Moving about in my road warrior mode I have come into more pictures in my cd rom vault that should be in my blog for you and me, This post is on more of the things to see in Etretat, and do see my other post, Étretat is located in the Seine-Maritime department 76 in the Normandie region of my belle France. It is 16 km from Fécamp ,48 km from Saint-Valery-en-Caux, 45 km from Honfleur, 197 km from Versailles, and 424 km from my current home,We arrive by the D940 and parked at parking Place de Gaulle for free ! Therefore, here is my take on the Villa Roxelane et Jardin d’Etretat !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The history tell us that it was not until 1905 that Villa Roxelane was built by Mr. Thibault. An unusual bit late for these type of villas but it was away from the crowds, Indeed the Jardins d’Etretat or gardens of Etretat are located at the top of the upstream cliff, near the Calvary, this direct position on the sea, implies that the gardens have no protection against the west wind, which throes itself strong on the Norman coast, it is therefore quite natural that most of the constructions were made on the lower part of the hallow cliffs, where the wind was less felt.
Those who have ventured on the hillsides, have seen the planting of hedges of maritime pines which are today an integral part of the local heritage to break this freezing wind. This Villa Roxelane will long remain a second home like many others in Etretat: Occupied in summer to enjoy the magnificent view and the sea, abandoned in winter in favor of city life. In possession of Madame HautoCoeur, it is she who will bloom the first garden. However, it was not until 2017 that the villa and the garden will be bought by Alexandre Grivko, a rich Russian architect who decided to make it a garden open to the public. It is advisable for you to park on the only free parking lot in Etretat which is located on rue Guy de Maupassant , said about 2.5 km from the gardens, The walking is dearing ,in fact you will have 75 meters of elevation to do on foot before you can reach the entrance to the gardens and therefore the falaise Amont or upstream cliff.
Taking info from the garden’s brochures, let me tell you a bit on the gardens of Etretat !
The Jardin Avatar or Avatar garden is the most monumental work of this section without doubt ,this huge golden key planted in a tree, a work called Grayworld and the mechanical forest … Grayworld being a collective of London artists. Their work, Clockwork Forest, initially emerged in England, in the Grizedale Forest in the north of the country.
The Jardin Eléments ou Jardin Monet Etretat or Garden Elements or Monet garden, This garden is located under the Villa Roxelane at the end of the path , We discover a bamboo sculpture signed Wiktor Szostalo, representing Claude Monet painting, installed on the terrace, a tribute to the impressionists who are many of having stayed in Etretat. And at the end of the brush of this Monet of bamboo a sublime landscape, with one of the most beautiful views of all Etretat on thel Aiguille creuse et la falaise Aval.or the hollow needle and the downstream cliff.
The Jardin Emotions or Emotions Garden ; the name of this garden comes from its main work: the « Gouttes de Pluie » or rain drops carved in the elastomer resin by Samuel Salcedo. Large round, caring, expressive, which seem to be asleep, happy or sad and make us wander at the sandstones of emotions!
The Jardin des Orchidées or garden of orchids is the most floral part of the garden, which is discovered differently according to the seasons.
The Jardin des Etreintes et des Arbres or garden of beings and trees here, we discover a group of characters in vine wood, imagined by Agnieszka Gradnik and Viktor Szostalo. They belong to the “Treehugger Project”. We discover these characters there making an eternal hug to nature … a little further on the way, you will discover a real invitation to snack with friends with this magnificent table which would make Alice’s crazy hatter in Wonderland turn pale.
The Jardin des Bruits de la Nature et le Jardin Parnasse or the garden of noises of nature and the parnasse garden, This garden takes you to meet terracotta sculptures suspended in the air, we hear a multitude of sounds that mix while in the background, the garden returns with a new winding of bushes evoking a shell.
The official Gardens of Etretat : https://etretatgarden.fr/en
The local Le Havre-Etretat tourist office on the gardens : https://www.lehavre-etretat-tourisme.com/en/fiche/etretat/les-jardins-d-etretat_TFOPCUNOR076V50RMEZ/
There you go folks, a lovely setting indeed , and gorgeous views with plenty of beach activities around. The City was a nice find and we like it will be back eventually. An unique piece of history and beautiful settings. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Villa Roxelane et Jardin d’Etretat !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 