With the August bank holiday behind us you may feel as though the summer has finally come to an end. But rest assured that there are still some fine reasons to visit the continent – not least the chance to enjoy a harvest tour of the Champagne region.

September marks the ingathering month. Swathes of land across Europe are currently filled with vast bunches of sweet ripe fruit waiting to be plucked from the vine and transformed into crisp whites and dark heady reds; sweet, spicy, dry and, in the best cases, filled with joyful effervescence and natural fizz.

Anyone who truly appreciates champagne cannot but be profoundly tempted at the thought of a long weekend in north-east France this September. It’s the time of year when organised harvest weekends allow the public to experience the great joy of taking part in a tradition that stretches back to the Middle Ages.

Indeed, the Champagne region of France happens to be home to more household names than Hollywood. Dom Perignon, Cristal, Piper Heidsieck, Veuve Clicqot, Bollinger, wherever you look you’ll see a name that’s provided the entertainment at some of your favourite parties over the years. It’s this chance to become part of such a great process and tradition that draws so many people here each September.

You can book a tour before you head off, or simply jump in the car and take your chances. There are a number of specialist tour operators to be found online, or alternatively just take the P&O Ferries crossing to Calais and drive the short distance to the Champagne region.

There are many fine hotels and B&BS in the region and all the Champagne houses do tours, from the small upstarts to the global superstars. You’ll find that in each one you’ll be able to increase your knowledge of champagne and wine, gain a greater understanding of the region and, perhaps most importantly, get suitably sozzled in the process.

P&O Ferries travels between Dover and Calais 25 times a day, with prices starting at just £30 each way for a car and up to nine people. From there it is just a short drive along the E15 and E17 to Champagne.

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Tags: France by John Hillman
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Europe’s largest and oldest flea market in Lille opening weekend of September, Karim Beerahee takes a look.

The market began after Assumption, a period when travelling merchants were allowed to sell goods within the city. It became a chance for servants to sell unused goods of their masters, and became a free-for-all in the 19th century for any hawker in or around the city to peddle their wares.

It boasts 33 hours of non-stop buying and selling, and attracts antiquarians from across Europe to the Boulevard Jean-Baptiste Lebas a district dedicated for the sale of older commodities. The market attracts runners to take part in the 10k half-marathon.

The buildup towards the festival is also not to be missed, a week long celebration begins leading up to the fight with parades, fireworks, feasts and street parties. The night before the Tomatina begins you can get a taste of the sizzling cuisine, all tomato themed, to prepare you for the slinging match that begins the next day.

The market has a distinct old-world feel, with a variety of food, smells, music and noises. For a friendly atmosphere, bargain shopping, lots of haggling and an excellent weekend the Lille Flea Market welcomes all.

P&O Ferries can help you on your way to the beaches of Pas de Calais with the Dover to Calais service starting from just £30 for a car and nine people. From Calais it is only a short drive or train ride along the coast.

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Tags: France, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Gabriel Grant
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With P&O Ferries offering you the chance to cross the English Channel for as little as £30 one way, for a car and up to nine people, some of you might be tempted to consider taking advantage of some of the fantastic beaches surrounding Calais. John Hillman looks at the choicest few.

France enjoys a coastline filled with wonderful beaches and, contrary to popular opinion, you don’t have to go all the way to the south of the country to find them.

Even as your ferry coasts in to Calais harbour you can’t help but notice the luxurious curve of rich sandy beach that adorns the front of the town. You’ll also find a wealth of fine local fish restaurants to sample during your stay.

But it is a bit further down that coast where the real beach life begins, starting in the quintessentially Gallic coastal resort of Wissant.

This old fishing village still has that classic old French feel to it and has the added bonus of being so close to England you won’t have to switch your phone over to expensive roaming charges to call home.

The beach in front of the town used to be home to a traditional wooden fishing boat called a flobart, but today you are much more likely to find it populated with the multi-coloured canvass sheets of wind and kite surfers who flock to Wissant every year, making it one of Europe’s most popular wind and kite surfing destinations.

Those of you looking for a beach experience that’s more elegant than extreme should continue down the coast a little bit further until you reach Wimereux. This tranquil town boasts a natty combination of chichi seaside restaurants and gently rolling sandy beaches, a perfect place for a restful weekend.

P&O Ferries can help you on your way to the beaches of Pas de Calais with the Dover to Calais service starting from just £30 for a car and nine people. From Calais it is only a short drive or train ride along the coast.

Image credit: Adrien Paris

Tags: France, P&O Ferries by Gabriel Grant
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You may often look back (or cringe) at your fashion choices of past decades – the billowing flares, legwarmers and platform boots. Rosie Khdir has found an exhibition in Paris lets you relive the good, the bad and the ugly.

The famous Parisian museum, Les Arts Décoratifs, has decided to put on an exhibition that revealed the wonders of modern fashion and textiles from the past four decades. Forty years of fashion is separated into two parts, the first featuring masterpieces of the 1970s and 1980s and the second the years 1990 to 2000.

1970s fashion

This part of the exhibition will feature big names such as Yves Saint Laurent who characterised this fashion era with his “ready-to-wear” collections inspired by the styles of the 1940s.

Other designers on the scene at this time included Sonia Rykiel, who had a strong presence since the late ‘60s as well as Kenzo, Dior, and Karl Lagerfeld who designed for Chloe at the time.

1980s fashion

In the ‘80s section of the exhibition you will see design that are all about independence, freedom and glamorous personal expression. The likes of Jean Paul Gaultier symbolised the “era of insolence” through his collections which challenged conservatism.

In this decade we see the rise of angular and asymmetric clothing thanks to Yohji Yamamoto and exaggerated silhouettes and oversized shoulder pads thanks to Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana.

This same period saw Karl Lagerfeld’s move to Chanel in 1983, were he along with the likes of Christian Lacroix, Jean Patou reignited the love for luxurious haute couture.

I will hold my tongue right here, as to know any more about the exhibition would spoil it for you. Just know that you will be wowed by the creations of some of the most influential designers in the world.

P&O Ferries can help you on your way to Paris with the Dover to Calais service starting from just £30 for a car and nine people. From Calais it is only a short drive or train ride to the centre of Paris.

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Tags: France, History, Lifestyle by Rosie Khdir
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As we approach the height of the summer season it’s worth having a look at some of the wonderful cultural festivals that are taking place over on the opposite side of the English Channel in the next few months.

And with P&O Ferries operating cheap deals between Dover and Calais this summer it’s easy to pack a tent, hop in your car and head to some of France’s most beautiful locations for a feast of wonderful music.

Whereas in Britain we tend to associate our summer festivals with large amounts of outdoor beer consumption whilst listening to live rock music, over in France they seem to take a much more cultural approach to the seasonal festivities.

For example, in Lyon we have a two month long festival from June to August, called Les Nuits de Fourviére, which is hailed as a demanding multi-disciplinary programme of theatre, dance, music and film.

Meanwhile in Beaune, Burgundy there is a wonderful festival that runs between 3 – 26 July called Festival International d’opéra baroque de Beaune which delivers a fantastic series of concerts featuring Opera and what is known locally as ‘sacred music’.

More classical music can be found in Nancy, Lorraine at the wonderfully named Nancyphonies – Festival de Nancy between 8 July and 5 August.

Over in Vallée de la Vézére, Limousin you’ll discover the Festival de la Vézére between 10 July and 21 August. This takes place in a pretty town along the banks of a river and features classical music including over 18 performances by renowkned soloists.

Still not satisfied? Ok then let’s move over to Normandy and the Heures Musicales de l’abbaye de Lessay in Lessay. This is quite a spectacular event that showcases some of the world’s greatest performers in both religious and secular classical and baroque music. It runs from 13 July to 20 August.

Finally, although there are many more that I could mention, a quick nod to the Festival d’lle de France, which runs between 4 September and 11 October and consists of around 30 concerts in various historic venues, featuring music from baroque to jazz.

The whole of France is alive with music at this time of year and the best way to get to them, many in rural locations, is by car – so have a look at our offers page for more information about getting a cheap ferry to France with P&O Ferries.

Image credit: Thierry

Tags: France, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by John Hillman
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It’s that time again, so get on your bike and cycle to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where the Tour de France 2010 will commence. Rosie Khdir finds out what is in store for the brave participants.

One of the world’s most prestigious “Grand Tours” will begin this Saturday 3rd July in Rotterdam. Hundreds of cyclists who have gone through gruelling training to battle through 3,600 kilometres of French terrain will be making there way to the Netherlands to begin the first stage of the tour.

This first stage will take the riders to Brussels to celebrate the 65th birthday of professional cyclist and legend, Eddy Merckx. From here, the troupe in Lycra will battle the rolling valleys of the Walloon region and arrive in the Belgian town of Spa.

This race will see them circle the whole of France, stopping in town and cities such as Reims, Chambéry, Revel and Bordeaux before finishing in Paris.

Cyclists will have to endure nine flat stages, six mountain stages and three summit finishes, four medium mountain stages, and one individual time-trial stage of 52 km.

This world renowned race began back in July 1903 when six pioneers set out on their bicycles to complete a 2,500km race across the country. The reception of their six stage journey was one of amazement.

This race had highlighted many towns, cities and mountains that had been previously overlooked and so it became an annual event. It survived the wars and economic downturn and has since evolved, encouraging other nations to participate and even to host the prologue stage.

For more details about the Tour de France 2010 stages visit letour.fr.

If you want to cheer on these courageous cyclists, then there are a number of different P&O Ferries services that will get you to any one of the stages. You can take the Hull to Rotterdam service, from £149 each way for the first stage, or the Hull to Zeebrugge service to Belgium. There is the Dover to Calais service from as little as £30 for a car and up to nine people.

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Tags: Belgium, France, History, Lifestyle, Netherlands, P&O Ferries by Rosie Khdir
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Think Belgium is flat fields and historic towns, think again; Tomas Mowlam heads into the wild in one Europe’s oldest forests, the Ardennes.

The Ardennes is an area of forests, hills and mountains that runs through Belgium, Luxembourg and stretches into France. A strategic battleground for centuries, including during WWI and WWII, the Ardennes is now home to less warlike pursuits.

The two largest cities in the Ardennes are Verviers in Belgium and Charleville-Mezieres in France, but consider basing yourself in a smaller village to really explore the area.

There are great camping opportunities through the Ardennes, including the small but beautiful camp ground at La Muree, just a few kilometres from the Meuse valley (above).

The rivers of the Ardennes, including the Meuse and its tributaries, provide some of the best fun to be had. You can fish on the lakes and rivers or canoe and kayak your way down them.

You can paddle the Lesse River, and Anseremme near Dinant makes a good starting point. To travel down the Ourthe River, the town of La Roche en Ardenne makes a great base to explore the countryside and its easy flowing rivers.

Cycling is just as popular here as in the rest of the Low Countries, but two wheeled activities are more likely to be mountain biking.

If climbing mountains, rather than hurtling down them, is more your thing, then the limestone cliffs of the Ardennes, especially around Freyr near Dinant, will keep you occupied.

There are opportunities to hunt wild game such as boar and deer, or just shoot photos if you’re after a less blood-thirsty time.

Let P&O Ferries get you there with the Hull to Zeebrugge or the Portsmouth to Calais service, both of which are just a short drive to the Ardennes region.

Image Credit: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, Wiki Commons

Tags: Belgium, France, P&O Ferries by tmowlam
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Calling all cheese lovers! Rosie Khdir ventures to the Normandy region of Orne to discover the history of Camembert, a cheese that went on to become a world favourite.

Once upon a time in a small village called Camembert in Normandy, lived a dairy farmer called Marie Harel. In 1791, in the midst of the French Revolution, Marie offered refuge to a priest from the Bouvoust Abbey in Brie.

In return for her hospitality the priest told her the secret of making cheese in his region and so Marie created her own and named it after the village. It was marketed at Vimoutier where many cheeses from the village had previously been sold.

The recipe was handed down through the generations and in 1890 Eugene Ridel invented the famous wooden box that we still package it in today. This packaging, along with the progresses of the industrial revolution saw Marie’s cheese reach ultimate commercial success.

It went on to inspire many artists, one of the most prominent being Dali’s, who used a melted Camembert as inspiration for his famous dripping clocks!

If you wish to learn more about the famous cheese “pie” that gets taste buds tingling the world over, why not visit La Maison du Camembert in the very village where it all began. The Museum itself is shaped like the circular cheese and visitors are able to sample fresh batches of this French delicacy.

Is you fancy a trip to the Orne region P&O Ferries can help you on you way, with Dover to Calais trips crossing starting at £30 for a car and up to nine people. From Calais it is just a short drive to Camembert.

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Tags: France, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Rosie Khdir
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