Maximilien Carlier (in Malo-les-Bains) 6:13 a.m., May 27, 2022
With the Ascension Bridge, seasonal rentals are taken by storm.
Many tourists are present on the terrace, on the beaches to enjoy this weekend.
It's not just French people, many foreigners have set up their towels in Malo-Les-Bains, near Dunkirk.
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On the dyke, Jonathan and Pauline are from Wavre to the south-east of Brussels.
They are going to spend three days on the Dunkirk coast which, according to these two tourists, is more pleasant than at home.
"On the beaches in Belgium, there are automatically all the buildings on the dike. Whereas here it is much more refined. We have the impression that there are fewer people", they confide.
Belgian, German and Dutch tourists on the terrace
Yet the terraces are almost full.
On the sand, we see groups of Germans, Dutch, English.
XV jersey with clover on the back, George is Irish.
He came to spend a few days on the coast.
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"Dunkirk is really nice, a superb beach, the people are nice. The beer is good too and it's not too expensive. We came by boat to do some activities. Obviously after the Covid, we wanted to to move, to travel", he explains.
A real need to leave
Foreign tourists are finally coming back, note most seasonal workers.
"For commerce and conviviality, it's really good," says Vitali, owner of the Cactus café.
“We feel that people really need to go to the right, to the left, to visit after these restrictions”.
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For the locals, this affluence is quite unusual.
They who, for two years, were almost the only ones to enjoy the coast.