A varied week in the Pas de Calais
Review Submitted: August 31, 2008
Date of Stay: August 2008
Les Tilleuls perfectly matched its description. It was well equipped and well maintained with a lovely garden.It is a short drive from Boulogne where we were able to stock up with French delicacies at the Auchan hypermarket. Boulogne Centre Ville is a typical seaside port - not worth a visit, but the fortified town is nice and has a little cobbled street, lined with small restaurants.
Les Tilleils offered all of us opportunities for a good holiday. Despite dull weather my grandchildren enjoyed the local beaches at le Touquet and Hardelot. Nausicaa is probably not as good as Oceanopolis at Brest but fine on a wet day.My youngest son and his girlfriend enjoyed an overnight trip to Paris by catching the train at Boulogne,while my husband and I managed to visit all of the towns in Nord Pas de Calais ... and slightly beyond! We visited Arras with its restored squares,Amiens with its beautiful cathedral and its canals,le Touquet, St Omer - a pleasant small town - and Lille which we especially liked.We had lunch in the main square and coffee in Meert, which has been there since C18th.Lille also has some nice shops.
Other trips that we enjoyed were to the Cistercian Abbey at Valloires which we were shown round by a young French guide. It was challenging trying to follow so much detail in french but satisfying to pick up some of it.There is a beautiful garden with a small shop and restaurant.
La Coupole is also very interesting. The approach tunnels are always very cold which adds to the atmosphere but would make a sweater essential on a hot day.The information is well presented and the head phones deal with the language problem.This is not really a visit for children much younger than 10 or 11. There is a little cafeteria at the entrance and as the visit lasts 2/3 hours, it's sensible to have a drink at the start.Their sandwiches also provided a satisfactory lunch at the end.
We all enjoyed our week at les Tilleuls and it was a relaxing place to return to in the evenings and catch up on what everyone had been doing.
Owner's Response: The Pas de Calais truly is « real France – real close ». So easy to get to and so much to see and do. Sure there are no guarantees on the weather but that goes with being « real close ».
The upside is that guests staying at Les Tilleuls tend to be more adventurous with their excursions when the sun’s not shinning, taking home more memories of « real France ».
The Les Tilleuls as Marjory found out is large enough and comfortable enough for all the family and for all ages. In renting Les Tilleuls you’ll enjoy a quality holiday home and a perfect base for exploring the region.
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