Back to the beaches!

November 2024
We go to Calais and Dunkirk, not for swimming but for WW1 and WW2 history Read more
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Car, Culture, Sightseeing, Vacation
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  • 4footprints
  • 5days
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  • 215miles
  • 215miles
  • Day 1

    Drive from Rouen to Calais

    November 15, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 41 °F

    But first Bill runs and CJ and Daisy walk - getting our steps in before the drive. Our last time out on the Seine Riverwalk in Rouen!
    We loved our stay here. Highly recommend it!!

    Off to Calais

    Got to Calais with no issues. Gassed up and checked into our cute Airbnb. Picnic lunch at home and catch up on emails. Nap time!

    Off on a walk around the area we are in. Found the opera house, city parks and more.
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  • Day 2

    Dunkerque (Dunkirk)

    November 16, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    The British evacuation from Dunkirk is often described as a miracle. Over 300,000 Allied soldiers pulled from the sea in the face of overwhelming odds and the so-called 'Dunkirk spirit' that made it happen helping Britain through its darkest hour.

    From May 26 to June 4, over 338,000 British and French troops were safely evacuated from Dunkirk. Critical to this process was the British Royal Air Force, which intercepted German bombers above the beach. Together with the civilians who aided the Royal Navy, they saved countless lives.

    Destroyed by German attacks, it was rebuilt after the war – though, alas, during one of the most uninspired periods in the history of Western architecture. While the modern city has precious little charm, it does offer visitors worthwhile museums, a family-friendly beach and colourful pre-Lent carnivals.

    First stop the Commonwealth Memorial Cemetery. WW1 memorials are tended to by local schools. WW2 memorial is kept by the commune. Both were very nicely preserved.

    We visited the Operation Dynamo museum which was very interesting. The entire museum covers the period of May 26 - June 4, 1940.

    The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo and also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, or just Dunkirk, was the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied soldiers during the Second World War from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, in the north of France, between 26 May and 4 June 1940. The operation commenced after large numbers of Belgian, British, and French troops were cut off and surrounded by German troops during the six-week Battle of France. England considered this a huge victory saving 338,000 lives. For the French, the loss of Dunkirk was a national disaster and the prelude to the end of the Third French Republic.
    We walked to the beach and read more info on the history of Dunkirk and WW2. We had a fabulous lunch and enjoyed the warmth of the cafe as it was 52 F degrees however with the wind 41 F.
    We drove into the city center to see the City Hall, port and rampart.
    Dunkirk was destroyed after the second war and simply rebuild in the 1950’s and 60’s. Its rich history is explained all over the city with plagues and monuments.
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  • Day 3

    Calais for the day!

    November 17, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌬 50 °F

    Calais, a big port city, closest point to England full of cruise ships, container ships, auto ferries and site of the Chunnel. Today, there’s a strong wind coming off the Channel making the “feels like” temp much colder than the 50 degrees the weather claims.

    Our first stop was the Les Baraques Military Cemetery from WW1. There are only about 1,700 buried here, most from the Calais hospital, they represent almost every nation in WW1: France, UK, Germany, and also the colonies: Canada, India, South Africa, Fiji, Japan, China, Egypt. It was interesting to see the different native languages on the tombstones and the presentation.

    We went to the beach and tripped over the monument to the Queens Riflemen. This group from the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) had 300 troops who died, 700 wounded during the defense of Calais in 1940. The survivors were sent to a POW camp, some spending 5 years there.

    Leaving the beach we ran into a dragon! The “Dragon of Calais” is also from The Machine Workshop in Nantes, giving rides and blowing smoke and fire 🔥. Sadly we failed to get a picture of the fireball.

    Barely escaping our doom from the dragon, we walked into town to find the Tour de Guet, a watchtower started in the 1100s and used for various purposes through WW2. From the Tour we found Charles and Yvonne de Gaulle, commemorating Yvonne who is from Calais and the time the couple spent here during their marriage. Leaving the couple behind we wandered to the Phage de Calais, where we passed on the option of climbing the 273 steps to the top where (on a clear day, which is not today) you could possibly see the English coast.

    A stop for tea, cappuccino but mostly to get of the wind then off to the Citadel of Calais.
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  • Day 4

    Museum closed - boring day in the mall

    November 18, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F

    We hoped to see the 39-45 Memorial Museum in Calais and despite saying it’s open online it was not. It’s a German bunker from WW2 which never got hit by allied bombing. The Canadians were surprised to find it when they liberated Calais in 1945. In 1962, it was converted to the museum and over the ensuing years, many residents brought in items they had collected or found to the museum for presentation.

    So we walked the main drag saw the Hotel de Ville and decorations going up and the St Pierre Park colors and drove to the mall.
    We had a great lunch after getting in some steps and buying Bill some fuzzy socks to sleep in. (His feet are freezing). Lunch at a Belgian restaurant in the mall food court. Found out that Welsh Rarebit is basically a bowl of warmed, melted cheese with bread and some sort of meat and veggies. Not the sandwich from the picture next to the description. CJ had the Poutine, a skillet of fries covered in cheese sauce with sausage and onion. Both were yummy.
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