A holiday - and after.

A week ago we returned from a two-week holiday in Pas de Calais.  We discovered the area many years ago when we decided to stop and explore the area around Calais rather than, like so many including us, just use it as a jumping-off point to other parts of France. From Calais down past Boulogne to the Baie de Somme the countryside is very pretty, the beaches of the Cote d’Opale stunning and the towns interesting.

This time we stayed in a charming cottage with a lovely garden in a small village all set in a pretty valley yet within easy reach of Montrieul, Etaples, Le Touquet and Saint Cecile…the latter being a favourite of mine.

We had mixed weather and rather too much rain, but mostly drizzly rather than the heavy downpours along with thunder and lightning that has hit much of France this so-called Spring. But we were able to enjoy a few warm days including two with brilliant sun shining from clear blue skies. 

As we were in need of a restful time and because we had stayed in the area previously, we hadn’t planned to do a lot of chasing about which was just as well as the fuel shortage due to strikes over the proposed labour changes coincided with our visit.  We were able to top-up on the auto route and, not being sure how the situation might escalate, nursed our supplies to make sure we were able to get back home when the time came! 

From the front door of the cottage -  a tantalising glimpse of the garden through the back door.

Partly cloudy but a warm evening to welcome us.

For the next couple of days, the sky looked more like this...

...with intermittent drizzly rain yet whether wet or dry the garden seemed always to be filled with birdsong.


Then it was dry for a few days. We drove through the Baie de Somme area and popped into Berck but it was too windy for comfort.

On other days, we enjoyed fish and chips at Etaples  - and a visit to Sainte Cecile for indulgent, delicious ice-cream sundaes from the terrace of a cafe facing the sea...

Difficult to believe that, after such blue sky and hot sun on the Sunday, the rest of the week was grey, wet and very cold.  That was when the wood-burner in the cottage came into its own!  We did get out some afternoons for a change of scene, but spent much of the time in front of the fire, watching English TV - including the tennis from Paris! - and also read books.  We arrived home to a thunderstorm and the next day the start of a week's-long heat wave!  C'est la vie! 

Since then, I've been catching up with things but, this morning, in warm, sunny weather we went to the pretty river-side spot of Juvigny and the River Loison, where two waters meet - one slow yet overflowing into a field, the other racing to get under the bridge...

...and a fragrant bench on which to sit. How lucky we are to be able to enjoy these respites.