Härligt hus med stor inhägnad trädgård nära havet

The Baie de Somme is a beautiful large river estuary with a huge sandy beach. It is perfect for walking or strolling along at any time of the day and it has especially spectacular sunsets. It faces south and so gets sun all day, 'La seule plage du nord qui face au sud", the only northern beach which faces south, as their tourist advertising says. It has long been the inspiration for artists and several live and work there now. I find the combination of the soft yellows, greys and blues of the sand, sea and huge skies immensely calming and restful and a lovely refreshing break from living in a crowded city. It is also very relaxing not to need to use a car. There is everything you need in the village and whilst there are interesting places to go to in a car, it would be easy to spend a week relaxing in the house and garden and walking on the beach. When the children were small, their favourite activity was to play on the beach.

Apart from the beautiful Baie de Somme, one of the main benefits is how easy it is to get to from the UK. It is a very easy hour and a half drive from Calais on the A16 motorway, which is not often very busy and 15 minutes from exit 24. Despite it being so near, it is still very french and there are lots of summer events in the village itself and nearby such as food and wine markets, music festivals and Bastille Day celebrations. There are also many brocantes or rederies over the summer, like our car boot sales or yard sales. Lots of opportunities to buy charming french items if you have a good eye.