Time to return back home, but we chose to do it in style…with a drive along the D940 coastal road from Calais to Boulogne-sur-Mer. You probably won’t even have heard of it and I don’t blame you, its a bit of a secret and almost always overlooked by drivers who reach Calais and push their pedals to the floor in an attempt to escape south as quickly as possible…
But it is a really nice scenic coastal route with nice little towns and some breathtaking views. Everybody who takes this route will find their own favourite place to walk, stop, eat and drink in the view. It’s almost certain that they will want to return. It’s that sort of place. Like a secret that keeps luring you back to uncover more of its hidden charms.
We stopped at Wimereux with its Belle Epoque villas and its air of seaside grandeur. This really is also a place to take in the sunset with an aperitif on a terrace on the beach – very nice and windy.
We had a lovely lunch at Hardelot, a very swanky little seaside town much loved by Charles Dickens who lived here from 1860 to 1864. There are genteel restaurants, lovely hotels, a fabulous equestrian centre, dunes, a chateau and gorgeous countryside that make this a little gem.
The D940 Opal Coast road offers a diverse range of stunning views and quintessentially French experiences, an astonishingly rich route to roam.
Once seen, never forgotten… you will be back.
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