Fine Dining in Northern France
Travel Tips for N-France
Nobody drives off on a foreign
holiday unprepared. However, many British experience smaller and
larger problems in "La Douce France" because they don't fully
understand the habits or the language of the French. The author will
try to help you on track, the proverb "Forewarned is forearmed" in
mind. Remember that a well-informed traveler is a wise traveler.
Before you drive off, you obviously need to check: oil level,
coolant fluid, windscreen washer level, tyre pressure, etc. .. But
did you remember to put a Hi-Viz vest in the car? These are required
by law in case of a breakdown. (In France & Belgium) And if you
intend to use your mobile phone on the go, buy a handsfree set or a
Bluetooth device. These will set you back around £25,00 while a fine
will cost at least £90,00 (€ 100,00)
French police carry out more and
more speeding controls, with high fines. It is therefore important
to mind your speed. The Maximum Speed Limit in town is 50kph or
31MPH. Please note that in the proximity of schools there is often a
"Zone 30" ( 30 kph = 18 MPH!) On the highway you can basically drive
at 130kph (81MPH), except when it rains: then the maximum speed is
limited to 110 kph (68MPH). On the other roads the speed limit is 90
kph (56MPH), when it rains it drops to 80 kph (50MPH). Also
important to know is that a speed limit indicated by a traffic sign,
applies until it is lifted by another traffic sign. As opposed to
the Benelux, where a traffic sign applies to the next intersection
and should then be repeated to remain valid, in France the speed
limit remains also beyond the next crossroads!
If you have to refuel in France,
the lowest petrol prices are to be found in petrol stations that
belong to a supermarket chain. Outside the cities you will find such
"Centre Commercial" often marked. There are supermarkets such as
Auchan, Carrefour, Cora, E.Leclerc. In most cases they all have
their own petrol stations, that are a lot cheaper than the stations
along the motorways. Most supermarket petrol stations are provided
with (Maestro) bank- and credit card readers, and most of the
time there are certain pumps where you can pay with cash, during
opening hours. Most supermarkets have one or more ATMs under their
roof, in case you want cash Euro notes.
left to right : ACME (Be, De), dish (Fr, It), bayonet (Nl)
LPG-adaptor
Looking at the pump in vain to find
"diesel" or "LPG", it is useful to know that these fuels are called
respectively "Gazole" and "GPL"... LPG car-owners are advised
to bring their own French adapter, since it is different from the
UK-model. In Belgium -where LPG is the cheapest in Europe- they have
yet another type of nozzle. Not all petrol stations can loan you an
adaptor. A small number of petrol stations are offering "E85", a
green fuel based on Ethanol (alcohol). Some models by FORD, SAAB and
VOLVO (so-called "duofuel") can run safely on this fuel, that is
very cheap in France.
Before leaving for France, get
yourself a good detailed map of the area. For most locations
described confine you to Michelin No 51. This is a map with a scale
of 1/200.000. This map will show 'all' roads and paths on your
forays through Northern France. An additional GPS can help, but a
map is essential to plan your journey and avoid blunders. If you
blindly follow "LILLE" you might end up in a tiny Belgian village
near the Dutch border, rather than in the capital of the Nord
department, like an British coach driver experienced recently....
The main motorways in Northern France are the A16 and the A26. The
A16 is sometimes called the E402 in France, and leads from Normandy
to Belgium where it is called the E40. From exit 29 just off
Boulogne-Sur-Mer to the Belgian border it is toll-free. The A26 runs
from Calais to Reims (the capital of the Champagne region) and is
nicknamed the Autoroute des Anglais, due to its many British
users. Keep in mind that there are a lot of lorries on the motorways
to and from the UK and that around the ferry terminals of Boulogne,
Calais and Coquelles you may encounter many British drivers
unaccustomed to driving on the "right" side of the road, being the
"right" instead of the "left"... Especially in parking lots and
roundabouts they sometimes dare to drive the wrong way around! So
watch out for those scattered UK-drivers! A recent phenomenon are
the 'pedestrians' on the motorways leading to Calais. Illegal
immigrants trying to get to the UK use the motorways to get to their
'promised land'. They are very bold and ignorant, trying everything
to get on board trucks heading for the UK.
Since the focus of these web pages is on restaurants and fine
cuisine, please take note that the French tend to eat quite late in
the evening. Most restaurants only open at 7.00PM, sometimes even
7.30PM. Please keep this in mind if you don't want want to wait
outside with a rumbling stomach... At noon many restaurants open
from 12.00AM until 2.00PM. They often serve a special "déjeuner"
(lunch) menu for a reduced price. Watch for signs such as "menu
10€", you might get a fine two course meal and a beverage for that
kind of money!
Monday is traditionally a day of rest for many French. Even smaller
supermarkets are sometimes closed all day! And often those same
supermarkets close at noon, as do the bakers and butchers. If you
fancy a picnic with fresh local delicacies, make sure you have your
food purchased before the magical 12:00AM!!! "Midi" (="noon") is
sacred and only around 2.00pm the doors will open again. (In the
large hypermarkets you can shop the whole day, sometimes until
10.00PM!) At the bakeries one can purchase freshly baked bread all
day long (except during the noon-break). Even in the afternoon you
can have fresh crusty baguettes, ficelles and pains. And don't
forget to try the croissants, the traditional French breakfast !
With the exception of the village of Hondschoote, there are no
vineyards in Northern France. But there is an abundance of breweries
and beers. If you are used to drink British ales and beers, you
might get a (nasty) surprise: these traditional beers often contain
a much higher alcohol content than expected ...
Artisan breweries include:
* Brasserie du Caou (59) Merville
* Brasserie d'Annoeullin (59) Annoeullin
* Brasserie La Choulette (59) Hordain
* Brasserie Thiriez (59) Esquelbecq
* Brasserie de Saint Germain (62) Aix-Noulette
* Brasserie Jestin (62) Samer
* Brasserie Les 3 Brasseurs (59) Lomme
* Brasserie Artésienne (62) Auchy les Mines
* Brasserie des Sources (59) Saint Amand les Eaux
* Brasserie du Pays Flamand (59) Blaringhem
* Brasserie La Dreum (59) Neuville en Avesnois .
A few miles in-land from Dunkirk
and Calais are real polders, you might even encouter the odd
windmill, and often you drive along canals for miles. You could
almost believe that you're in the Netherlands! Well, until the 18th
century, "The Netherlands" stretched out to Boulogne-Sur-Mer and the
people living in this northern region still call it "Les Flandres".
So do not be surprised if you encounter the Flemish Lion flag in
this area: these people are proud of their roots!