After two years of enforced staycations - when all affordable bricks and mortar lodgings were long snapped up - we were ready for a European break, leaving the overused tent at home.
But as Covid continued to blight holiday plans with mass flight cancellations and short staffing, nerves set in about booking an expensive dream break. After endless dithering, we settled on the trusty ferry to France, only to hear of skeleton or sacked crews, reduced service, and long queues.
Our saviours were Irish Ferries who usually ply routes from Ireland, but started Dover Calais sailings in June. We arrived early to negotiate anticipated post-Brexit border headaches, but sailed through to catch the earlier boat. Within hours of leaving London, we were driving through the walls of Boulogne's beautifully preserved old town. If you've never been, Dickens was a fan and stayed here while writing Bleak House, and Napoleon used it as his base for bothering Britain.
We ate pizza and moules-frites In the evening sun in the main square, took a sunset walk on the ramparts, and rose early next morning to find the bustling Saturday market in Place Dalton, where we bought cheeses, pates, bread and pastries.
It was a glorious return to the sights and sounds of France that we realised we had missed.
A three hour drive brought us to the outskirts of Honfleur. Basking in an August heatwave, this chic medieval port is a foodie and tourist hotspot. Wander the narrow, cobbled streets, dip into the myriad shops selling artisan patisserie, chocolates, biscuits and tea, visit the wooden church of St Catherine or book lunch at a harbourside restaurant like Le Vieux Honfleur for a plateau of 'Fruits de Mer' and chilled Sancerre while watching the boats.
Nearby, are the expanses of Deauville and Trouville beaches. Known as the 'Riviera of Northern France' they have been upscale resorts since the 1800s with casino, horse races, a fabulous fish market and 1920s boardwalk complete with bathing cabins. Should you tire of the waves and Belle Epoque architecture, there are plenty of cafes serving cold rose.
We stayed in the mercifully cool hills, in a typical Norman half timbered house in the Calvados region. The famous Pont de Normandie spans the mouth of the Seine, and for our next destination we followed the river east. A planned picnic at the Romanesque Abbey de Jumieges was almost nixed when we found ourselves on the wrong side of the winding river. Fortunately there's a free car ferry which transports you over in minutes and we were soon dining amongst the ruins. We crossed back towards Rouen and Beauvais to see the soaring nave of France's tallest gothic cathedral then on to Compiegne.
History buffs will know this is where the 1918 armistice was signed in a railway carriage. The French proudly displayed it in a special museum until Hitler personally ordered it smashed open and dragged back into the clearing to force them to surrender in 1940. The carriage went on public show in Berlin before perishing in Allied bombing. A 'Wagon' from the same era now takes centre stage in the rebuilt fascinating museum.
At Compiegne you can also visit the moving Memorial to internment and deportation at Royallieu, a haunting camp where Jews and Nazi opponents were held, and often sent on to their deaths. Our base was the less touristy region of Hauts-de-France yet it was packed with medieval castles at Coucy, cathedrals at Laon, and pretty Chateau at Chantilly.
French route stops are less Subway and KFC, more a table in a cobbled street offering crepes and cider or a Plat du Jour. Our final leg brought us to The Somme. At Peronne there's an educational Musuem of the Great War, and and at the the Caverne du Dragon we explored underground caves where French troops sheltered under the Chemin des Dames.
But perhaps the most evocative Great War sites were the Canadian memorials at Vimy and Beaumont-Hamel where trenchlines and giant shellholes are amazingly preserved next to cemeteries of rows of young men who died on the same day. Vimy is less than 90 minutes from Calais and as we turned north we realised we'd fallen back in love with France; its history, food and way of life.
A short delay at border controls and we were sailing homewards - there's plenty of seating in the ship's bar, restaurant and lounges but we treated ourselves to the top floor VIP lounge with stunning views over the channel and welcome Irish hospitality, It was a good spot to plan where and when we'd return.
Three ships service the Dover Calais route Isle of Inishmore, Isle of Innisfree, and Isle of Inisheer. Travel from £64 one way for a car and up to nine passengers with free Wi-Fi on board and a Flexibility Option for added peace of mind. https://www.irishferries.com/
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