Bergues is the town that just keeps giving whenever we attend.
We must have been here 10+ times as it is free, you know you can get in, anytime of night, and disappear in the morning before the neighbours moan about you.
There is no water, no dump and no electricity. It is cinder which can stick to your feet and walk it into your motorhome.
We have done this but we always have a walk into the town unless in a hurry.
We either arrive with me having finished a night shift and this would be our first stop so I can get an hour or 2 before moving on or it is our last stop before catching the ferry/tunnel.
One such arrival was after finishing work allegedly at 0630 hrs and arriving in Bergues about 0900 hrs (I take TOIL and leave early as only 90 minutes from Dover) and I wen tto sleep but the van kept getting knocked so woken up after a couple of hours to see this
After being offered a vodka as an apology for falling over drunk into the van and adjusting my eyes to see the worst taste fancy dress party going on at 1100 hrs on a Sunday morning I was introduced to the Cheese appreciation society of the North East of France and had it explained to me that there was a huge party going on in town today. I became an honourary member but I didnt have luminous lycra, pheasant feathers, make up, a hideous fur coat, 1970s leggings or a portable totem pole or extended umbrella, nor could I play an instrument.
Words still fail me about what has occurred, but I will try.
Loads of brass bands turn up from all over the place in a morning and start drinking. Everyone then seems to go off individually walking round the town playing their tuba or trumpet or trombone until they bump into someone. They choose a song to play and walk into each other belly first whilst being urged on by these people in fancy dress. They then become a couple and go off together and perform the same mating ritual, and so it goes on until there are 2 groups left who belly off against each other (3-400 a side) whilst playing and there is a scene from a 17th Century town rugby match.
Photos cannot do this justice so this is this years. We were there just after Covid restrictions had been dropped !
You should note that the toilet facilities were somewhat lacking and by the church I would suggest sandals not being a good option but it was good to see the sisterhood was in action using their fur coats to protect the modesty of their squatting friends by the church !
You cannot take alcohol within the walled town and you will be searched on entry (free)
The battle of the bands weird festival was on the last sunday of March and apparently Bergues is the final one of the season and this goes on each weekend somewhere in Northern France/Germany
The dancing giant dolls was in the middle of September
But then we come back one day to return on the ferry and there is a completely different piss up being organised very thinly disguised as a different festival with dancing huge puppets in the square and a parade of them and alcohol may be partaken.
Beyond all this you have a walled town with walk round the ramparts looking at the moat/canal and the different entrances and a cycle route into Dunkirk.
It has been a serious keep on giving town to us
We must have been here 10+ times as it is free, you know you can get in, anytime of night, and disappear in the morning before the neighbours moan about you.
There is no water, no dump and no electricity. It is cinder which can stick to your feet and walk it into your motorhome.
We have done this but we always have a walk into the town unless in a hurry.
We either arrive with me having finished a night shift and this would be our first stop so I can get an hour or 2 before moving on or it is our last stop before catching the ferry/tunnel.
One such arrival was after finishing work allegedly at 0630 hrs and arriving in Bergues about 0900 hrs (I take TOIL and leave early as only 90 minutes from Dover) and I wen tto sleep but the van kept getting knocked so woken up after a couple of hours to see this
After being offered a vodka as an apology for falling over drunk into the van and adjusting my eyes to see the worst taste fancy dress party going on at 1100 hrs on a Sunday morning I was introduced to the Cheese appreciation society of the North East of France and had it explained to me that there was a huge party going on in town today. I became an honourary member but I didnt have luminous lycra, pheasant feathers, make up, a hideous fur coat, 1970s leggings or a portable totem pole or extended umbrella, nor could I play an instrument.
Words still fail me about what has occurred, but I will try.
Loads of brass bands turn up from all over the place in a morning and start drinking. Everyone then seems to go off individually walking round the town playing their tuba or trumpet or trombone until they bump into someone. They choose a song to play and walk into each other belly first whilst being urged on by these people in fancy dress. They then become a couple and go off together and perform the same mating ritual, and so it goes on until there are 2 groups left who belly off against each other (3-400 a side) whilst playing and there is a scene from a 17th Century town rugby match.
Photos cannot do this justice so this is this years. We were there just after Covid restrictions had been dropped !
You should note that the toilet facilities were somewhat lacking and by the church I would suggest sandals not being a good option but it was good to see the sisterhood was in action using their fur coats to protect the modesty of their squatting friends by the church !
You cannot take alcohol within the walled town and you will be searched on entry (free)
The battle of the bands weird festival was on the last sunday of March and apparently Bergues is the final one of the season and this goes on each weekend somewhere in Northern France/Germany
The dancing giant dolls was in the middle of September
But then we come back one day to return on the ferry and there is a completely different piss up being organised very thinly disguised as a different festival with dancing huge puppets in the square and a parade of them and alcohol may be partaken.
Beyond all this you have a walled town with walk round the ramparts looking at the moat/canal and the different entrances and a cycle route into Dunkirk.
It has been a serious keep on giving town to us
