Calais is the biggest city in France’s
beautiful and largely unheralded Pas-de-
Calais region, on the northeast coast. It’s
also the nearest French city to England.
On a clear day, at the English Channel’s
narrowest point of 21 miles, you can see
Dover Castle with the naked eye. More
important for my purposes, however, are
the dramatic, cliff-lined roads that paral-
lel the White Cliffs of Dover and serve as
the perfect place for stretching out on an
Italian superbike.
When Ducati debuted this highly com-
plex four-in-one machine in 2010, bikers
around the world took note. The Multi-
strada’sdesignershaveincorporated,among
other leading-edge improvements, four
ride modes that
instantly adapt
the engine and
chassis to off- or
on-road travel,
mellowcruising or
adrenaline-fueled
thrill rides.
Before heading
out of Calais, I
decide to take a
spin around town.
With the Multi-
strada’s urban
mode engaged,
what might otherwise be an unruly beast
becomes a manageable everyday motor-
cycle, handling uneven road surfaces and
potholes with ease.
Home to France’s first passenger port,
Calais was mostly destroyed during
World War II, but a few prewar architec-
tural landmarks remain. For instance,
the ornate neo-Flemish town hall, with
its 245-foot-high belfry visible for miles
around, looks down on the peaceful Parc
Saint-Pierre, where a camouflaged bunker
that once held a German command post
now serves as a sobering reminder of the
Ba le of Britain, the Nazi occupation of
Calais and the French Resistance.
Once out of Calais, I engage the sport
mode and let the 1,200-cc Duke off the
leash on the Côte d’Opale. Hanging on for
dear life, I zoom along a ribbon of road
tacked to the cliff’s edge, inadvertently
popping a wheelie at one point and
passing the visibly surprised driver of a
Ferrari 458. The road runs past stretches
of golden sand interspersed with quaint
villages, and ultimately delivers me to
Tardinghen. Here I switch into “enduro”
mode, which transforms the 500-pound
machine into an agile off-roader. Roll-
ing up at Christophe Noyon Brasseur,
a renowned microbrewery on the Belle
Dalle family farm, I sample a few local
cheeses, and pick up a pint of the award-
winning Noire de Slack ale to enjoy later.
Back on the bike, I try out the touring
mode, which delivers the kind of smooth
ride ideally suited to long-distance jour-
neys. Having developed a seemingly
insatiable appetite for French cheese, I
point the Duke toward Wierre-Effroy, a
picture-perfect hamlet where the small,
family-run Fromagerie Sainte-Godeleine
affords me greater quantities of the same
mouthwatering Sablé de Wissant, Fleur
d’Audresselles and Ch’ti Roux I had just
tasted at the microbrewery.
In the village, I soak up some local his-
tory—specifically, the story of a British
Spitfire pilot who was shot down near
the village during World War II. Even
with a heavy German presence in the
area, the townsfolk retrieved his remains
from the aircra ’s wreckage under cover
of darkness and buried him in the village
cemetery. His grave ismarkedwith anRAF
headstone, and for many years flowers
wouldmysteriously appear at the grave on
the anniversary of his death. A café owner
confides to me that he believes the flow-
ers were the work of an elderly spinster
who recently passed, thus discontinuing
the tradition.
IbeddownforthenightatLeBeaucamp,
a French-chic B&B ensconced
CLIFF HANGER
From left, the Côte
d’Opale; Le Beau-
camp, an elegant
estate turned B&B
BOARDING PASS
Calais is an easy side trip
for visitors to Paris, one
of United’s European
gateways. The airline flies
nonstop to the City of
Light from several of its
largest U.S. hubs‚ and new
service from San Fran-
cisco begins this spring.
Vive la France!
For detailed
schedule information, go
to united.com.
30
DECEMBER 2012
•
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
DISPATCHES
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ROADTRIP
The dramatic coastal roads that parallel the
White Cliffs of Dover are the perfect place
for stretching out on an Italian superbike.
