A decision to make – to go north or south?

26th July 2013

French counrtyside Boulougne sur Mer to Calais, (shame about the sign!)

Well this part of my travels was a bit like wandering in the wilderness – couldn’t seem to make up my mind. From Paris to Arras, on to Boulougne sur Mer and Calais then back down to Rouen before heading to Pontorson to see Mont Saint-Michel. Just no real plan and almost feeling like I’ve wasted at least a week.Then again, it’s all new and different so I just need to plan ahead better in future!

A few new summer clothes in Boulougne sur Mer have helped lift my spirits a tad, a couple of skits and a top. A bus ride, (because the trains weren’t running), between Boulougne sur Mer and Calais, was a nice change. We called in to all the little train stations on the way, seems I saw more than I usually do on the train.

Poster in Musee Memoire 1939-1945, Calais, France

There’s an old fashioned WW2 museum at Calais set in the middle of a lovely park that was well worth visiting. Among other things I found a few newspaper articles about the North Africa campaign of WW2, where my Dad served at Torbruk and other places.

Also found this poster that’s been reproduced massively in recent times, pretty sure I’ve seen a pic of P!nk using this pose.

One of the huge differences between Europe and Australia that always strikes me is the architecture. The town halls in Australia are barely noticeable in most places but here they’re like a palace. Calais has a particularly special one I think, at least from the outside, It’s one of the prettiest I’ve seen and the gardens surrounding it were spectacular.

Hotel de Ville, Calais, France

Rouen was just an overnight stop on the way south again, so I didn’t see much. After arriving I headed to the Musee des Beaux Arts, which wasn’t far from the train station and little hotel where I was staying, but was disappointed to find it shut. It was on my way back from there I found myself feeling quite unsafe for the first time since leaving home almost 4 months ago. Taking a different route I seemed to be in a bit of an unsavoury area and closing in on evening it just felt wrong and a little scary. Quicker steps, tighter clutching of my bag while trying to appear nonchalant (I read somewhere you’re supposed to try and not look worried, lol), and five minutes later I was back on busier streets. Wow, that was rather weird and totally unexpected but maybe a good reminder as I’ve probably stopped being quite as vigilant and careful as I was at first.

My room in Rouen was a little gem, almost right next to the train station but absolutely no noise – how cool is that!! Check it out here – Hotel Le Depart