If I remember correctly it was August 2017 when one of my best friends invited me on a family holiday to France. Of course I jumped at the invitation and asked where abouts we would be going! I was told Calais, however we were actually staying just outside of Calais, more near the little town of Wissant. It would be my first time on the Eurostar and also my first time visiting a rural part of France, so it’s safe to say I was excited!!!
Travel Method: Car & Eurostar
Where we stayed: Air B&B in Audembert
How many nights: 4
Budget: 100 Euros Spending Money
France Highlights:
Cap Blanc Nez – Wissant
The very first day we arrived, we all packed our towels and suncream and headed to the beach.
The drive through the countryside was just stunning! Almost as though it was in a story book, the fields of yellow and the swirls of hay bails over the hills.. I had fallen in love already.
We stopped at the bottom of Cap Blanc Nez which I believe translates to ‘Cape White Nose?!’ Built at the top of the hill is a monument for all the soldiers that died in the first world war.
You can spot it for miles, and the view from the top is breathtaking. Such a wonderful spot to sit and think on a sunny afternoon 🙂
We, however, had other ideas. We ambled down towards the coast to see if we could find a suitable spot to settle and take a dip in the sea!
Escalles
Just along from Cap Blanc Nez, is Escalles Beach. I was expecting golden sand, but was surprised by a pebbly beach and freeeeeezing cold water! Myself and Florrie thought it best to stay dry for the majority of our time and work on building a pre-tan 😉 haha. HOWEVER, we did go for a little dip and I even managed to fit into a child sized wet suit so I will take that as a win!!!
Boulogne sur mer
This little town had so much to see! There was an art installation as you walk though the square, with scenes from different movies. My favourites were the hedges from Edward ScissorHands, Alice in Wonderland and a maze with the creepy twins from The Shining!
The highlight though was climbing to the top of the old tower to get an arial view of the town. The colours of the rooftops, all different sizes and shapes.. I could have stood there all day!
I got stuck in the bathroom and needed rescuing!
The funniest part of the holiday I will admit, was getting stuck in the bathroom at the house we were staying at, and having to be rescued. The lock was a little stiff, but I didn’t think about it when I locked the door. Luckily I had my phone with me, so I messaged Florrie from the bathroom to let her know I was stuck. There was no way for them to take the handle off from the outside so someone went to find help from across the road.. this is when I was hanging out of the window trying to see I could climb down from the roof!!
Eventually I was passed a screw driver and I took the handle/lock off from the inside and we vowed never to use that particular bathroom for the rest of the holiday!
Montreiul sur mer
Discovered these absolutely divine little houses whilst wandering around Montreiul Sur Mer. I fell in love immediately! I could just imagine myself living in the tiny little squashed house! This little town had an abundance of character and made for a wonderful afternoon of exploring.
La Touque Paris Plage – Wimereux
We finally found some real sun! Enough to lather on the suncream at least! This beach however was jam packed with locals and so much busier than our little pebbley beach from earlier on in the holiday. Lottie had a lovely time covering everything in sand, including our packed lunch!
Is it even a beach picnic if you don’t end up eating sandy sandwiches?!
Sunday Morning Market – Marquise
I LOVE a market, especially when it is full of fresh, organically grown fruit and veg. This one did not disappoint! The colours were vibrant, the smell of the fresh fruit was just incredible and the people were super friendly.
Sunday mornings we made for farmers markets.
We ate ALL the food!!
Of course we 100% ate our way into a cheese coma every morning/night. The food in France, especially fresh from the Boulangerie, is just on another level. The cheeses are rich and creamy, the pastries crisp and sweet.. what is there to complain about?!
Sophie cooked us dinner a fair few evenings and I can’t thank her enough. There really isn’t anything more lovely than a whole family sitting around the table for a home cooked meal in the evening. It reminded me of my childhood. The discussions, the arguments, the drama, the jokes and the laughter, all of it shared between you.
It will definitely be a family rule once I have my own kids!! Dinner at the table as a family, no excuses!
I loved my time in the french countryside and would love to go back again! Where else in France would you recommend for my next visit? Let me know in the comments!