We leave behind grey skies in Renescure and drive into light rain towards our next stop in Arras. On our way we stopped at a leclerc supermarket to buy a French data SIM for our router and a few bits and bobs including a new salad bowl.

All along the road we see war cemetery after war cemetery all different sizes and nationalities, a stark reminder of WWI battles that were fought on this land and the lives lost.

We are staying in a Camping Car Aire at Arras which is basically a carpark with huge bays and electric points plus somewhere to dump grey and black waster and get water. All high tech using QR codes to start the electric and get in and out of the park. It’s just over €11 a night with electric so not bad at all.

After a late lunch, a nap for Tony and a load of blogging for me we wander into Arras around 6pm.

The site is next to the La Scarpe and as we cross the bridge over the river we spot a very unusual sight, boat or water jousting. At first we wonder what is happening until we see 4 bouts ourselves. Each boat has a platform on the stern with a guy holding a lance or pole with a rubber end. The winner appears to literally lift the opponent up in the air and into the river! There’s a small crowd of people watching dockside and also a fisherman who just happens to land a huge carp whilst we are passing. You can’t beat serendipitous entertainment.

We walk along the river in the sunshine and then up into the town passing by a monumental building but we don’t stop as it looks closed. We continue up the road into the impressive and amazing Place des Heroes. It’s a massive square surrounded by buildings built in the Flemish style with a huge Town Hall building and Belfry towering over one side of the square. Although it all looks very old, and was first built in 1501, it and most of the square was destroyed in WWI and subsequently rebuilt identically after the war. The square originally Called The Petite Place, was renamed in 1945 in honour of the resistance fighters who were shot in WWII. Small it is not.

The plaza is lined with bars and restaurants with tables spilling out towards the middle on two sides and it’s a car free zone. It’s Thursday evening around 6:30pm and the place is buzzing. We enjoy a beer in the sunshine whilst soaking up the atmosphere.

A Friterie, chippy to you and me, calls to us and we share a cone of chips whilst wandering around and into a second square called Les Grand Place. This is bigger surrounded by again buildings built in the Flemish style but it’s covered in cars so not nearly so good to look at. There’s also an entrance to an underground carpark. We wander around but end up back in the first one deciding to leave the rest of our sightseeing until tomorrow. A second beer in a different bar served by a rather unpleasant character which is very unusual here and then we wander back to the van by a slightly different route.

Pate on toast and cheese and crackers for supper with a DVD as I can’t get the router working. I’ll have to ring up tomorrow and attempt a french conversation. A good start to our Arras visit.

Wednesday 19:07:23