The concern was that the place we found on AirBnB was here:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/817+Rue+des+Bocquets,+62370+Zutkerque,+France/@50.8251774,1.7510136,10z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x47dc4f8b00ecb2c1:0xd98c8f923ca0247d
Not exactly in a bustling community. The night before, we were able to find it relatively easily given the sparse houses to choose from.
As it turns out, the kids had no idea it was Halloween until a few days later, so this never became an issue!
One reason is they have no concept of Gregorian calendars being 5, 3, and 1 year old.
Another reason is that the farmhouse we were staying had a second floor just for the boys, complete with 4 boxes of Legos and 2 boxes of military cars, trucks, and soldiers. It was a little boys utopia!
We were lucky they even came down to eat meals, let alone ask if they could dress up as Spiderman for Halloween.
It was a lovely farmhouse with a huge amount of space. The host family lived there when no guests rented it. They had a beautiful garden plot and a small soccer field. We were left a welcome basket with pumpkin, beets, apples, carrots, as well as homemade jam.
Lanna made herself at home.
Despite the rustic charm, the floors had modern touches - they were heated. Amazing!
We all settled in nicely to this calm, quiet, and picturesque farmhouse.
The farmhouse also had a welcoming committee comprised of two kittens.
The smaller kitten was, by far, one of the most adorable cats we have ever met. As Alisa said, "If all cats were like this little one, I would be a cat person."
This cat was everywhere! In the house when it could dash in, in the car, running across the yard, being chased by Lanna then being chased by Sammy.
Despite the warmth and comfort of this rustic farmhouse, we were excited to experience some of the area.
Alisa found the Cap Blanc Nez Cliffs which were a short drive away. As a bonus, we quickly stopped at an apple orchard and Alisa hurried out, picked a bagful of apples in about 5 minutes, and shared her crisp and delicious bounty with all of us.
We drove through several tiny French coastal towns on the way to Escalles and found it charming.
Cap Blanc Nez, slightly west of Calais, is considered by some to be France's equivalent to Dover. It too has regal white cliffs and spectacular views across the Channel.
In the past, it's also played a key role in World War I and World War II. A monument is there dedicated to those who served in the Dover Patrol in World War I. This monument has a sister obelisk in Dover, England as well. The French monument was unfortunately destroyed by the Germans during their occupation of France in World War II but rebuilt in the early 1960's.
There's some excellent history about the Dover Patrol and this site captures that information nicely:
http://www.dover-kent.co.uk/history/ww1a_dover_patrol.htm
It has also been important in land surveys, being near Greenwich, England as well.
Here's a nice site that gives some more information and some excellent photos of the area:
http://www.calais-cotedopale.co.uk/discovering/grand-site-des-deux-caps/cap-blanc-nez-cliffs
We parked nearby and made the slow climb up towards the Dover Patrol monument, an obelisk near the cliffs.
The day was gorgeous with a slight breeze coming off the Channel. Model planes could be seen soaring off the cliffs and near the monument. We came across all the model enthusiasts and spent a long time watching them spin, throw their model gliders off the cliffs (some had wingspans of 6 feet!), and then maneuver the glider through the air back to the crowd to be coolly caught in one hand by its owner.
We looked up ahead and saw the restored Dover Patrol monument.
Then looked to the right and saw Calais.
We looked to the left and saw the little town of Escalles nestled in the valley.
It was so peaceful to stand there watching the model gliders soar through the blue skies while being surrounded with such beautiful views.
Which is so strange to think that not that long ago, this area was bristling with pillboxes, strewn with barbed wire and patrolled by German soldiers amidst the rubble of the exploded Dover monument.
There were several pillboxes surrounding the monument and I couldn't help but go in to look at one (which is not, strictly speaking, encouraged).
And then we looked back behind us and saw the hillsides were pockmarked with craters.
As we walked along a path down near the cliffs, we encountered other craters, pillboxes, and other mute reminders of World War II. There was no clear discussion about why the craters were present, but we all assumed it was due to the intense bombing this area suffered from the fall of France until D-Day.
The day remained beautiful and peaceful as we walked down a long rolling hill towards Sangatte and Calais. We didn't get to see the famed cliffs very well, although I did stick my arm out over the edge and took this picture:
Then I was told never to do that again.
We walked until the afternoon sun started to get low across the Channel and then turned around to walk back up. Poor Sammy started to fade, so we carried him in our backpack while Alisa toted Lanna in the baby bjorn.
As we returned to the monument, we were able to watch the sun set.
We were able to get a selfie and actually get the sunset too!
As dusk fell, we prepared to leave and go to a local restaurant our host had recommended.
The meal, local French cuisine, rivaled the Milan steakhouse and Michaela's Umbrian feast. It was an excellent way to end the day and our entire stay in France.
Looking back on that day, I wanted to end this post with one of my favorite pictures I've taken this trip. It feels imbued with the essence of the area: rich in history, tranquility, and calm.
No comments:
Post a Comment