La Belle France

As I'm on holiday this week I made another quick raid on the French with a friend yesterday. After the obligatory quick shop in Calais, we ventured inland to St Omer where we enjoyed a very good lunch in a small cafe called Le Zinc in Place Foch. I would particularly recommend the crab salad entree.

After lunch we made for the Office De Tourisime to seek directions to the 'anciens port' only to be told "there is nothing there - only 'ouses"! Nevertheless we made our way to the 'ouses and enjoyed the old canal waterfront of St Omer.

Just north of the town, on the same canal, we were surprised to see quite large boats and barges plying their trade. From there we followed the canal to the sea and enjoyed a brisk walk along the endless expanse of flat sand - not far from the beaches of Dunkirk.

By chance we made it back on a earlier than booked ferry which meant that we home at a reasonable hour. What added to the value was the fact that there is stiff competition amongst the three ferry operators sailing out of Dover. I was able to book the return day-trip for £20 with P&O. When we checked in I received a voucher for a by-one-get-one-free breakfast offer and also a voucher for a free half-case of Californian wine - no strings attached, simply £18.54 of wine for free! That meant we had in excess of £26 of freebies and so were £6 up even before we reached France. An exhaustive price comparison showed that the ferry prices for spirits were cheaper than Tesco Vins and Auchan, so a good day for P&O. Also, we have decided that Monday's represent the best opportunity to miss the crowds as both he ferry and the shops were almost empty.

A very good day out.

A day trip to Europe

We made a quick raid on Calais and Boulougne this week - a break from holidays at home. The weather was wet, windy and cold so sight-seeing was not going to be on the agenda. Mercifully the snow and ice of recent days let up an we were allowed a journey unimpeded - even the crossings were relatively smooth.

After a 2 hour drive, the opportunity for re-creation the ferry journey affords was very welcome. Sitting in the lounge looking out over the sea whilst drinking a cup of decent coffee is the way to go. I've only used the tunnel a few times. The journey is quick, but my experience has been of waiting too long in holding areas before loading. I don't think the total package gives you much more of a time saving than the ferry.

I make several day trips to Calais each year with a good friend. We head off in a pre-determined direction, maybe to Dunkerque, inland to Saint Omer, or west to Le Touquet. This time I went with my wife which was a very pleasant change. We went to Boulougne for lunch in the Restaurant Haute Ville, a restaurant I have been visiting for a good 10 years now. Excellent food and service in charming surroundings - right opposite the Notre Dame. Good value for money.

We made the obligatory visit to Auchan to stock up on French essentials and then made our way back to the Ferry Terminal and homeward. A very pleasant day out. Give it a try sometime.