Issue No. 25

Have wheels – will travel...
Pas de Calais: The Opal Coast and the
Route 66 of northern France
Alighting from the ferry, we whizzed straight
onto the coastal road which takes you right
around the Opal Coast. It starts at the
border with Belgium and runs to the border
with Normandy. We joined it just outside
Calais…
The sky was blue, the English Channel was
the colour of the Mediterranean Sea, a soft
sort of turquoise, and the air was scented
with apples from orchards lining the country
roads as we drifted off the main coastal
route and into the beautiful countryside to
hunt down a patisserie. Nothing says France
more than a baguette with a chunk of cheese
followed by a jewel like cake and a glass of
chilled wine. We sat on a blanket
overlooking the English Channel, rabbits
hopping around us, birds swooping above. A
moment of pure pleasure.
The Opal Coast Route
The D940 Opal Coast route is the Route 66
of the north of France. It passes through a
stream of small fishing towns, seaside resorts
and some of the most beautiful scenery in
France. There are miles and miles of
unspoiled and endless sandy beaches, huge
dunes, pine forests and dramatic clifftop
walks offering dizzying views across the
Channel to the White Cliffs of Dover –
clearly visible on a cloudless day. Some parts
of the coast reminded me of the Giant’s
Causeway in Ireland, massive boulders seem
to spill out of the sea and up to the road.
Fishermen sat silent and patient along the
water’s edge with rods and nets. Out to sea
we could see traditional wooden fishing
boats bobbing on the calm water.
We found secret, secluded bays where seals
frolicked. There are monuments and
museums, and the remains of the Atlantic
Wall built as protection against allied