Samer (near Calais), northern France - what to do?
Discussion
Chaps,
Quickie. I'm off to Samer in Northern France in a couple of weeks time. It's near Calais, and can be found on Google Maps here. It's a family do, celebrating my dad's 70th birthday, and we have a large self-catering place for a week.
Question is, what to do in the area? The party will include kids aged as young as 4, but they don't have to be included in all the activities. It doesn't seem to be a great wine-growing region, Disneyland Paris is a few hours away and the only thing I can think of is the battlefield sites and the Normandy beaches.
Does anyone know the region? Does anyone have any suggestions for things to do in the area? As varied as you like ... restaurant recommendations welcome as well! Of course there are the usual French appeals (local boulangerie, finding a local hypermarche to stock up on booze and cheese and so on), but it looks as if the weather may not be as scorching hot and sunny as in the holidays of my childhood, so that will need to be factored in. At least four of the party speak good French, and we'd avoid things that are nothing more than blatent tourist traps ...
All suggestions welcome - thanks.
Oli.
Quickie. I'm off to Samer in Northern France in a couple of weeks time. It's near Calais, and can be found on Google Maps here. It's a family do, celebrating my dad's 70th birthday, and we have a large self-catering place for a week.
Question is, what to do in the area? The party will include kids aged as young as 4, but they don't have to be included in all the activities. It doesn't seem to be a great wine-growing region, Disneyland Paris is a few hours away and the only thing I can think of is the battlefield sites and the Normandy beaches.
Does anyone know the region? Does anyone have any suggestions for things to do in the area? As varied as you like ... restaurant recommendations welcome as well! Of course there are the usual French appeals (local boulangerie, finding a local hypermarche to stock up on booze and cheese and so on), but it looks as if the weather may not be as scorching hot and sunny as in the holidays of my childhood, so that will need to be factored in. At least four of the party speak good French, and we'd avoid things that are nothing more than blatent tourist traps ...
All suggestions welcome - thanks.
Oli.
La Coupole - V1 launch site near St Omer
Sea-Life place in Boulogne is good for the kids
Gun emplacements at Gap Gris Nez (and watch the boats leaving Dover when it's clear)
Le Touquet is expensive (Northern Riviera!)
Amiens (50m South) has Europe's largest Gothic cathedral
Le Crotoy in the Somme Estuary is OK (nice train ride around the estuary to St Valerie S/Somme)
Sea-Life place in Boulogne is good for the kids
Gun emplacements at Gap Gris Nez (and watch the boats leaving Dover when it's clear)
Le Touquet is expensive (Northern Riviera!)
Amiens (50m South) has Europe's largest Gothic cathedral
Le Crotoy in the Somme Estuary is OK (nice train ride around the estuary to St Valerie S/Somme)
Visit the town of Montreuil-sur-Mer.
It used to be a port, but the sea's long gone.
Has some amazing ramparts around the town with high walls (presumably once sea walls).
Go to Le Touquet, it still has some of it's air of elegance and style and there are plenty of good sea food restaurants (and shops, if any of your party like such things
).
M.
It used to be a port, but the sea's long gone.
Has some amazing ramparts around the town with high walls (presumably once sea walls).
Go to Le Touquet, it still has some of it's air of elegance and style and there are plenty of good sea food restaurants (and shops, if any of your party like such things
).M.
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