4th – 7th July Arques – Dunkerque
Rick’s blog…

Whilst cycling around Arques and St Omer we found a Grand Design for our next house!>>>see

pic. Also visited Cristal D Arques show shop.

Found a very French style restaurant / bar called Les Frangins, which also has a fast WiFi (wee fee in French) at only 2 euros per hour so updated the blog and nattered on MSN.

On a meandering route to Bruges we were drawn back to the coast and found two large motorhome parking areas (Aire de Service) at each end of the excellent seafront at Malo-les-Bains. Tried both and thoroughly explored Dunkerque City Centre and surrounding area on foot and bike including the floating museum (lightship, barge, and magnificent three masted sailing training ship built in 1901 by the Germans and then taken as war reparations by the French in 1945. Walked back through a very large derelict dock site (approx 42 hectares ) now being laid out as a housing led regeneration scheme on a very windy stretch of coastline.

En-route we helped out a French couple whose battery had gone flat. After help from loads of onlookers, a very nice pair of gendarmes and an engineer with a short circuited jump lead (les pinces crocodiles) it was eventually bump started, tricky as it was a diesel!

We now have a panoramic view of the sea on a free Aire de Service (see pic below) and will stay here until Monday for the Tour de France. We have met many more interesting people in motorhomes, including a nice Dutchman who has suggested some good places to visit in the Low Countries. Strong winds have now calmed slightly and weather is sunny.

Just seen a fascinating art/video/audio exhibition by a young Australian called Emmelene Landon who travelled the world on a container ship, all in the Musee Maritime in Dunkerque (see pic below). There is a lot more to do in Dunkerque than we thought and the locals are very helpful

I reckon we could really get into meandering around - and we have 360 days left!