Cap Blanc Nez, Cap Gris Nez, and Boulogne-sur-Mer: Getting to see England from France!

I have this list on my phone of places that I want to visit, which incomprehensibly had “Le blanc nez” and “Cap Blanc Nez” on it for quite a few weeks. We had a Tuesday off and in the afternoon, my roommate was kind enough to take me on an impromptu roadtrip to the very tip of France!

We were driving along a road through some fields and these motorcycles passed us and suddenly we went over a hill and saw the ocean spreading out in front of us and I almost gasped out loud. It was stunning to see the water and the tiny villages tucked into the rolling green hills.

It was super windy but we were lucky that it was clear enough to see the coast of England on the other side of the water:

After Cap Blanc Nez, we drove over to Cap Gris Nez. It felt much calmer and there were fewer people around, but it was starting to get darker and all the pastel colors were absolutely gorgeous.

 

We then stopped by the beach at Boulogne-sur-Mer and got a chance to see the old part of the village at night:

We made it back to Bethune in time for a parade in remembrance of the end of World War I, when people marched in the streets with torches. There was a film projected on the houses by the Grand Place about how much of Bethune had been destroyed in the war, which was jarring to see although I was honestly a little distracted by the distressed looking horse glaring at me and pawing his hooves not too far away. There was also a ceremony for a newly unveiled memorial where someone spoke French with an English accent and I realized what we must sound like to native French speakers. It was my first big Bethune event and it was neat to see so many people come out together; like so many of my experiences here, made me glad that I somehow ended up here.