Oye Plage to Esquelbecq

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Oye Plage to Esquelbecq France

Motorhome Journey France Oye Plage to Esquelbecq

I awake after along deep sleep and wonder where I am and what time it is… its dark. I find the clock which tells me it’s something past six, then I remember I am in France so it must be something past seven. I get up and make coffee, the morning is just coming light but there are dark clouds threatening rain.

Soon the rain comes, heavy and thunderous on the roof of Hymer pelting horizontally, we sit warm and snug glad we are inside. It lasts about an hour and then it stops, drip, drip, drip from the tree branches above. Then the chorus of terns and black headed gulls screeching as they fly overhead to the coast for breakfast. I get out of Hymer, it is very very wet, I look across to the lake it is covered with hundreds and hundreds of nesting terns and black headed gulls! A single cuckoo trills out: cuckoo… cuckoo! Spring has most definitely arrived.

After breakfast we walk over to the Bird Reserve here at Oye Plage (which is open), use the loo and walk up to the bird hide where there are shelduck, little grebe, coot, mallard with chicks as well as the terns and black headed gulls. A lazy morning then we drive to Grande Synthe at Dunquerque and do a big Auchan shop: food, Jambon, cheese, bread and wine, a late lunch and then a short drive to Esquelbecq (with the chateau, automaton museum and church with the burned roof).

The parking arrangements have been changed at the Aire de Camping Cars, the large motorhomes spaces (7) are now separated by a height barrier of 2m from the small campervan of which there are now many places. It is still free for all vehicles including emptying facilities, water you pay for. We park up overlooking the pole archery field and stretch our legs by walking around the village. The chateau gardens are temporarily closed, pity as the apple blossom is magnificent, but we go into the church with its charred remnants of statues reminding us all of the devastating fire. As we leave the church dark grey and navy blue clouds are rolling in from the east, we hurry back none-too-soon as the heavens open and a heavy thunderstorm ensues. We open wine and eat crevette, thinking another early night is in order.

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