Post 56. Le Havre 2. Dublin to Le Havre: The 19--Hour Ferry Journey and Our Home Exchange
We booked to travel with Irish Ferries from Dublin to Cherbourg. The crossing suits us well: Dublin is only a four-hour drive from home, rather than having to drive the whole way down to Rosslare or Cork, and from Cherbourg it's an easy two-and-a-half-hour drive to Le Havre.
Once we'd checked into our cabin, we went for a stroll on deck, and before we knew it we were under way.
Then it was time to find a table at the front of the ship and settle in with a relaxing drink. We used the time to check our phones before the Irish mobile signal disappeared.
We had been looking forward to a full sit-down meal in the Lady Gregory restaurant, which has become our tradition on the outward journey to France over the past few years. However, after a huge lunch in Dublin with our daughter Anna before we drove to the port, neither of us was hungry enough. So we broke with tradition and opted for French onion soup and a shared cheese plate in Boylan's Brasserie instead.
We disembarked at 12.30pm French time the next day, aiming to be in Le Havre by around 3pm to pick up the keys.
The drive from Cherbourg to Le Havre was pleasant and uneventful - except, that is, when we reached the toll booth on the Pont de Normandie. We tried three different bank cards, and none of them worked. The barrier stayed firmly down while a cacophony of horns blared from the irate drivers queuing behind us. In the end, we had to press the button for assistance. A man came out, took pity on us and waved us through for free - a small but satisfying win of €6.10!
I had been looking forward to making a grand entrance into the city: past the Gare, past one of my old schools, along Boulevard de Strasbourg, through the city centre and up to the Ville Haute. Instead, the car's navigation app had other ideas. A major football match was on at the Stade Océane, so to avoid the traffic it sent us on a long, winding route through the back streets to our accommodation. My nostalgic tour would have to wait for another day.
Our Home Exchange
Véronique and João Manuel's detached house was our base for the week.
It was a wonderful space - bright, contemporary and filled with an eclectic mix of modern art, poster art, memorabilia, plants, books and music.
Among the more unusual items was an old barber's chair from Lisbon (one of our hosts is Portuguese), where I lay back and stretched before unpacking the bags.
Planning This Series
During the long crossing, I decided to try a new format for this series of posts, since we would be based in Le Havre for a full week.
Rather than a day-by-day account of our routines, I wanted a series of themed posts. So, here is what I came up with while tapping away on my laptop on the ocean waves, with very intermittent internet:
Post 55. Retour au Havre: Back after 39 Years
Post 56. Dublin to Le Havre: The 19-Hour Ferry Journey and Our Home Exchange
Post 57. Le Havre - My Places: Six Addresses That Shaped My Story
Post 58. Plus ça change: Le Havre after nearly 40 years.
Post 59. Architecture and the Shadow of Auguste Perret
Post 60. Le Havre Street Art and monet@MuMa
Post 61. The Finer Things in Life - Food, Wine and Wine Shopping
Post 62. Day tripping from Le Havre - Honfleur, Étretat and Fécamp
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