Journeys End

We had two more days in France before catching the Eurotunnel back to the UK, and after navigating the roads on the outskirts of Paris and escaping the traffic we headed towards Calais. 

The city of Amiens made for a better than expected stop en route to our last night's accommodation. We parked in the centre near the imposing town hall and walked through the city centre towards the Cathedral. The city has been awarded European Youth Capital status for 2020 and in a central square this was being celebrated with colourful ribbons strung overhead and a pop up 'lawn' with deckchairs. 

Central Amiens

Another street was adorned with lampshades. Amiens was an unexpectedly  colourful place!

Me...looking for some shade...

We continued walking through the streets of the centre, passing a very ornate clock ,until arriving at the square at the front of the cathedral. 

The Cathedral has UNESCO World Heritage status and is another fine gothic cathedral. First built in 1220 it is apparently the largest (in terms of internal space) and tallest complete cathedral in France. 

Amiens Cathedral

Amiens was shelled in the First World War being a major strategic point in the conflict and the central part of the cathedral has photographs and words that recount the (successful) efforts that were made to protect it from damage or complete destruction. These efforts were largely effective meaning Amiens still has a magnificent cathedral at the heart of the city. The nearby countryside did not fare so well, 235 churches in the area were destroyed by the conflict. The nave has a high stone vaulted ceiling and around are various chapels and memorial stones, some commemorating those who died in the First World War. 

After admiring the architecture and history we left in search of somewhere to have lunch and near the cathedral is an old quarter - slightly scruffy in places but with some well preserved and colourful houses close to or on the banks of the Somme. Choosing a riverside restaurant we had a good lunch, sitting outdoors in shade as the temperatures had climbed to 34°c. We then ambled amongst the riverside houses before returning to our car - mercifully parked underground and therefore relatively cool - to carry on to our last destination of the trip.

The old quarter of Amiens

Our final night's accommodation was located in a small village called Hesdin-l’Abbé about 20 miles from Calais and just inland from the coast. I'd booked a room at a chateau - although our room was in an adjoining stable block that had been converted into boutique rooms. 

Chateau Cléry

Whilst the chateau looked impressive in truth it wasn't quite as good as hoped for. Whilst the outside was imposing and inside the decor was pleasant and upmarket (with a large tiled bathroom), and the welcome was professional a few touches let the hotel down and the room was very warm and stuffy with windows that didn't open. The chateau charged extra for breakfast - but the reviews suggested it wasn't very substantial or of a high quality - and they wanted €16 - each. This seemed like a bit of a rip off to me - so after checking out - we headed to the nearby seaside town of Wimereux and found an artisan boulangerie where breakfast for both of us cost about a quarter of that we could have paid in the chateau. Wimereux was a nice traditional seaside town, with a long beach that was obviously popular and a seafront lined with bathing huts. We strolled along the beach front before it got too hot and then stumbled across a busy market. 

Wimereux Beach

Wimereux beach hut

Continuing our very leisurely progress towards journeys end we drove on to Cap Gris-Nez. This cape is the closest part of France to the UK and is part of the Opal coast. From here, Dover, and the white cliffs are clearly visible across the Channel. Its a pastoral landscape, ending at a lookout post that monitors Channel sea traffic. Cliffs overlook an azure blue sea. Boulonnais sheep were sheltering from the sun in the few shady spots - a hardy breed they contribute to maintaining an ecological balance by grazing the heath. Footpaths lined with information boards tell the story of the landscape.

Views of Cap Gris-Nez

 Visible in the fields were the now abandoned bunkers built by the German army in World War 2 - part of the 'Atlantic Wall'. Also visible are the outlines of an even earlier military presence - a fort built by Henry VIII, at a time when Calais was controlled by the English. 

Third Reich bunkers set amongst the remains of a fort built by Henry VIII

Just a little further West was a museum, that had we more time, would have been interesting to visit. What today was a quiet, sheep grazed and farmed landscape had a darker history.  Todt Battery was part of the Third Reich's 'Atlantic Wall' a coastal defence system of gun placements and bunkers. It was one of the largest constructions of the Third Reich. One of the huge reinforced concrete gun placements is now a World War 2 museum.

The Todt Battery

Time was ebbing away and we had a shuttle to catch. A couple of hours later the car was much heavier and had a slight aroma of ripening cheese, following a last minute visit to one of the large hypermarkets at Calais. Our long trip was over but we had, once again, had a wealth of experiences and memories to carry into the future.

We drove 3300 miles, door to door. Walking and hiking meant we totted up about 180 miles on foot; an average of 7 a day. There were so many great things to remember its almost impossible to pick a highlight. From a memorable first evening in Chateau de la Chasse Guerre, to the pinxtos and bars of San Sebastian and Logrono we had some fantastic foodie experiences. The architecture of Burgos, Bilbao and Montpellier was stunning. Wineries in Saint Emillion and Rioja lived up to expectations and the landscapes of the Pyrenees and the Auvergne were simply beautiful. The trip was in part a celebration of being European - and we returned to find the UK had a new Prime Minister who was promising to take us out of the EU. To us this is depressing - but will not deter us from seeking out the wonderful cultural experiences that, potentially, start for all of us just across a narrow strip of water. Whatever the future holds there's one thing certain. We will continue to explore new countries, to open ourselves to new experiences, friendships and opportunities to learn. Isn't travel great!