The Good Life France Magazine




The Good Life France Magazine brings you the best of France - inspirational and exclusive features, fabulous photos, mouth-watering recipes, tips, guides, ideas and much more...


Published by the award winning team at The Good Life France

Views
2 years ago

Issue No. 25

In this issue, visit France from home - Gascony, and Provence, fabulous day trips from Paris, captivating Toulouse and charming Northern France. Recipes, guides and a whole heap more to entertain and inspire...

Born to be wild When I

Born to be wild When I was offered the chance to discover the Hauts-de-France region on two sturdy wheels, I couldn’t resist the thrill. A Harley Davison ad once read “God didn’t create metal so that man could make paper clips!” The Harley Davidson 2019 Ultra Limited is a big bike. Very big. And I am small. So, we agreed, my husband Mark and me – he would do the driving (my feet didn’t reach the pedals), while I would sit back in the comfy armchair style seat and enjoy the ride… We started our journey at Dover on a P&O ferry. As soon as we parked the bike on the deck, other Harley-Davidson riders engaged in parking, came over to look, comment and treat us like mates. Biking is like that. They were on their way to a party in Holland, meeting up with other Harley fans from around Europe. “Did we want to join them?” they asked. Tempting though it was, we chose to keep to our itinerary, riding around the region, discovering truly beautiful sites, glorious countryside, quaffing Champagne in a little known part of Picardy which produces a whopping 10% of all the fizz produced in France, sampling a legendary dish in a castle and enjoying some of the finest food possible. Can you blame us? Bikers say, “Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass: it’s about learning how to ride in the rain!” and I honestly thought, this is the far north of France - it rains a lot here, we’ve got some learning to do. In fact, in eight days of travel in mid-September – it didn’t rain a single drop and we only saw clouds once…

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