"Caudebec-en-Caux" Caudebec-en-Caux by Beausoleil

I had long wanted to visit Jumiéges Abbey and this was the day. We found it (and a wonderful wind mill along the way), zipped down to St. Wandrille Abbey and then started looking for lunch. No luck . . .

We drove on to Caudebec-en-Caux, a town we'd never heard of, and found a Logis de France overlooking the Seine. A gorgeous location, a beautiful restaurant and, we discovered, a charming town.

After a wonderful lunch, we visited the Notre Dame church in town. We had seen it compared to Chartres so were curious. It was very beautiful but Chartres is my favorite cathedral so I couldn't compare it. It is certainly worth a visit, though, and a walk through the little town is great fun.

Canal to the Seine at Caudebec-en-Caux

This charming little canal wanders throughout the town. It's fun to follow and is very cool on a warm day.

Huge ship going under the Pont de Brotonne

Our restaurant overlooked the Seine and as we looked out the window, we could see the huge and wonderful Pont de Brotonne over the Seine. As we ate, a huge ship came up the Seine and we watched as it approached the bridge. I grabbed my camera to record the moment. We couldn't believe the bridge was high enough to allow the monster ship underneath, but it all worked perfectly. Very impressive . . .

• Pros:Charming, quiet small town
• In a nutshell:Great lunch stop driving along the Seine