Our journey along France's northern coast next took us to the town of Boulogne.  That was a decent find.  We happened into the city just as a road rally was underway.  Taking a load off, we stopped into a small bar for a beer and watched several two-man teams take their cars out of the starting gate.  Boy was that beer good.  It had been hot outside.

Like many European villages, the town of Boulogne contained an historic core.  This old town center was surrounded by high walls and beckoned exploration.  We walked around this area for a bit and decided that it would be a good place to settle in for the evening.  After we found a hotel just outside the ancient walls, we headed back into the old town area for some pizza and beer.  We had the great fortune to sit next to a table full of soggy Brits discussing the ins and outs of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  What fun.  At about 8:00 pm they packed it in to get back to Calais - for the ferry headed to Dover.

After dinner we wandered around a dirt path that circled the old town just inside the stone fortress walls.  From that vantage point we could see much of the city beyond.  We also watched a carnival that was in full noisy swing at the base of one section of the wall.

Then we headed back to our small hotel.  We were tempted to order a couple of beers for take-out, but the lobby had a teeny tiny little bar that seemed quite inviting.  So there we sat enjoying the view.

The next morning we put on our running shoes and did about four laps around the old dirt path.  A quick shower and pack-up later and we were gone.