Last night turned into the most glorious evening and after my dinner at Les Vapeurs I walked back to Deauville and went for a walk along the beach close to 10pm as the sun was starting to set. There were a few other people walking along the boardwalk and sitting watching the sun slowly sink into the horizon.

I was pleased to wake to sun this morning. It didn’t last long but that didn’t stop me eating my breakfast outside at Le Morny’s Cafe where I had an excellent view of Deauville market already in full swing.

Then I took a nice long walk along Deauville beach in the warm air and with a sun trying to shine. It’s the warmest day since I arrived.

It was a day for buying things in the market that I can take home tomorrow. Cheese, fruit and vegetables to go with some of the other food and wine delights I’ve bought over the past week.

Lunch was a salmon tartine – open sandwich – back at Le Morny’s.

Then in the afternoon a stroll over to Trouville beach for a walk, taking my shoes off and feeling the soft warm sand between my toes and paddling in a quite cold sea.

I’m never adventurous on the last day of a holiday. I like to revisit my favourite places rather than risk new ones. But also with about 5 to 6 hours driving tomorrow to get home, I wasn’t planning on taking the car anywhere today. It’s been one of the warmest and nicest days weatherwise of the week so it was wonderful to take things easy and find a bit of time to just sit in the sun – on a bench on Trouville beach – and lie out on the sun bed in the garden at Villa Caprice late afternoon.

Early evening I walked across to Trouville again. They seem to have renamed Pont des Belges as Pont de L’Union while I’ve been here. I noticed the sign this evening. I felt a bit confused; surely I would have noticed it before. Had my Lonely Planet guide got the name wrong? I looked at one of those big town maps by the bridge; one of those ones that point to where you are. Sure enough the bridge was marked as Pont des Belges. I walked the length of Boulevard Fernand Moureaux to Les Vapeurs again.

If you think it was a bit boring of me to go there again, I can only say it was always my intention to return on my last night. I just got a bit diverted from script yesterday evening. And a family who sat next to me last night were also there again tonight. I went all out. Well it is my last night here. Champagne, St Vaast oysters (specially for Gareth Jones who recommended them!), a sea bream special of the day with pesto and Tarte Normande for dessert. I can’t believe it’s taken this apple dessert loving woman all week to get round to having one of my favourite puds.

It was a hive of activity on a Friday evening, people waiting for tables outside by the time I left. A mother with two young children one side of me left them in charge of a waiter while she took her 11year old Labrador for a ‘walk’ and the waiter seemed happy to oblige. The returning dog was brought a big bowl of water. Children around me were being cooed and pampered in a way I’ve only seen the Italians do before. I’ve always thought the French a bit over strict with their children. But no, not in Trouville. Kisses were exchanged all over the place, people arriving and seeing others they knew; staff with obvious regulars. Love was all around.

In the dying light I walked up to the end of the road from Villa Caprice and along to the beach again walking past the marina and entrance to it.

With some cloud in the sky, the sunset wasn’t quite as dramatic as last night … but it was pretty good.

Back at the villa, it’s warm enough to sit out on the balcony as it grows dark. What a lovely way to finish a brilliant holiday.