Welcome to these information pages about Northern France, also known as the departments 59 and 62, respectively "NORD" and "PAS DE CALAIS". This site has no commercial intentions and is not sponsored. The author lives in Belgium near the French border and wants to share his experiences with the French neighbours on these pages.
photo: Dunkirk celebrating 70 years of May 2010
Operation Dynamo, with the "little ships" revisiting the harbour
All the restaurants and shops reviewed, are located within a 100 mile radius of the Chunnel and ferry terminals at
Calais. Well suited for British who are on holiday abroad, or just cross the Channel shopping for cheap booze and fags ;-)
Since France is world famous for its gastronomy, most of the information on these pages is about restaurants and retailers where you can go for a mine meal, or where you can buy local products. In most reviews you'll also find some information about the city or region.
All restaurants and retailers mentioned were visited by me personally, so you'll find only first-hand information. Of course, this also means the reviews were written from my personal taste. If you don't like tiny deep-fried fish (complete with head and fins), will not share my vision of the "delicious
friture d' éperlans"...
Although tastes may differ, all the reviewed restaurants and shops are well worth visiting and all offer excellent value for money. Where possible, I made a reference to the website of the establishment and we always mention the address, and sometimes a phone number if no Internet site is available.
And remember: a GPS is a nice tool for finding the shortest route, but it is often more fun to buy a good map and plan your itinerary in advance. See also the item "Travel Tips" in the right column.
Please make a selection from the right hand side column, under the name "INDEX". And if you are a fan of the northern French cuisine, then bookmark this page, the reviews will continue to grow, allowing money and time to go get a foretaste.
PoPoL wishes you an "appetizing reading" ;-)