EVAZION

LOGBOOK, ROAD TRIP IN THE OPAL COAST

FALSE START

As we were about to join the EVAZION ROAD TRIP IN BRITTANY, a combo of microbes nails us to the bed and upsets our plans. Before we've even left the house, vanlife teaches us our first lesson: improvisation! Who are we? We're Aurélie, Thomas and our two children, aged 2 and 4. The days go by, and fortunately, so do the germs. Our van trip is famously shortened and we decide not to join our fellow nomads in Brittany. Off to the Côte d'Opale!
All we know about vanlife are the pictures and inspiring stories from the web and magazines. But here we are, loading a CAMPER VAN RENTALexcited as fleas! Our objective: to discover this way of travelling with the family, between the Caps Gris-Nez and Blanc-Nez. The children are strapped into their seats, we fasten our seatbelts in front of the setting sun and wave goodbye to the house. Let's go for two nights and two days.
Road trip Opal Coast Evazion, Travel diary

DAY ONE

Arrival at 9pm at a farm in Tardinghen, not far from Cap Gris-nez. The children emerge. One of them is crying, the other one is overjoyed. We put their beds under the roof and mentally applaud ourselves for having brought a nightlight. Eventually they fall asleep again and we follow close behind.

Our first night was very hectic and the children's thunderous awakening at 7am came a little too early for our liking.

We have lunch before setting off for Cap Gris-Nez. At this time of year it is rather quiet and we pass a few other brave tourists who have come to walk along the windswept coastline and see the incredible colour of the rough sea. As the children are cold and we are all still in poor health, we don't linger and change plans again.

 

Road trip Opal Coast Evazion, Travel diary

Direction Boulogne-sur-Mer, its fish market and its Aquarium. In the middle of a school holiday week with gloomy weather, we are obviously not the only ones to have had this brilliant idea. But the children are in awe of it and it's enough to make us marvel. 

Time flies and, after a trip to the playground, we head down to the village ofAmbleteuse to spend the night on another farm. Beginner's luck smiles on us and we occupy in extremis the last of the six available pitches. After us, at least six vehicles (vans and camping cars) are turned away.

Aperitif, cooking fresh fish bought in Boulogne, reading and already, second sleep!

DAY TWO

A new, much more peaceful night for everyone. We take our marks and, already, our little habits. The van is spacious, we manage not to step on each other but the children's car seats are really bulky (we'll tell you more about vanlife with young children in a future article).

Our spot is just a stone's throw from a bakery and Thomas walks to get our supplies. We take our time at the farm this morning and get a closer look at the horses. This spot at the farm offers a view of the dunes and the sea. It is easy to see why the places were so popular. Today, the weather looks better, we decide to go and see the beach of Ambleteuse and its emblematic fort, isolated by the water at high tide. 

Road trip Opal Coast Evazion, Travel diary

 

The children put on their overalls and head for the beach. Beginner's luck follows us and we arrive at low tide, at the same time as some amateur mussel fishermen. We follow them and start looking for our snack. We don't have to look far, the rocky outcrop is full of them. This improvised activity, which the children prefer to antics on the rocks and jumps in the water, makes us salivate in anticipation.

We decide to go and cook our catch on a quiet spot, more remote in Moulle (do you believe us if we say that it is not done on purpose?). We are alone on the spot and a company of quacking ducks welcomes us with great fanfare. Thomas renames our meal "les moules à la potence".

The end of the meal soon signals the end of the journey. But Poperinge is not far away and we have our habits there. So we make a short diversions to say hello to a friend who runs a wooden games tavern there. A local beer and a few games later,the children are strapped into their seats, we buckle up and wave at the richly decorated façade. It's already time to go home

Road trip Opal Coast Evazion, Travel diary
Road trip Opal Coast Evazion, Travel diary

DAY THREE

- Third? They improvised again? At the risk of disappointing you in your reading, we did go home after our visit to Poperinge. This third day, however, is the day we cleaned the van and unloaded our luggage, the day we said goodbye to this rental car to get back our good old car. And it's especially the one where we decided that this first short adventure was the first of a great series.
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Twice a month, let yourself be carried away by the little letter of EVAZION!