On the road north of Abbeville, Arnould picks us up, and decides to show us Mers-Les-Baines.The beach front is a short stretch of sand, in front of a massively steep shore of smooth, glassy stones. They are uncomfortable to walk on, but heated by the sun, excellent to lie on. No sand in your board shorts!
Like many Normandy towns, Mers-Les-Baines was largely destroyed by the allied forces intense bombing leading up to D-Day. The belle-epoque facades of the shore front neighborhood are mostly the product of post war reconstruction and are vigorously optimistic, whimsical and colorful.
We swim, sunbathe and wander over the grassy headland above the village.
In the town square, surrounded by mock tudor gables, and antique shops, the local teenagers are flirting and doing tricks on the skate ramp.
We get some tomatoes, cheese, and a baguette from a small store, and have our meal sitting on the veranda of one of the beach huts that line the promenade. The sunset over the sea is crimson and sudden.
After dark, a traveling carnival sets up their booths. There are about 100 variations of the “prize-grabber-claw” game. The prizes range from fluffy bunny toys to split crotch panties and toy handcuffs.
We sleep in the train yards, barely 100m from the beach, and have cheap delicious croissants from the bakery Arnould recommended for breakfast.
Mers-Les-Baines score card:
beach: clean, not crowded, very photogenic ****
accommodation: the train yards just behind the beach front are comfortable and have beautiful views of the cliffs ****
entertainment: if you like carnival games you will not be bored at night **
food: :-) several tasty and affordable bakeries. :-( No large supermarket close to the beach ***
