I was able to squeak out a win on the second.

The weekend was beautiful and simple.  It was perfect in its simplicity.