To my mind, Northern France has always been just a bleak, industrial landscape that I've only seen from a high-speed train whizzing to Paris, or further south. This impression began to change a few years back on one of our booze cruise trips to Calais when, apart from loading up on wine & cheese at the local supermarché, we stopped at one of the beaches along the coast towards Wissant. The long, sandy beaches were a great place for a (windy) picnic in the sun, so when we saw an advert locally for a cottage a short drive from Calais we decided to go back and explore more.
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| Red wine. Log fire. Good book. Bliss. |
Nowadays, with two wee nippers, the thought of a short drive is much more appealing a holiday option than flying or long-haul driving. Our holiday home in Ergny was less than a hour's drive from Calais and was a great place to unwind, not least from the stresses of a Good Friday P&O crossing that involved hordes of youngsters on school trips and rugby tours, as well as Rosie having a meltdown because I wouldn't buy her some Ralph Lauren perfume (£40) that had a pink horse on it.
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| Celebration lunch for Phil & Emma |
An early highlight for me was buying a roast chicken, French bread and salad stuff so that I could recreate the "crudités poulet" baguettes that brought sunshine to many hangovers during my Le Mans foreign student days. All washed down with Orangina, of course. On Saturday, we explored the local town of Hucqueliers and stocked up at our local Carrefour. Evenings were mainly spent in the lounge in front of the log fire enjoying the old-fashioned pursuits of reading and chatting, partly because there was no Wi-Fi or a decent TV, forcing me on to undergo a strict but welcome information diet.
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| Paul, Rosie & moi sunbathing |
On Easter Sunday, my parents and Phil & Emma came out to visit, using the even faster option of the Eurotunnel. That meant much excitement for Rosie with the promise of easter egg hunts, as well as a chance for us to celebrate Phil & Emma's engagement with a glass or two of local bubbly (crémant). We had a delicious roast lamb lunch cooked (mainly) by Ruth, and went for a walk through the local village to burn off some calories. Most days on our holiday were graced by blue skies and the weather was often cold but sunny, and that afternoon Rosie enjoyed playing poohsticks by the river with Nanny & Grandad. This activity was repeated the next day when Ruth's Mum & Dad came out to stay, and we spent Easter Monday enjoying a longer walk through the village of Rumilly.
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| Poohsticks at Rumilly's fast-flowing river |
Tuesday was by far the best day of our holiday in terms of weather, with temperatures reaching the heady heights of 10ºC, so we set off for the coast at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. This is a very pretty seaside resort steeped in history, where the famous river Somme meets the sea, and the launching-off point for William the Conqueror in 1066 (a monument misspelled the site of his famous victory as the Battle of Hastins). We explored the boardwalk and the medieval quarter, including the site where Joan of Arc was brought as a prisoner, and then searched for somewhere to enjoy lunch.
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| Saint-Valery boardwalk |
We opted for La Terrasse with its lovely views of the bay and promise of moules-frites. Our table was nicely situated in the corner and Rosie enjoyed the kid's menu of ham & chips and pink drink (sirope de framboise). Three out of four adults opted for moules-frites and Marion went for the Caesar salad. There was a slight mix-up with the drinks (the waiter tried to memorise everything without writing it down and made a mistake - bringing Marion wine and not beer - to which he responded in a typically Gallic fashion by not apologising and pretending the mistake was ours), but apart from that it was a memorable experience. Everybody struggled to finish their copious amount of mussels and my salicorne (samphire) and cream sauce was delicious.
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| Ruth & Rosie pose after lunch at La Terrasse |
That afternoon, we explored more of the coastline, stopping off at the Marquenterre bird sanctuary and Quend Plage, a resort with a beautiful sandy beach but still out of season in April, so Rosie was disappointed in her search for a pink ice cream. Instead, we stopped off for some cornettos at the local supermarket on the way home and, after a light dinner, enjoyed a good night's sleep thanks to all that good sea air.
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| Ruth & Ava at Quend Plage |
Other highlights of the week included the local markets at Hucqueliers and Hesdin, exploring the 7 Vallées region, visiting the museum at Agincourt (well, I did while everyone else went for lunch) and sampling as many wines and cheeses as possible. I even managed to read 3 books (Great Gatsby, Lighthouse, Black Swan Green) in a week on holiday, which is a rate approaching that of the golden days of my holiday reading (before kids).
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| Rosie & Grandma leave footprints in the sand |
Nord-Pas-de-Calais is certainly a unique place, mixing strange Dutch place names like Wicquinghem and Belgian cuisine (emphasis on beer and frites) with typically French features like brilliant markets, tasty produce and superb wine. The area is also steeped in history, from the Norman Invasion to the Battle of the Agincourt and the First World War, and the fact the region has changed hands among so many different countries over the centuries is evidence of its important strategic position. The beautiful coastline and good food might also surprise a lot of people, including the French (a theme highlighted brilliantly in the French box office success, Bienvenue Chez les Ch'tis).
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| Ruth & Rosie at Hesdin market |
Ava certainly enjoyed her first proper holiday abroad and a chance to explore French cuisine, especially the yoghurts, which she loved to smear all over her face.
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| Bon appétit! |
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