TRAVEL|CULTURE

No One Ever Told Me About This Part of France and French Culture

I had some eye-opening experiences during my recent ten-day holiday for which I am very grateful

I forgot that some French women have shocked certain people when they choose not to shave their armpits. However, that didn’t stand out to me at all during my vacation in Dunkirk, France.

It was my third time visiting France.

The first time was a decade ago. I stayed in Paris overnight and found myself unintentionally frolicking through the streets of Montmartre where the famous Moulin Rouge is located.

Starving after a long day and train ride from London, I had one of the best salads that was placed on my table topped with home fries, roasted red peppers and asparagus spears.

I knew that France, particularly Paris, was famous for its food but tasting it for myself felt otherworldly.

I chose Dunkirk for my end-of-summer vacation this year because it is closer to where I live in northern Germany and my boyfriend wanted to drive. It has a large beach and it was close to Belgium which I hoped to visit for the first time.

There were also some terrific prices for very nice apartment rentals on Airbnb in Dunkirk. I ended up booking a one-bedroom place for around $500 with an almost 5.0 rating that was within walking distance of the beach.

The only thing I knew about Dunkirk before I booked this trip is that a WWII film was made about it. I’ve still yet to watch it but it is on my list of movies to see.

I had no idea how ridiculously huge the beach there is, nor did I know how popular it is with French people who live in northern France.

Beaches, towns and restaurants in southern France get far more attention in the press and from tourists. However, exploring places like Dunkirk is exactly what I wanted.

Because Dunkirk is also a major port city, with ferries going to and from Dover, England daily, I expected it to look more industrial and not nearly as pretty as it actually is.

I absolutely loved and miss waking up to the sound of seagulls every morning. Church bells frequently rang out across the city in charming and non-intrusive ways at appropriate times that made me feel like time was slowing down, not speeding up, which I tend to struggle with.

To my surprise and amusement, there was a cafe located inside of a college library serving crepes that still make my eyes roll back into my head just thinking about them.

Savory crepes are called “gallettes”. The one my boyfriend and I shared was filled with goat cheese and roasted vegetables, served alongside a salad with local greens. It came with coffee and a sweet crepe, all for just over $10.

We started out eating outside in their terrace area but it got too hot. I love the chairs that look like vinyl records. They were not only cool to look at but extremely comfortable to sit in as well.

However, the biggest shocker of all to me about my time in France is how down-to-earth and chill the people were.

We never made it to Belgium, even though I really wanted to visit Bruges, because we liked Dunkirk so much.

This one restaurant was on another level. The food and the whole experience made us decide to book another reservation before we left.

I’ll be honest though, there was one night when my boyfriend and I were walking home after dinner in the dark and I started to feel nervous. No one was following us or even around.

It was the fact that we were blatantly tourists, walking around speaking English and well-dressed through a few streets that were more run down. The city streets look the best closest to the shops in the center or close to the beach.

Other streets are just okay and a couple are in desperate need of repairs. The Philly girl in me felt the need to be on guard, especially after having a bit of wine.

Nothing bad or alarming happened at any point during our stay.

French people tend to have a bad reputation, especially among Americans and Germans, as being stuck up or even rude to visitors.

Although I know very little French, I always said things like, “Bonjour! Merci beaucoup! Au revoir!” when interacting with people there. It helps to know some basic words and phrases of the local language and try to use them.

No one walked around looking like fashion models or like they were too good to talk to us.

It was the opposite.

People gave us the space and comfort to be ourselves but were also happy to help us as soon as we asked.

Lastly, the French seem to be the best at making amazing pastries and selling them at very affordable prices.

This “Merveilleux Speculoos” creation is one of the best pastries I’ve ever had the honor to place in my mouth.

I wish I could have stayed long simply so that I could continue trying all of the spectacular food that is unavailable anywhere else but there.

Oh yeah, let me not forget to mention the fantastic chocolatier who puts a free piece of chocolate into every customer’s hand before they leave the store.

You get to pick which one you want. My eyes fluttered and I’m sure I blushed because I was that blown away by the gesture.

I could not stop smiling and shaking my head in disbelief of the experience, from the kindness of the people in the shop, to the taste of the delectable chocolate on through the simplicity of it all.

It helped me remember what matters most and how precious it is to me.

Merci