LE WEEKEND in: Pas de

LE WEEKEND in: Pas de Calais Cap Blanc-Nez © lescoflocs Take a break in northern France this autumn and discover an authentic, picturesque, and welcoming corner between the sea and the land says Janine Marsh… The department of Pas de Calais in the north of France is a land of contrasts. The unspoiled Opal Coast stretches for 75 miles, a shoreline of demerara sugar-coloured sandy beaches and dramatic cliffs, Belle-Epoque seaside resorts and flourishing fishing villages. Inland, the pastoral countryside is peppered with picturesque villages and historic towns. In Saint-Omer just 30 minutes from Calais, is France’s last cultivated wetland, a UNESCOlisted biosphere, a haven for wildlife and the only place in France where post is delivered to the island homes by boat! There’s just so much to see and do - and I should know, I live here! But allow me to save you time, here are just a few favourites: Fabulous for Families Follow the route of the Opal Coast and you’ll discover traditional little seaside villages Dune, Slack © Eric Desaunois - Département du Pas-de-Calais where kids can dash up and down sand dunes, paddle and pootle about in rock pools, and fly kites on the boundless breezy beaches. The perfect outing for waterproof children and patient parents. At the Tour de la Horloge Museum in Guines, discover the history of the area from the Vikings to the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520 when King Henry VIII visited and jousted with the King of France. Kids can dress up like a Viking or a knight, play games and board a Viking ship! Goggle at a dragon in Calais! Yes really. A firebreathing, eye-lid batting, 72-tonne dragon roams the historic sites of Calais several times 34 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 35