Popular with the “beautiful and rich” Parisians of the 19th century, Dieppe is the oldest seaside resort in France and remains charming.
Dieppe is set along the Alabaster Coast with its towering white, chalk cliffs and pebbled beaches. Dieppe shares the same geology with the more well-known white, chalk cliffs of Dover across the Channel. Watch the tide if you go for a walk beneath the cliffs. We walked along a bit and made a fire not realizing the tide had turned. It rushes in quickly and we had to abandon the fire and run to escape the advancing sea! The sea erosion is pretty significant on the chalky cliffs, eroding a few meters every year!
Historically the town is best known for the World War II failed Dieppe Raid of August 1942 during which Canadian (mostly) troops attempted a surprise attack and were driven back with losses around 5 000 men. Many lessons, however, were learned in this which were invaluable in the D-Day landing 2 years later.
We didn’t stay in Dieppe but rather the close-by, lovely little town of Poix de Picardie, which is a great rural resort close to the Gardens of Digeon. Our dog-friendly hotel was the Hostellerie Le Cardinal on the Place de la Republique. We were lucky enough to be there on a market night – the square was filled with farmers and vendors selling everything under the sun, seriously. We bought a delicious smelling meat-filled baguette (pre-vegan days) from a sidewalk seller and rested on a bench with the delicacy. Unfortunately, one bite confirmed it was horse meat and we didn’t even let Spike have a taste before it was unceremoniously trashed. Our Francophilia does not extend culinary speaking.
Additional Thoughts and Reading
History is on your doorstep basically anywhere you travel in Europe and there are many wonderful opportunities to enrich your mind and explore the area’s culinary and historical delights. Don’t be afraid of eating food out of markets anywhere you go – but know what you are trying and have your lines drawn in your mind.
One Day in August: Ian Fleming, Enigma, and the Deadly Raid on Dieppe