Une Petite Vacance En France (3)

Befuddled By Brands

Almost all pictures of buses in Cherbourg show route numbers and the brand Zephir. 

The town core network consists of services numbered 1 to 6 ...

... plus one night service.

Interurban routes are lettered.

Le réseau devient effectif au 30 août 2021, la nouvelle marque et le nouveau réseau commence cependant avec plusieurs problèmes notamment des problèmes de bus remplis ayant l'impossibilité accepter des usagers9 ou de grèves comme en décembre 2021 avec les conducteurs du périmètre urbain.

The new franchise was won by Transdev who replaced Keolis and replaced the brand with Cap Cotentin.

There are very few bus pictures on-line of the new brand, and very few snaps of buses in a new livery with more blue. Here is one of the few.

In addition to the town route map shown in yesterdays's blog, there is a regional map of the "sticky out bit" and all its bus services.

Dave and Carrie have been directed to (or attracted by) a splendidly good beach at a place called Siouville. So off they trot with the electric card loaded with four single journeys at one euro a piece and clutching their little printed timetable book.

Therein they find details of fares (UK operators please note), the full timetables and lots of other useful stuff. There is an excellent route map showing, fbb suspects, most stops. Here the Cherbourg end ...

... and the more rural bit, split to fit.

A zoom in to the outer termini is helpful.

Of course there is a full timetable ...

... from which we can glean that only a few buses run to Siouville; the majority terminating at "Flamanville". The last common stop on the map is Hameau Bonnemains. 

It would appear that, once out in the sticks, information becomes somewhat UK-like with a lavish shelter and bus stop flag ...

... plus a separate pole and second flag with limited information in display.

Included in the frame is a network map and (possibly) the timetable. 

The route splits at a roundabout just ahead.

fbb suspects that Streetview is not totally up to date, so we turn to Google Earth for an aerial view of the terminus of the main frequency that has forked left here,

It is a bit pixelated!

It's a nuclear power station, innit. 

But don't tell anyone - it isn't really there. Well, it isn't unless you find another aerial view ...

... or what may well be an official drone view. This picture is on a Normandy tourist site ...

...which also shows pictures of happy visitors enjoying the experience.

Odd, really, as it simply isn't there! Maybe they caught a route B bus?

But Dave and Carrie had little interest in visiting a non existant pixelated power complex; they were making for the beach, and, in doing so, passing the bus stop called Flamanville Mairie.

It's only  titchy village yet it has both a town hall (modest) ...

... a maire (equally modest?) ...

... and a modest row of little shops.

A little further on, route B makes it to Siouville which also has a little row of shops ...

... and not much else. But it does have a beach.

And what a beach! It is a good place for surfers when the atlantic rollers roll although Dave and Carrie, as ferry foot passengers, had forgotten their belly-boards!

The bus does not penetrate the narrow main street with its throbbing cafe culture (there is just one!) but turns right to a terminus at (actually IN) the car park.

 

Note the full and helpful information available!

But our intrepid beach beauties were aiming for the 1732 return journey.

But before the arduous hour's run back to Cherbourg, nosh was needed. Situated incongruously in a little bloch of new-build housing ...

... and just a quick hop from the anonymous bus stop was a delightful new-build caff.

Here the pair purchased "frites" to sustain them for the home run.

Just frites, Dave?

Sadly No 1 Son (Dave) failed completely on his mission to photograph a selection of buses and, even worse, failed to photograph the vehicles on route B. You just can't get the staff!

fbb does, however, have one complaint about the publicity produced by Cap Cotentin.

Why are the power station stops called "Flamanville" when they have absolutely no relationship with the little community with lits Mairie and little row of shops? Very misleading if you don't know. Even Dave, when discussing his expedition on the telephone stated that most of the buses go to Flamanville.

WRONG! The only buses that go to Flamanville are the buses to Siouville and irs big beautiful beach plus big beautiful burger bistro.

Here is a map showing Flamanville itself.

The power station complex is to the west of the wider main "white" road. Streetview does not penetrate further than the fence ...

... although bus B does so penetrate. The actual gubbins is at a lower level beyond the cliff edge; but, please remember, it isn't there. And it certainly isn't Flamanville!

And this stop, between Flamanville and Siouville ...

... is called Dilette Gare Maritime.

There's a road sign to confirm this appellation.

Google Translate confirms fbb's view that it means something like Harbour Station. There is no railway! Neither can fbb find any signs of a closed line.

Confused.com?

But the view from the route B road is gorgeous.

That's Siouville beach in the distance.

 Next Variety blog : Sunday 3rd September