Our recent holiday to ‘Paris by the sea’ otherwise known as Le Touquet saw us take in much of the surrounding area. As well as learning to fly a kite for the first time on Le Touquet beach, we also visited the town of Berck which lies within the Parc du Marquenterre Nature Reserve.
POD Travels asked POD aged 5 what she packs in her Trunki. Her Trunki is three years old and his name is Gaston (in homage to the eponymous Ladybird in Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom), although officially he’s the Harley Ladybird Model.
We always flew to a destination before POD came along as we wanted to begin our break by the quickest means possible. Since we’ve become parents however, the journey has formed an integral part of our overall holiday experience. Now aged five, POD is a true adventurer with her inquisitive nature undeniably infectious. Luckily for us she loves to discover new places too and is pretty much up for anything. Over recent months we’ve taken the car to the Isle of Wight, the Côte d’Opale in France and Ghent in Belgium. Road trips are amazingly good fun and they’ve enabled us to do even more exploring that we might have done otherwise. This summer we’ve decided to do something we’ve not done before – travel to Northern Spain on board a Brittany Ferries’ cruise ship.
The fishing village of Ambleteuse is located on the Côte d’Opale in Northern France. It was discovered by Louis XIV in 1680 when he was passing through Boulogne-sur-Mer who decided to make it a military port. Coincidentally we visited the picturesque town following a stay in Boulogne which included a visit to the old town and the NAUSICAA aquarium.
When we booked our holiday to Greece with Mark Warner, at the Levante Beach Resort, we weren’t sure if we were going to utilise the childcare on offer. Mainly as we see a family trip being exactly that and because POD tends to be looked after by the same people.
We’ve travelled to Belgium several times now so we’re excited to be visiting the historical city of Ghent soon. Viewed by Lonely Planet as Europe’s best kept secret, this cultural hub is situated an hour’s drive from the capital with many medieval landmarks lining its largely traffic free streets. We thought we’d take a look at the must see places to visit in the Arts Quarter (Kunstenkwartier), home to the Book Tower as well as many of the city’s museums and the Historical Centre (Kuip) where there’s a thousand year old fortress, medieval towers and of course the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.
Little did we know there was so much to see on the Opal Coast. From the obelisk at Cap Blanc Nez and Batterie Todt at Cap Gris Nez to Audresselles and Wimereaux. Having stayed in Boulogne-sur-Mer and explored the old town, we visited fishing village Ambleteuse before checking out the pretty seaside town of Wissant.
One of the things I love about driving abroad is that you get to discover all kinds of wonderful places that may otherwise pass you by. On exploring Northern France for example we got to see the best of what the Côte d’Opale had to offer. This French coastal region is marked by the presence of two cliffs which are situated between Calais and Boulogne. Cap Gris Nez (grey nose cape) reaches 50 metres with Cap Blanc Nez (white nose cape) 132 metres. Listed since 1987, both are part of the network of Great Sites of France along with Navacelles, the Gorges du Verdon, the city of Carcassonne and the Bay of Mont Saint Michel.
Huilo-Huilo is a biological reserve located in the heart of the Chilean Patagonia Rainforest under the Andes Mountain range. Covering over two hundred square miles of Valdivian forest, there are natural hot springs, untouched beaches and lagoons to explore as well as the Mocho volcano which is equipped for skiing. Located along the shores of Pirihueico Lake, near Panguipulli, the Huilo-Huilo Foundation is dedicated to the preservation of the park with one of its conservation projects protecting the Huemul deer which are in danger of extinction.
As a couple we’d often book flights at short notice and escape for a European city break. We didn’t necessarily have an idea where we wanted to go either, we’d just booked whatever took our fancy. We were very much go with the flow types and being away was a great way to ensure the weekend felt even longer. We do research destinations more with a five year old in tow but as long as there’s enough to occupy her, everyone’s happy. So what are the top European city breaks for families with young children?
