Calais; more than just a tunnel.

Calais; more than just a tunnel.

On the prom

We have stopped overnight in Calais many times (outside the hospitable Calais Vins) when arriving late from the tunnel or arriving late from the other direction to catch an early one. It was about time we had a look at the city itself to see what it had to offer.

Preconceptions of Calais made us a little weary of leaving the motorhome unattended and going walkabout in a place that does not have the greatest reputation, but having arrived on this occasion early afternoon on a sunny day, we went for it.

From our starting point it was a leisurely 25 minute walk to the Hotel de Ville. The striking clock tower on this town hall is a real treat to look at; it is straight out of a fairytale story with its sun themed face and neo renaissance architecture towering over the beautiful gardens below. The oldest part of the building dates back to 1559 with additions and restoration throughout the century's right up until 2005, when it became a UNESCO heritage site.

Onwards to the new town were several super cool streets adorned with 3D pavement art and hanging decorations. My favourite being the splattered pink ice lolly. As well having lots of visual attractions you are spoilt for choice on the pastries front with bakeries everywhere selling extremely reasonably priced sweet treats that look like they belong in a gallery. Tried and tested are the pain au raisin and mille feuille at Kalimero. (Calories don’t count on holiday remember).

Huge trees sheltered us from the sun in two parks; the first being Parc Richelieu with a duo of statues depicting Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle mid stride at the entrance, cute ponds and a small waterfall, walking paths, and unfortunately a lot of homeless people slumped on and around the benches and grassy areas. This was a little unnerving as we stood out as tourists and felt watched at one point. The second, Parc Saint Pierre, boasted a large topiary peacock, a fountain, a war museum (that was not open at the time of our visit) and multicoloured plastic balloons hanging from the trees in the central area. Far less homeless people frequented this park, but it was still noticeable.

Now, you don't automatically think of Calais as a beach destination but my goodness, considering the proximity to a major port, and its geographical location, the plage is gorgeous. Had I have had the foresight to wear swimwear underneath my clothes I would have been stripping off (as hundreds of others had) and delving straight into the crystal blue, calm water. Instead, we settled on drinks at Le Venice beach bar which drew us in with its brightly coloured signage. Directly on the sand, it was a lovely spot to relax and enjoy the view before continuing on.

We ambled alongside the sand until we reached the cemetery and fort Lapin. Taking a slightly different route back towards town we took the Boulevard du General de Gaulle down the side of the canal, explored the marina on the opposite side and then, thinking we were taking a shortcut back to town, ended up wandering around the mammoth port.

Getting ourselves orientated again we trotted past the lighthouse and back to civilisation, finishing our afternoon admiring the Grand Theatre. As theatres go this is particularly spectacular looking, in pristine condition and with a with a bright blue tiled snail sculpture out front and a small sensory garden to the side. What more could you want.

On route back to the motorhome we popped in a couple of boutiques (but I found the prices of clothes here very pricey so nothing was purchased), saw two churches, wandered through a mall, bought (another) tasty pastry and agreed that Calais really is a great city that is misunderstood and underrated. Although we didn’t eat out in the evening, there is wide choice of restaurants around the city and at the beach we noticed. Calais has been host to immigrants from all over for many years and this is reflected in the vast choice of cuisine we saw advertised.

Now, we couldn’t leave this city without going for a ride on a 72 tonne, 80 feet long mechanical dragon puppet. The Dragon of Calais. This magnificent beast is the work of Company La Machine, an award winning puppet company, who offer one hour rides on the back of the dragon up and down the prom. This should be on everyone’s bucket list. The magical experience cost £9pp, and I didn’t want it to end. After we got off, we proceeded to walk with the dragon for a further hour watching her breathe fire and growl at children. Fantastic.

Dragon of Calais in his house

If you have the time, check out Calais, it is more than worth a look. Free, safe, parking for motorhomes is available less than 10 minutes from Le Shuttle at the side of Calais Vins. Just pop your head into the shop and let the security man know you are staying. They are very friendly and have bathroom facilities if you need them. In the immediate vicinity are two bakeries, a variety of clothes shops and a quirky American diner, and of course Calais Vins itself – home to thousands of bottles of wine and champagne at outlet prices.