Cote D'Opale, France

Sunday, 22 March 2009 15:48

Next week's adventure comes courtesy of a well known UK travel guide - a photographic expedition to France's Côte d'Opale region! No, I'd never heard of it either, which is odd since I grew up just over the water from it in SE Kent.

It's the run of coastline that extends from Calais down to Boulogne-sur-Mer along the Northern coast. Like most of southern England I've been through Calais lots of times, but never paused to explore the city or the surroundings. Let's face it, the ugly, built-up seafront that greets all sea-bound visitors doesn't do much to inspire further investigation; neither does the knowledge that the place was bombed to crap during WWII.

Still, the coastal area south of Calais looks pleasant enough, with several national parks, a string of fishing villages and white cliffs that mirror those of Dover. And since it's been a while since I visited the seaside, I have to admit I'm looking forward to it. According to Wikipedia both Charles Dickens & Victor Hugo used to hang out here, which is apt since I've booked a couple of extra days in so I can spend some time working on some short stories.