DAY 2 - LE-MESNIL-VAL-PLAGE to CAYEUX-SUR-MER (Tuesday 18 April)

Another day heading north-east alongside the English Channel. After fortifying ourselves with a hearty breakfast, we ambled down to the local beach. 

A pleasant start to the day

It looked like the beach at Le Mesnil could be dangerous

It looked fairly calm this morning, though . 

So we had a bit of a look around

The cliffside path was closed due to possibility of collapse. Like yesterday we saw numerous signs warning us to stay away from the cliff edges. So we followed a minor road the short distance into Le Tréport. 

With all these warnings you'd have to be crazy to get too close to the cliffs

Some crazy cyclists

We were walking on the side of a road popular with walkers

The road was also popular with cyclists - We have seen many cycle tourists during the first two days of our walk.

Panorama above Le Tréport

We went down into Le Tréport via the historic funicular which goes through the cliff. Down at sea level, we set about exploring the sights. 

The historic funicular at Le Tréport

Le Tréport - Some of the sights that catch the eye of passing tourists

Just north of Le Tréport, Mers-les-Bains had an impressive esplanade streetscape facing the water. We took our time admiring the intricate building frontages before continuing out of town on the GR21.

Mers-les-Bains

From Mers-les-Bains, the path goes up and down, and up and down, and so on, into the seaside village of Ault. This section of the path was very scenic, and well frequented by other walkers. 

A downhill section of the GR21

An uphill section of the GR21

There were also some fairly flat bits

But whether downhill,  uphill or flat,  it was all pretty scenic

Uphill again

There were a few obstacles to negotiate on the way

Walking the GR21 to Ault

After a brief refreshment stop in Ault, we continued on a coastal path to Cayeux-sur-Mer, our destination for the day. After Ault the land was very flat (Ault is where the chalk cliffs start), so there were no more hills to get up and over. This section was fairly monotonous, with the pebbly path providing an uneven walking surface. 

We were hoping this supermarket in Ault would be open, so we could buy some refreshments. We waited 20 minutes past its scheduled opening time before giving up and moving on. The hardy gentleman in shorts was also waiting for the shop to open. He was still waiting when we left. 

Chalk cliffs south-west of Ault

We have come across many ruined World War II German fortifications along the coast. This one is on the way out of Ault.

Pebbly path to Cayeux-sur-Mer

Pebbly path by the English Channel

In Cayeux we found some tulips

Day 2 - Birds

Day 2 - Healthy Fruit

Day 2 - Elevation Profile

Day 2 - Route

Day:  2

Distance:  25.14 km

Walking time:  5 hrs 45 mins

Elevation gain:  669 metres

Cumulative distance:  57.72 km