St Omer – A Sentimental Return

Just across the English Channel the Pas de Calais region of France is a great destination for a short break as Mary Bunning knows very well.

Pas de Calais. Ok, it may not have the sunshine of the south of France, or the allure of some other French Départements. Most people just dash through on their way to more glamorous destinations but I love it. Within a couple of hours or so of leaving the English coast I can be unpacking my suitcase in a French hotel anticipating a good lunch or dinner!

And so it was that a friend and I one day last autumn found ourselves crossing the channel on the super new P&O ferry the Spirit of Britain heading back to one of my favourite French cities, St Omer.

To make it really special we upgraded to P&O Ferries’ Club Lounge and took advantage of their Priorité boarding system. Priorite boarding allowed us to board and disembark first so we were on our way even faster. I do love P&O’s Club Lounges – free champagne, tea/coffee and cookies served by unfailingly cheerful staff, comfortable chairs and newspapers to read – a great way to begin or end a holiday.

It takes about 40 minutes to drive from Calais to St Omer and we were there in time for lunch before taking a leisurely stroll around the city.

We called in at the massive Gothic cathedral Notre-Dame des Miracles. In the seventh century Benedictine monks arrived in the area and founded a monastery near the river Aa. (Sadly, Saint Bertin’s Abbey is little more than a ruin today). One of the monks, Bishop Audomar (who became known as Omer), built a chapel a short distance from the Abbey. In the 13th century the chapel was rebuilt and by the middle of the 16th century it had become the imposing cathedral we see today.

Look out for the Bishop’s tomb, a rare astronomical clock dating back to 1558 and a large tomb decorated with shoes! The tomb is that of Saint Erkembode who was regularly seen walking round his huge diocese (Ypres to the river Somme) looking for land to buy for the needy. He died in 773 crippled and almost paralysed and when the cathedral was built his grave was moved there. He became the patron saint of children with walking difficulties and pilgrims began to leave shoes there in recognition of his endeavours and in hope of a cure.

The Hotel Sandelin is also worth a visit. You won’t find a bed for the night in this elegant town house, but you will see numerous archaeological artefacts in the basement, silver and furnishings on the ground floor and on the upper floor a collection of pottery.

Whilst we were nosing round the streets and my favourite arcade leading off from the main square we were keeping our eyes open for likely places for dinner. One of my favourite fine-dining restaurants in St Omer has always been the Le Cygne. And so it was that a few hours later we were inside that elegant, dining room thoroughly enjoying an excellent meal.

The next morning we drove the short distance to the little village of Houlle because I wanted to see whether the Distillerie Persyn was still in existence. It is. But unfortunately they only do pre-booked guided tours. I had been round once before and found it fascinating seeing how fermented malted barley, oats and rye plus juniper berries could be turned into genièvre (a powerfully proofed eau-de-vie).

So back in the car we continued on into the Marais Audomarois which extends pretty well up to St Omer. (Those early monks started draining the marais (marshes) which now extend over some 3,500 hectares.) Between April and end-September it’s possible to rent boats or take guided boat tours from places such as Salperwick and Clairmarais through the marshes. The soil is incredibly fertile resulting in a thriving market-garden industry producing the likes of cauliflowers, chicory and carrots. Several families live on the islands in the waterways using boats as most of us use cars. Even the postman has to take to the water to deliver letters.

Bird lovers should definitely visit the marais and in particular the Maison du Romelaëre and follow the trails through the nature reserve home to some 200 species of birds– one of the trails is suitable for wheelchairs.

On a previous visit I had seen the boat-lift at Arques which was used to raise and lower boats on the canal the necessary 13 metres – an amazing piece of Victorian hydraulic engineering by Edwin Clark. I had also been introduced to Arc International, the vast glasswork factory on the edge of Arques. It is a fascinating tour. But beware of the factory shop – it too is vast, and most of the items for sale exceptionally good value. Neither my friend nor I could resist the temptation.

Another excursion took us to Desvres. It’s actually closer to Boulogne, and a further than we had planned, but the drive to this little pottery town was so pretty that we didn’t mind. Eventually we managed to circumnavigate the rather complicated one way system and arrive at the Maison de la Faïence – the museum devoted to the local pottery industry that dates back to 1764. Unfortunately we had a wasted journey, it was closed for renovation, but we did see evidence of the potteries in the form of wall tiles on many of building facades. In search of a coffee we wandered somewhat disconsolately around until we happened upon the terrific house-ware/gift shop Au Camélia and our enthusiasm for the little town was rekindled.

Earlier in our quest to find suitable restaurants for dinner we had stumbled upon another favourite of mine. I had remembered its name ‘Chez Tante Fauvette’, but had forgotten its address. We found it in rue Sainte-Croix. It’s tiny, cosy, friendly and crammed with curios. Owner Olivier, who speaks excellent English, cooks and serves entirely on his own; consequently the menu is simple, featuring whatever fruit and vegetables he can from his own garden or produce from the local market.

Our short-break was too short and before we knew it we were heading back for Calais and the Spirit of Britain but had we built in enough time for a visit to Franglais, the wine and beer store at Frethun. I’ve been calling in at Franglais for years and this trip was to be no exception. Olivier was on duty and he introduced us to his Bar-A-Vins – a temperature controlled wine bar that has 30 or so wines available for tasting – and his purpose-built cellar storing some of France’s finest wines, before we turned our attention to purchasing. There are always plenty of bargains on offer and we came away happy.

Indeed, very happy, it had been a delightful few days away.