Summer Trip - Day 41 - Boulogne

We drove into Boulogne in the morning, parking in the city centre. We went to a baker for croissants and pains au chocolat and had them for breakfast in the campervan.

Then we walked along the port through the fish market and along to the nautical centre.

We then climbed a hill, where we got a great view and could see the white cliffs of Dover.

Next we went to the Basilica in the old town. There was a mass going on, so first we visited the massive crypt.

By the time we'd been round the crypt the mass was finished, so we went round the Notre Dame Basilica itself.

After this we walked round the ramparts and had lunch. By now it was hot and sunny and stayed that way most of the day.

We visited the Belfry and got a free guided tour. It had a sculpture park in front of it too, devoted to the five senses.

 

Next was the castle museum, which was included in our crypt ticket. We went round its moat too.

We passed this mural in the town.

We walked through the fair, which was busy.

Later we went for a drink at a bar near the seafront. After driving back to the site we sat out in the sun for a bit before dinner, pasta and sauce.

Summer Trip - Day 40 - Boulogne

We left Berck in the morning, and drove up the coast to Le Touquet. This is a smart resort that is used by a lot of Brits. We parked and went for a walk, first through the streets and then along the beach.

There was a jazz band playing in the square.

We had lunch in the sand dunes.

Later we drove further north to a campsite just outside Boulogne, Les Sapins. It was deserted when we got there, so we let ourselves in and set up.

Scott found the heat shield of the exhaust was falling off, but managed to fix it with a coke can.

Later the receptionist came and we paid for 2 nights, 22.80 euros cash. Dinner was mince, fried potatoes and vegetables.

Summer Trip - Day 39 - Berck

In the morning we went for a walk to the local market.

Then we packed up and left, and drove the short distance to Berck. The gas had run out so we tried to get a refill, finally locating one at Bricomarché. Good price too at 22.90 euros. We also got provisions at the supermarket. We then found the Aire near the beach. It required 10 euros in coins which we didn't have, so we bought lunch at the friterie first.

After parking up we went for a walk. The beach was huge and had a colony of seals.

We walked along the promenade to the other end of town, and back past the shops.

We then chilled for a while in the campervan, before going back to see the beach at high tide.

Dinner was tartiflette again.

Summer Trip - Day 38 - Fort-Mahon-Plage

We were leaving the Ardennes today, so packed up and left the Aire about 9, stopping at the toilets in the town on the way. Our route to the coast took us through Belgium, we had a bit of an unnerving moment when we realised we didn't have Belgian roads in the satnav!

We made it OK to Fort-Mahon-Plage though, and parked in the Aire. The cost was 10 euros in a machine, we struggled a bit to get change.

We then went to the beach, it was very windy but we got a decent amount of sunshine. We walked along the beach to the next resort, Quend Plage, then back along an inland path via a holiday resort.

 

 

 

Later we walked along the sand dunes and back along the beach.

We then had a drink in one of the bars, it started to rain a bit then. We went back to the campervan for dinner, pork and aubergine curry.

Earlier we had seen a stage was being set up in the street so we went out for a bit. It was a Police tribute band.

Summer Trip - Day 37 - Givet

After breakfast we left the site and went to a supermarket for provisions. Then we drove a bit further north to Givet, where we parked on an aire in a car park next to a campsite.

We got on the bikes and went back to the Meuse cycle path, where we went south. The path went past the Chooz nuclear power plant, and on to Vireux-Molhain, where we had our lunch.

We then cycled back to Givet, left the bikes at the campervan, and walked into town. We went round the old part of the town, then across the bridge.

We walked up to a tower then a circular walk through fields an trees over old battlements.

 

After this we had a drink at a bar in the old town. Dinner was salmon with fried potatoes and peas and sweetcorn.

Summer Trip - Day 36 - Revin

The baker van didn't show up today, but Scott went out on his bike to the Boulanger for croissants and pains au chocolat. We cycled on the Meuse river path again. First we went north to Fumay and then Haybes.

Then we went off to the east on cycle route 18, though the first part turned out to be all on-road. We went as far as the Belgian border then turned back.

We had our lunch on a bench in a square in Fumay. Then we cycled back south past Revin, as far as Laifeur, where we went into the village to see if we could buy an ice cream, but nothing was open.

We went back to Revin and bought some provisions in the Leader supermarket, then visited the Spanish House museum.

Dinner was tartiflette made with cheese, lardons, potatoes and onions - delicious.