I was nervous to start this morning, my first day in France! I left a bit later than I would have liked because I was concerned with adjusting how to navigate when I might not be understood asking for directions. However, this whole experience has been about stepping out in faith, and today, it was met quite literally. When I finally buckled all my backpack straps and headed down the stairs to hand back the room keys to my AIRBNB host, she ended up suggesting a solid navigation plan.
Just walk to the sea and take a left until you get to Wissant.
That little, I understood, so I walked out in confidence.
The other important information shared was that Calais has its own treat, Le Calais, which I ate for breakfast. It can best be described as a small buttercream sculpture coated in toasted nuts with a totally negligable cookie base. But I digresss.
I walked SW and followed a path filled with cyclists on a fine sunny Sunday. Many shops close for the day, but I milled in and out of what I found, a farmer’s market where the cheese samples were too real, an art installation on the outskirts of calais.
I eventually had to check in on my navigating strategy for the day when the sea was out of sight after an hour and all I could see were rows of green dotted with white cows.
A kind couple pointed me in the direction of Cap Blanc Nez, and to my relief, it was one of the towns on the short list from my host! It’s also a scenic lookout point, and historic site of interest for its significance during WWII. What I liked the most though, was strolling among other tourist and locals with their dogs, making picnics with baguettes, cheese, woven baskets, and bottle of champagne.
C’est perfect! I thought and ambled down the other side of the Dover monument.
I stopped for lunch in the restaurant at the bottom of the hill, in Escalles. Moules frites! It was a straightforward path from then. When I got to the road, I noticed a woman with a packed bicycle on both sides making her way up the hill.
Bonjour! I said. « I don’t speak French! » she replied, and I was like I don’t either! The first pilgrim I met on the trail, a lovely woman from Canada.
We chatted about our journeys until we reached Wissant, and it definitely made the slow walking pass faster. She told me she even saw a Pilgrim symbol on the road we were traveling, which I took as an affirmation! I was in awe of her courage and determination in going it solo and camping in each city.
We parted ways at the town, to drop our bags for the night, and I headed to the sea! After all, I have been hauling one bathing suit all this way! The water was cold, the sun was hot! I felt so much joy just being one little funny pilgrim peace of this seascape. Le côté d’opal might be a new world to me, but the pure beach vibes felt like home.
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Sidenote: it has been a tangled, wonderful web of blogs and more I have been using to find my own path. If it would be helpful I will start sharing the details of the places I found, etc. on my blogs! Everyone forges their own path in the end, but because I am amassing so many photos and names, I hope maybe sharing them adds color to someone else’s ideas and plans!
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My one stamp for the day -