I am sure that when arriving at one of the coastal ports of France, most Brits just keep on driving or riding, heading further into France or to other countries. But believe it or not, you don’t need to go far from places like Calais to find beautiful beaches, towns, food and countryside. It really is a nice part of the world.
La Coupole: Riding about 50km south-east I rode to Wisernes to visit La Coupole Centre D’histoire. La Coupole was a system of underground tunnels that were covered by a large reinforced dome. The complex was built by the Nazis in WW2 as a base to fire V2 rockets to England. Fortunately the site was bombed several times by the RAF and USAF during construction and the site was abandoned before it’s completion. The scary part is that if it had been completed, it would have wreaked utter havoc in southern England.
The scale and level of engineering was immense. Not only its futuristic concept, the engineering and the way they made the dome was so ahead of its time. The engineers even invented a method to pump concrete – which established how they pump concrete today. When you enter, you are handed a pair of headphones which are connected to an iPad and as you walk around and scan markers, a film shows how it would have been in that particular area if it had been completed. And prepare to be shocked when you actually go into the dome, as the size will shock you. It’s huge. Also on display were many rocket related items, including a V1 and V2 rockets. And while there, you MUST watch the planetarium show. It’s stunning. This is one of the best museums I’ve ever been to because not only does it show you how, it also tells you why. And all this for 14eu.
Arras: After La Coupole I rode south for another 70km, heading to Arras and the small town of Givenchy-en-Gohelle. After visiting the WW1 trenches, I went to see the stunning memorial for the 36 thousand Canadians who died re-taking the Vimy Ridge over four days on the 12th April 1917. Built in 1936, the memorial is stunning. Standing 27m tall using locally quarried limestone, the two tall pylons represent Canada and France. Unbelievably, all the surrounding pastures are still pockmarked with shell holes, and there are even areas cordoned off as they still have unexploded ordinance. Strangely enough, there were no dog walkers there…
