IN PICTURES - The bright skies, its changing lights, his accomplices winds, endless stretches of sand, cliffs proud, elegant resorts and whiff of England, making it one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in France.
Here, sandy beaches can drag on for miles, only interrupted by the towering white cliffs of the headlands Gris-Nez and Blanc-Nez or by a multitude of rivers miniature Authie Canche, Liane, Wimereux, Slack and Aa - so beloved of crossword enthusiasts - from flowing into the English Channel.
Here, the sea withdrew to the foreshore impressive so far at low tide she discovers playgrounds of several hundred meters, whereas at high tide it returns lick grassy dunes where nestle pleasure to families and couples lovers. Here is the Opal Coast, its lights and changing skies. A little piece of paradise ch'ti, a seaside world whose astonishing alchemy manages to coexist chic and popular villas in the heart of the pine forests and bath cubicles along dike.
It's mostly a pretty good history book open, sunny and iodized wish, flipping over the place, turning beach after beach. A sort of broadsheet for weekends charm, sports or family holidays. Politics, culture, gastronomy, tourism, sport ... No section lacks summary. This is also a reporter that we owe the name Opal Coast. An appellation of origin rather uncontrolled since then, in 1911, when Edward Leveque, journalist but also a painter and botanist even mentions for the first time this Opal Coast - a reference to the constant changes of light - in the pages of Journal Paris-Plage, it circumscribes it then a strip of coastline that runs from Crotoy at the mouth of the Somme, until Equihen, near Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Or sixty miles as the crow flies but today only the Opal Coast encompasses the entire coast from Crotoy to the Belgian border (120 km), and a wide coastal strip including Regional Natural Park of Caps and Marais d'Opale. The analogy with the world of the press does not stop there. After setting, the pearl. Since 1855, Jean-Baptiste Daloz, Parisian notary fell in love with this pretty little town of Le Touquet backed by a vast dune field, put the key under the door of his office and proceeded to plant more than 800 acres there (on 1600 he acquired from the State) of pines, poplars and alders. In October 1874, he invites Hippolyte Villemessant, director of Le Figaro, a hunting party.
Caesar, Napoleon and Marshal Hermann Göring walked the same height with the same fascinated gaze
The newspaper man is subdued and wrote on his return: " A 4 km Etaples and the mouth of the Canche, sheltered by a pine forest of 1,000 ha, is more beautiful than Trouville beach. If God grants me life, I want to make this country a Arcachon North.Before long, it will be the appointment of our favorite Parisian swimmers and I have solved in a practical way the famous Paris-Plage problem. "The March 28, 1912 born, officially, the town of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, now so more than a century. This did not stop there a few years ago, the mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoe to bring as vain as ridiculous to prohibit the resort using the label Paris-Plage pretext action it used it to its summer operation on the banks of the Seine!
As for the flattering comparison with Villemessant Hippolyte de Trouville, she finds a surprising extension. When, in 2004, Laurent Tirard runs The Story of not more ... it's on the beach at Le Touquet what filmed the scene lunch supposed to take place ... in Deauville! Furthermore Daloz and Villemessant other good fairies are looking at the cradle of star resort on the Côte d'Opale, especially when she decides to play the card of outdoor activities and sports. For the opening of its sports complex, named Paradise Sports, 13 and 14 July 1903, we find Pierre de Coubertin, Baron was then the director of the station. And that of course, nothing less than Lord Balfour, the British Prime Minister ... England is everywhere here. In the claw, this architectural signature she left everywhere. Belfries of Calais and Le Touquet, villas pine forests of Hardelot and Le Touquet or beach in Wimereux, Ambleteuse or Audresselles, to golf so British that line the coast.
England, so close (30 km by ferry, 30 minutes by shuttle), which can be seen from the cliff-promontories fantastic panoramas that are the caps Gris-Nez and Blanc-Nez. But England so far ... Over the centuries, continuing the same obsession to invade, Julius Caesar, Napoleon and Marshal Hermann Göring walked the same height with the same look fascinated stubbornly turned to the north and the chalky walls bleached by the sun. So close, so accessible. Only the Romans succeed in their business. The other dreams of conquest remain on the sand. Sand control other dreams, which will host more or less delicacy tireless efforts of Louis Blériot, Henri Farman, Gabriel Voisin and other Caudron brothers came to test in these blessed places of the upper air their strange machines, all committed to this challenge adventurers ... modern air: fly.
Le Touquet, the "station of the four seasons"
The Opal Coast is transformed in the early twentieth century in a huge lot of experience. At the time, we still do not talk about aviation but "hovers" and "aéroplage." As the winner of this crazy competition is that Louis Blériot made the first crossing of the English Channel on July 25 1909 This is the basic gear developed by these "aviators" as they were nicknamed, that s inspires Demoury Henry, a native of established Merlimont and Touquet, to invent in the early 30's chariot modern veil, which is on the endless beaches a playground suitable. A spectator sport, ecological, using the finest local natural resource: the wind. Last April, Berck and hosted the 28th edition of the International Conference of kites , which are moving teams from China, Japan, Colombia and Russia. This huge playground windy associated with these delicious little elegant stations that develop during the Roaring Twenties, quickly attracted the great bourgeois families Northern mills particular, but also in the Paris region.
Meet there young people from "a blast" during weekends in family homes. Frederick Harrewyn antiquarian installed since 1975 in Le Touquet, remembers a movie on the Champs-Elysées with his childhood friend, a ... Thierry Sabine " We attended a screening of a documentary about motorcycle racing in the United States, Challenge One, which contained Steve McQueen. Thierry emerged from the meeting determined with a specific idea in mind. "Back then used as attached communication by the city of Le Touquet, it shall submit it to the mayor, Leonce Deprez. And February 16, 1975, the first Enduro du Touquet soars.
A winter rendezvous success as prompting the mayor to launch a tourism strategy that will long remain the currency of Le Touquet: the "station of the four seasons." Sabine, creator of the first Paris-Dakar in 1979, still maintain its annual gathering of bikers in the top resort of Pas-de-Calais. The sand and wind, always. In this day of winter storm in 1977, another regular at the station, renowned photographer golden boy observes the beachfront developments of yachting. A ballet that gives him the idea of adapting the rigging of the gear ... its windsurfing.
The speedsail was born. And the foolish equipped Playboy Arnaud de Rosnay, on his new gear as surfing, kitesurfing and windsurfing, will no longer stop feeding the headings "adventure" magazines, until his death, also enigmatic tragic in 1984 when trying to connect Taiwan to China in windsurfing. Statesmen, airmen and sports are not the only ones to have citizenship in the great book of the Opal Coast.
Under "culture" of our newspaper Opal Coast is just as rich. One suspects that, like the Normandy coast (Dieppe, Etretat, Honfleur), Brittany (Pont-Aven, Concarneau) and Mediterranean (Marseille, Nice), the unique and ever Northern Lights of the Channel could fail to attract painters. Three poles will hatch around 1880 In the far north, the school of Wissant, between Blanc-Nez and Gris-Nez, led by Adrien Demont and Virginie Demont-Breton, that invite Typhonium - a stunning neo-Egyptian villa - Henri and Marie Duhem Duhem-Sergeant and a host of regional artists. At the mouth of the Canche is the Etaples school led by Eugene Henri Chigot and Sidaner at Villa des Roses.More than 200 artists will be staying in the small port city, from Norway, Sweden, the USA and even Australia!
On the door, a note: "To my friend Flavio without that Gainsbourg would not be what it is" ...
Fifteen miles to the south, there are painters Berck, Ludovic-Napoléon Lepic, Francis Tattegrain Eugene Trigoulet Lavezzari and Jan will be joined from time to time Boudin and Manet passage. In other words, not a piece of the coast, not a changing hue skies have escaped the artists of this extraordinary outdoor workshop. This is as much for the scenery as for the unique architecture of the seaside villas or hotels of English as the greatest French filmmakers come to plant their cameras style. Marcel Herbarium, Louis Malle, Claude Chabrol, Maurice Pialat, Etienne Chatiliez, Patrick Timsit, as well, so Tirard and its famous beach scene 'Norman' succeed.
Summer 1954 At the restaurant piano Club Forest, which will become "monument"gourmet Flavio, large lout entertains. The pianist, who quickly finished up living two blocks away in the villa Fierval boss with his wife Elisabeth Levitsky is Lucien Ginsburg.Yet Serge Gainsbourg. But the character, he is already there! Short story or legend?
A customer who wants to give him a tip for room to play a certain piece, he replied curtly " I'm not a jukebox ". Gainsbourg will play a few seasons with Flavio but he will always remain loyal to the institution and to the station, where he leads regularly for festive evenings friends Carlos, Stephane Collaro, Brigitte Bardot and especially Renaud, he convinces her to turn on Beach clip Morgane you. Today, the villa houses Fierval cottages (read my diary) with that of Gainsbourg, on whose door is framed a note left by the "Man in the cabbage head" " To my friend Flavio without that Gainsbourg would not be what it is. "
As for the piano, albeit redesigned, it still is sitting in the restaurant. It only remains to browse the pages of our magazine last starting to discover the landscapes and heritage of the Opal Coast. For this purpose, the region has a wonderful tool called "A16". The highway meets the sweet name, completed in 1998, has completely opened up the coast, making his first shores just two hours from Paris. Crotoy in Somme, to Calais, the spine follows the course of the coast will never traveling more than 10 km. Between Le Crotoy and Equihen - the original name of Edward Leveque - this is the Opal Coast sand dune and massive, popular beaches and posh resorts, paradise land sailing, kite surfing, kayaking seawater.
Suffice to say that the short plagiste not here no risk of being embarrassed by his neighbor. North is Hardelot elegant, long rival of Le Touquet, with its sumptuous villas English-inspired due to promoter John Whitley and his banker friend Allen Stoneham (the same who worked at Le Touquet). One should not forget to take a look a little further inland, to the amazing castle-manor of Hardelot, the Tudor style plated on medieval foundations, all overlooking a beautiful plan water - Lake Mirror. A real film set? In any case, what Roman Polanski thought turning Tess. Finally, in Equihen, former fishing village is ... the need to go camping to enjoy the comfortable and modern version of the "bowling in the air", the traditional homes that are part of the local heritage, made to the time of ship hulls end of life that residents returned and turned into makeshift homes.
But it is the resort of Le Touquet, of course, that polarizes and monopolizes attention.People come here for its pine forest, on the beach all the daring, with its water park (Aqualud ) and thalassotherapy resort located directly on the sand. People come wander through the dunes fixed by thousands of dune grass that quiver in the wind or along the endless beach of 12 km, which does not expire until Berck. People come in every season "to make a Saint John", the shopping street of elegant storefronts or a "Metz",the cross-rival. Chat Bleu and chocolates delicate one side Pérard and delicious fish soup on the other.
Trip to the very British Palais de l'Europe and casino, close to the majestic Westminster Hotel. In his time, the future Edward III of England lingered on baccarat tables. Later, a billionaire left there in the morning his fortune to his gleaming Rolls-Royce parked outside. Roaring Twenties ...
In Wimereux, Belle Epoque villas line up quietly along the beach promenade
Boulogne-sur-Mer is the gateway to our last page turning, the Côte d'Opale chalky cliffs and headlands, hills and vistas of Gris-Nez and Blanc-Nez, where we see the waterwheel ferry from Calais to Dover and jump the English coast.
This is the Opal Coast small fishing villages who discover a seaside vocation as Wimereux and Belle Epoque villas wisely aligned along the beach promenade. Child, General de Gaulle was going on summer vacation. The village Ambleteuse, leaning against the dune of Slack, and lunar landscapes with strange lights, delight fans of paradoxes: the beautiful villas are at the bottom of the village while the fishing village is up, on a promontory , enjoying the panoramic view. A website which had been jointly chosen Caesar (Portus Itius) and Napoleon as a basis for their conquest of England.Fans of the emperor will not miss the column of the Grand Army, built on the heights of Wimille when establishing the camp at Boulogne in 1804.
The following year, the Grand Army will head not on England but Austerlitz ... Last visits, very urban them to Calais, gateway to England and especially Boulogne, dominated by Notre Dame whose cobbled streets of the old city tell the story at every turn. The Côte d'Opale, this funny ch'ti paradise.
TRAVEL BOOK
Helpful
Office of Tourism (Sum www.somme-tourisme.com ) to the south of the Côte d'Opale, and Pas-de-Calais ( www.pas-de-Calais-tourisme.com ) to the north.Tourist Office of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (03.21.06.72.00; www.letouquet.com ).Getting there
By train: Paris-Etaples-Le Touquet (2 h 30) or Paris-Calais-Frethun TGV (1 h 40). By the motorway A16, 238 km from Paris to Le Touquet (2 h 20).Our selection of hotels
. Touquet Hotel Westminster & Spa (03.21.05.48.48; www.westminster.fr ). A beautiful ship Anglo-Norman style and Art Deco anchored since 1925 between city and forest. 115 rooms and suites (from 100 € per night) modern and comfortable. In the basement, a Nuxe spa with indoor pool, steam room and Jacuzzi completely renovated.Packages "Golf" (from 250 € per day), "Pleasure" (from € 280), "Spa" (from 340 €) and "Fine" (from 445 €). Novotel Thalassa Le Touquet (03.21.09.85.00;www.novotel.com ). One of the few hotels in the waterfront of the French coastline, overlooking the dunes (sunsets with views). Direct access to the thalassotherapy center and its shape and beauty areas. Panoramic restaurant is heavily fish, oysters and shellfish. From 180 € for a sea view.Good food
Le Touquet. Pavilion (03.21.05.48.48), gourmet restaurant Westminster. & Come to revive the kitchen, William Elliott (The Dome and The Ambrosia Paris, the Royal in Deauville) won from 2007 a Michelin star. In a room that opens onto a garden, a native of the Navy offers (60 €) menus, Aroma (95 €) and Discovery cuisine and wines to 145 € (surprisingly) that gives you the opportunity to test your knowledge of wine .
Le Pavillon, also under his leadership, accepts a version brewery upscale excellent workmanship (formulas 32-41 €) In Flavio (03.21.05.10.22;. www.flavio.fr ), Guy Delmotte ensures Fame the "monument" gourmet town. Menus to 35, 73 and 99 € (lobster menu). In the evening, he will offer you one of its guest rooms at Villa Fierval (06.08.33.20.07), including that occupied by Gainsbourg in the 50s (from 49 €).
A Wimereux Centre (03.21.32.41.08;. www.hotelducentre-wimereux.fr ). A simple brasserie decor for this restaurant of the same name, but a kitchen - and price - of astonishing freshness, where saint-Jacques (seasonal) alongside poached skate and waterzoï fish. Nice wine list. Menus from 21 to 31 €.
A Wimereux Centre (03.21.32.41.08;. www.hotelducentre-wimereux.fr ). A simple brasserie decor for this restaurant of the same name, but a kitchen - and price - of astonishing freshness, where saint-Jacques (seasonal) alongside poached skate and waterzoï fish. Nice wine list. Menus from 21 to 31 €.
Our heart
In Boulogne-sur-Mer, Le Chatillon (03.21.31.43.95; www.le-chatillon.com ). At the heart of Capécure, the district Dockers, amid the warehouses is the fashionable address of the Opal Coast. In a marine setting, Patrice Baude, a former fishmonger, attracts more than customer dockers and netters bistro marine 50s The All-Boulogne - and more - are not given appointments in an atmosphere good child. A few meters from the dock, bass, sole, turbot and rays found there served at unbelievable prices. Menu at 21 €, about 35 € à la carte!
Delicacies
Le Touquet, the famous chocolatier and confectioner Au Chat Bleu 47-bis, rue Saint-Jean (03.21.05.03.86). Aline Waffelaert just take over this brand created in 1912 It accepts the chocolate into 80 different bites. The name of the shop? It was given by children who buy candy "store where there are blue cats" held by Rémy sisters had ... a Persian and a Carthusian. In the cross street at 67 rue de Metz, feast on the famous fish soups Pérard (03.21.05.13.33). In the shop adjacent to the restaurant, 850 ml jar (€ 3.90); soup croutons and rust (6.40 €) lobster soup (€ 5); 6 boxes soups (25 €).Delicacies
Find out
In Boulogne-sur-Mer, Nausicaa (03.21.30.99.99; www.nausicaa.fr ). The Embassy of the sea drawn by Jacques Rougerie: 4000 m2, 36 aquariums and ponds, the largest reef breeding in Europe and 10,000 animals. € 18.80 / adult; € 12.30 for 3/12 years.
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