Mesnil-Val (July 26 - 31)

We were supposed to stay in an old farmhouse in Limousin but right before our vacation we found out that the planned renovations hadn’t been finished yet.

The Belgian Ardennes is always a good alternative, yet spoiled by the past weeks temperatures we obviously forgot the local treacherous climate. As the weather dramatically changed there was no use to spend our days in the rain. The coast forecast was a little bit better and we ended up at the Côte d'Albâtre which is a slightly longer drive than to the Ardennes.


It’s been a while I've been planning to explore the French Atlantic coast that I know only from my grandpa(’s postcards) who was travelling here in the 1920’s and 1930’s.




However, I was a bit concerned how will I possibly spend one week at the seaside. I can’t fish for crabs 24/7 like my boys!






But I must admit I was really charmed by the small fishing towns, white limestone cliffs, the greenish water... that all together created the most relaxing atmosphere.





The same way was the campsite we stayed at, located on top of a cliff overlooking the sea with only a short walk to the beach.
I should point out that the campground was actually kind of a little ‘Dutch oasis’. There were only one French and one Belgian couple, all the rest was Dutch; ‘except’ of us then!
Anyway, it was mostly (or only) tents and therefore nice and quiet.

Maarten had so much fun with the neighbor’s Noortje. Needles to mention, that saying goodbye was pretty hard afterward.







With some exceptions the local hiking wasn’t really adventurous and for that reason motivating Maarten to take to the trail wasn't easy.
Why would he walk up high along the cliffs when there were so many tempting tide pools down at the beach?!


But visiting places like the picturesque village of Veules-les-Roses enchanted even Maarten who compared it to Efteling.
Well, luckily it was considerably quieter but not less fairy-tale-like!





Only by accident we discovered the nearby Mers-les-Bains. With a necessary ice cream we strolled down the romantic sea-front promenade. The colorful interlaced Art Nouveau villas were beautifully restored and revealed the town’s "Belle époque" past as a fashionable seaside resort.


Here again I had to think about my grandfather sentimentally wishing to hear his adventures from this lovely region.