Côte d'Opale (3): Boulogne-sur-Mer

We visited Boulogne-sur-Mer three times: there is plenty of things to see and do, and it is easy to achieve thanks to large public free of charge car parks close to the major attractions.
The longest walk we had on Sunday and walking along river Liane towards the port we happened to be suporters for local rowing competition

The ferry terminal is now disused and looks like an abandoned cosmodrome

The port authority building matches the cosmic theme

Luckily the entrance to the port is purely marine romantic

One of the main attractions of Boulogne-sur-Mer is Nausicaa - National Sea Experience Centre

We would go there in case of bad weather, but thanks to large windows we could spot some seals even from the pavement, still enjoying sunny day.

The main beach is sandy and is very wide, even at high sea level, and extends far with low tide.
I'm sure during the season it is packed with people, but at this time of the year it was a kingdom of iceboats (on sand - sandboats?)

The upper town is worth visiting not only because of the oldest buildings in Boulogne, but also it offers plenty of places to eat as well as round walk along the city wall. The Notre Dame cathedral is somehow disapointing, as it is really hard to be seen as whole, and especially on the front there is only a narrow street, rather than a decent square.

As a place of long and rich history, there are many monuments

The Column of the Grande Armée overlooks the city

Côte d'Opale (2): Ambleteuse, the dunes and Fort Mahon

Ambleteuse was the first of seaside resorts we were passing through, where we stopped: they all are  of really beautiful architecture (not captured this time) and with impressively wide beaches.

Along the shore south of Ambleteuse there are sand dunes, we saw them on day 1 and walked a path along on day 3. There is a circular walk through them, but it was a bit too long for that day. The access is restricted in attempt to preserve the dunes

It took me a moment to locate the Fort Mahon (that was the primary reason to stop in Ambleteuse on the way), as there is also (apparently more popular) Fort-Mahon-Plage village further south the coast. I'm not sure if it was the shape or location or some hidden charm of this structure, but it definitely cought my attention :)

Côte d'Opale (1): Cap Blanc-Nez, Cap Gris-Nez

Over first days of June we travelled to the Northern France to explore its seashore: Côte d'Opale. It felt a safer bet weather-wise that North Wales (although with our typical luck it appeared to be opposite ). Anyway it was a really nice time, and all the things we haven't seen are on our list for the future trips, when exploring the coastline further south.

Day 1: Calais - Boulogne-sur-Mer
Stop 1: Cap Blanc-Nez

Athough the main car park for the Dover Patrol monument is located further up, we didn't know that, so parked at the monument of Hubert Latham and had a walk up the hill.

Views over the Channel (La Manche, if seen from here :) 

 

The main attraction here is the Dover Patrol memorial

On the horizon is our next stop

Stop 2: Cap Gris-Nez

That wasn't the luckiest of the stops, as due to fog and haze Dover Cliffs were barely visible, and it also appeared there is no access to the lighthouse - so all that was left was to walk it round

The whole area is covered in bunkers, together with numerous museums and memorial sites is a paradise for military and war history amateurs.