August 2019

North-west france ~ VITAMIN SEA AND EXCELLENT SEAFOOD at OUR doorstep

Well hello there …

Mid-August 2019 the weather in Belgium was bad, rain rain rain… And with no more booked holidays in prospect, I was feeling a little depressed. Therefore, I started brainstorming, looking for an affordable, short stay destination. A place that would give me enough energy to survive the last quarter of the year. And so I came up with the idea of visiting the Opal Coast and the Bay of the Somme.

It is a 3 to 4 hours’ drive from my doorstep, so by definition too far for a staycation. However, it would be strange to categorize it under a city break or road trip though. Although, it felt like a holiday further from home, 300 km is peanuts …No?

Day 1 Saint-Valéry sur Somme – le Pointe du Hourdel – Wimereux

On a beautiful Sunday morning, we got up early to depart on time to the “Bay of the Somme”, a ride of more or less 300 km from our hometown.

This region is also called the “Camargue of the North.” It is a swampy river delta where wild horses, birds and seals feel home. Sheep are grazing on the dry salt marshes and fishermen look for cockles and shrimps in the mudflats.

Le Crotoy and Saint-Valéry sur Somme both overlook the area of the 70-km² estuary. We did not visit Le Crotoy, which is home to the house of Jules Verne. However, we did make a stop at Saint-Valéry sur Somme. This village exudes 100% Picardy charm. From the promenade, you have a beautiful view on the bay. A popular market took place that day. Nevertheless, the highlight for me was definitely the big herd of sheep strolling from the hinterland to the bay to drink water. In the village, you find lots of restaurants, bars and shops. The old part of town still houses many authentic homes. The most popular tourist attraction is the steam train that rides between Cayeux-sur-Mer and Le Crotoy with stops in Noyelles-sur-Mer and Saint-Valéry sur Somme. You drive through the fields and reed lands and discover the green beauty of the bay. For me it was a little bit too touristic … I was more into a boat trip, but unfortunately there was no departure in the afternoon, only in the evening and time did not allow us.

More information on these attractions you can find on following websites:

https://www.chemindefer-baiedesomme.fr/fr/bienvenue-sur-le-reseau-des-bains-de-mer
https://www.bateau-baie-somme.com/

Before heading to Wimereux, where we would spend the night, we made a short stop at “le Pointe du Hourdel.” At low tide, seals are sunbathing on the sandbanks. However, the sandbanks were located at quiet a distance, so the seals were not clearly visible without binoculars. Therefore, I was not able to take a nice picture like the ones I found on the internet. You can sail there though with a guide and canoe, but for nature conservation, they also keep a great distance, making it personally no added value to me.

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Next, we were driving 90km (1h) to Wimereux, a popular seaside town, where we were spending the night. This town still houses beautiful Belle-Époque villas and I really loved the unique white and blue painted beach houses on the promenade, very charming! After checking-in, in our hotel, we decided to go for a swim in the sea, as temperatures were climbing up until 30°C. After a drink at the hotel bar and a refreshing shower, we were ready for diner. We had made reservations at restaurant “L’Alloze”, located in the well-known four star “Atlantic Hotel”. They also host a Michelin Star restaurant, namely “La Liégoise”. For a 3-course dinner (without drinks) and amazing sea views, you pay € 31. The portions were fair, the quality good, the service very friendly but slightly too rushed to our standards.

Other restaurants to consider if you are in the neighborhood:

After another glass of wine at the hotel bar, we called it a night.

Hotel Des Arts ***

Is a small three star hotel located at the main street of Wimereux, “Rue Carnot”. If you cross the road and walk two blocks (200m), you arrive at the sea promenade. If you walk to the right, you will find the main shopping street. Therefore, it has a superb location. However, because it is located on the main street, we had some noise disturbance from the traffic in the morning. The hotel has an Art Deco spirit; the staff is hip and young. You can have a drink and breakfast at the Mona Lisa bar.
The room was big enough, modern and comfortable. Nevertheless, a bit hot as it was 30 degrees outside and they are not equipped with air-conditioning. Value for money it is a good choice in my opinion. The biggest minor for me was the cleanness, not everything was spick and span, especially the bar and stairwell.

Here are some other hotel options in the region you can look into:

Day 2 Audreselles – Cap Gris Nez – Cap Blanc Nez

After breakfast, we sauntered through the streets to admire the beautiful houses and to enter some local shops to buy some souvenirs.

Afterwards we got back in the car on our way to “Audreselles”, at less than 15 minutes’ drive. For me this place was the highlight of the trip. It is a small authentic fishing village, with traditional houses, good fish restaurants and a stunning secluded bay, surrounded by cliffs from where you can enjoy the wide views. “Le plage de Cran au Poulet” is one of the secret beaches at the Opal Coast, you must visit. A preserved place away from the crowd, with beautiful pebbles and a turquoise colored sea. We planned to have lunch at restaurant Chez Mimi, a safe bet for many years! Unfortunately, we did not make a reservation and the place was fully booked. Our other preference “Marie Galante” is closed on Mondays, so we had lunch at one of the less renowned restaurants at the market square. I managed to handle the disappointment with the thought that I would definitely comeback here and thanks to the taste of a fresh Ricard.

Next on our program was “Cap Gris-Nez”, at 7 km from Audreselles.

Cap Blanc-Nez and Cap Gris-Nez are two capes between Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer. Because of their beauty and particularly the splendid palette of colours that can be seen at the capes they have been classified as a 'Grand Site of France'.

Cap Gris-Nez is the closest point of France to England (34km). Although the weather was warm and sunny, we had no clear view that day on the white cliffs of Dover. Neither have we seen the hundreds of ships that sail through the channel each day.The proximity to England has led to various invasions of this stretch of the coast over the centuries. On the top of the cliff, there are the ruins of a Tudor fortress built by Henry VIII. Fossil hunters visit the rocky beaches in search for fossils, dating from the Jurassic period. Bird hunters also come to this location to watch some of the millions of birds that use the cape to navigate during their annual migrations. Although it has a rich history, this place left the least impression on me.

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Our last stop before heading home was Cap Blanc-Nez, at less than 30 minutes from Gris-Nez.

In comparison with Cap Gris-Nez, Cap Blanc-Nez does not stick out into the water. Instead, it is a large white cliff topped by an obelisk. The cliffs reach 134 meters in height and fall dramatically to the sea below. The obelisk was built to commemorate the Dover patrol, which kept the Channel free of German U-boats in World War I. World War II bunkers, can also be seen at the top as well as craters which still remain from war time bombardments. A walking path along the cliff takes you all the way up to the top of the cape.

With its white cliffs and sandy beaches littered with small rocks, the Cap Blanc-Nez is much more attractive than Gris-Nez and the colors over the sea and cliffs at sunset or sunrise are magnificent!

We did not walk all the way up, as my hubby was injured. We only visited the far stretched beach with textured sand, tidal pools and streams. The stripe of the beach closest to the cliffs is seeded with rocks and boulders of all sizes.

You cannot miss the place at sunny days like this; hundreds of people are parking their car at the long driveway of “Cran d’Escalles” that is giving access to the beach. However, do not be afraid, although the parking lot is overloaded, the beach feels quiet deserted due to the massive surface. Whether you walk east or west, you get the feeling that you will never reach your final destination…

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Nevertheless, it was our final destination of this fantastic, relaxing, impressive weekend. It took us only more or less 2h30 to get home. Having this said no doubt in our mind that we will come back!

“If the ocean can calm itself, so can you. We are both salt water mixed with air.”