We were all very excited as we boarded the Dover Ferry for Calais and on board we had a proper chance to get to know each other over lunch. We then had a short drive through the rolling French countryside to reach our spacious Club House Gite in the pretty village of Beussent. We unpacked and settled in before taking an evening drive to a French restaurant in Maninghem. We ate delicious food and had a go at speaking some French!
The next morning was warm and sunny and after a full cooked breakfast we ventured out to Hardelot Plage where we took a long walk on the prom, searched for shells on beach, and stopped at a pretty café for a drink. We drove on to Hardelot Chateau where we had a delicious picnic before exploring the grounds. On our way back we called in at the local Chocolate Factory for a tour and demonstration. We especially enjoyed the free samples and then we all treated ourselves in the factory shop!
That evening we played badminton swing ball and table tennis in the garden before having a sumptuous home cooked dinner. Later, in the games room, we had a pool competition and danced the night away to our favourite music.
Boulogne was our next day’s destination where we spent most of our time in the enormous aquarium with it’s amazing variety of fish and marine creatures. We especially liked tickling the giant rays in the touch tank and watching the huge sharks swim around the reef. The sun was still shining in the late afternoon for a walk along the prom and then we drove up to the old walled town of Boulogne where we found a quaint restaurant and dined al fresco right by the ancient cathedral. What a lovely ending to our day!
The sun was still shining the next morning as we headed for the town of St. Valery. After exploring the pretty town we had a picnic by the estuary then with great excitement we boarded the steam train that took us right around the Somme estuary to Le Crotoy. We sat in a shady café for a much needed drink and then on our way back we all had fun shopping in a French supermarket where we bought provisions for our evening barbecue. Phil proved to be a great barbecue cook and we had a delicious meal in the garden enjoying the evening sunshine.
Thursday is market day in Le Touquet so we spent that morning wandering around the many stalls enjoying samples of local produce. We did some souvenir shopping and had a great time trying out our bargaining skills! After a picnic on the prom we headed for the huge sandy beach and while some of us cooled off swimming and splashing about in the sea the others lazed on the sand. Of course our afternoon by the sea wouldn’t have been complete without an ice cream! That evening we all got dressed up to go out to dinner. In Montreuil we found a lovely brasserie where again we were able to enjoy delicious food sitting outside on a lovely warm evening.
On our last full day we spent the morning in Beussent. We walked to the village and looked inside the beautiful church with it’s war time memorial then continued on to the picturesque mill. In the afternoon we returned to Montreuil for a chance to walk around the ancient cobbled streets and squares with it’s many interesting old buildings and churches. We finished our souvenir shopping and all choose a yummy cake from the patisserie. On our last evening we went to a favourite Auberge in H'aucqueliers where, as always, we were made to feel so welcome. We had a fantastic three course dinner and someone even tried the snails!
On our last morning we packed up the van and had just enough time to drive the scenic coastal route to Calais past beautiful beaches full of kite surfers. On-board the ferry we ate our lunch in the Brasserie where we had a chance to remember the fun packed days we had shared together. We all made new friends that we hope to see again and all agreed that we’d had the most fantastic holiday in France!
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