Nord-Pas-De-Calais

Bray-Dunes and Etaples. Our first two days - Written by Caroline

26.04.2011

We got our fry up - but on the ferry, rather than on English soil. It was good though!

We arrive by Ferry into Dunkerque and drive straight into Belgium. There is a field by the side of the road, with a French flag and then 50 yards further down, a Belgium flag. So we have been in three countries in one day!

We turn back around and arrive at our first campsite. We have booked campsites for the first week and for Cannes, so we don’t have to think too hard and can enjoy the luxury of showers and somewhere easy to fill up with water. After that it will be WOOFing, France Passion or Aire’s (more on those later).

This is a lovely campsite – Camping Paraqueet, in Bray-Dunes, and hours drive east of Dunkerque, on the coast. It is a ten minute walk to the beach and then a half hour to the town. We take a walk and get some Frites and then have our first meal in the van and bed down.

It is peaceful, warm and some fellow ‘vanners have already told us their ‘road stories’ of where to go and where to avoid.

We intend to spend some time chilling out, so leave Dunkerque for another day and travel an hour and a half on the motorway, West, along the coast, to a small fishing village called Etaples (sorry, haven't grasped putting accents above letters yet - the second e has one). The campsite is called La Pinade - the pines. The impression that I had gleaned from the website, was that it was right on the coast and there was a beach. I foolishly did not properly look at Google maps and so was sorely disappointed. Nevertheless, it is a nice campsite, lovely people running it. Our views from the pillow so far have been very Green and lovely. This one is no exception.

...More soon, just grabbed some wifi space (an elderly couple have been sitting in the washroom watching tele on the internet and using up all the bandwidth :-) before bed. Driving to Giverney to visit Monets garden tomorrow. Lots of special memories of looking at his paintings. Never thought I'd see the real thing. Night x

Posted by placesinbetween 13:41