The sea lion's share
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HAVE 
Have you been scratching around for things to do on a day
out? The suggestion of a day trip to the seaside would not seem
likely to encourage today’s little perishers into abandoning their
electronic gizmos. But we made just such an offer to the
grandchildren – and it went down a treat.
Mind you, it was a day out with a difference. Beloved and I took
the three boys – aged nine, 11 and 13 – 
to
Nausicaa, the magnificent sea life centre in the French Channel
port of Boulogne. It was deemed cool.
This fascinating place, providing glimpses into seas and their
inhabitants all around the world, attracts more than half-a-million
visitors a year and is one of the top tourist and cultural
attractions in France. And it’s so easy to get to. LD Lines’ new
fast ferry service gets you from Dover to Boulogne in an hour –
then you’re within walking distance.
Nausicaa – with its superb technology, displays and effects –
houses thousands of creatures from the sea and shore. From the
first glimpse of a cylindrical aquarium with a graceful jellyfish
through to a tropical lagoon and cruising, fearsome-looking sharks,
the boys wanted to see it all.
The centre also has its educational aspects, but we didn’t need to
highlight that because the children were soaking up some of it
anyway. One electronic gizmo that hadn’t been discarded was
recording the wonders as we went around – in pictures and
sound.
A considerable amount of research is done here. There are breeding
and nursery projects, as well as demonstrations featuring
environmental concerns, including conservation of fish stocks and
the need to treat the world’s oceans and its creatures with
respect. In addition to the excellent permanent exhibitions,
various themed displays are set up from time to time and they are
always fascinating.
We have been many times, but this visit was just to let the boys
enjoy the magic – and we enjoyed their delight.
The highlight? The sea lions won flippers down. These beautiful
animals have fixed meal times and that’s when, under the guidance
of their handlers, they put on a superb display of agility and
acrobatics, clearly playing to the audience in the best traditions
of show business. They love the applause, and they applaud back,
knowing that fishy treats are coming their way. Difficult to follow
that, but the touch tank came close. It’s a huge open tank in which
fish such as skate, sole and cod swim around contentedly, allowing
themselves to be stroked or tickled by admirers.
We seemed to have been exploring for hours and the inevitable
pangs of hunger indicated a change of direction. As well as
souvenir and bookshops, the centre has a buffet bar and there is a
quality restaurant, though it’s not cheap. Across the road there
are several restaurants and brasseries, most with children’s
menus.
It’s only a short walk into Boulogne town centre and there you are
spoiled for choice of places to eat. Not surprisingly, this being
one of France’s prime fishing ports, fish is a speciality.
The old town, overlooking the harbour, also has great restaurants
and, if you have more time, wonderful places to
explore.
Alongside Nausicaa there are some decent sandy beaches, with scope
for anything from sand-yachting to sun-bathing. There are also
excellent beaches just outside Boulogne on the coast road towards
Wimereux, but you need more than a day to do justice to this
coast.
We went to Boulogne on the Norman Arrow, LD Lines’ high-speed
catamaran. It’s a big vessel, which can carry freight, coaches,
cars and foot passengers. There are bars, snack facilities and a
shop with duty-paid savings on various items. For an extra charge
you can get priority boarding and access to the priority
lounge.
There is some parking at Boulogne port if you want to abandon the
car and walk the short distance to Nausicaa, and there is also
parking at the centre. Underground you have to pay, but on the prom
it’s free – if you can find a space.
A grand day out.
Fact file
LD Lines provides four return
sailings daily on its Dover-Boulogne ferry service, with a crossing
time of one hour. The Norman Arrow has capacity for 1200 passengers
and up to 417 cars.
Short break fares start at £28 for a car and four passengers. On
selected sailings, foot passenger fares start at £18 return. One
way fares for a car and four passengers start at £30.
Premium Lounge upgrades start at £7 per person each way.
For more information and to book go to http://www.ldlines.com/ or phone 0844
576 8836.
Get to know more about Nausicaa on www.nausicaa.fr
Boulogne information available from the Office de Tourisme on
http://www.tourisme-boulognesurmer.com/
or by phone on 00 333 21 10 88 10.
Wednesday, September 09 2009
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