LOOKING out onto the river at the small yachts glistening in the warm sunshine, we tucked into a hearty bowl of muscles mariniere and chips a speciality of the area.

We could have been sitting in any harbour restaurant in France but we were just 30 minutes away from Calais in the pretty town of Gravelines.

Gravelines and the surrounding area is situated in the heart of the flat open fields of Flandre Cote d'Opale between Calais and Dunkerque. It has all the French charm but none of the pain of travelling miles down the autoroute to find it, as it is only 18km from the port.

However our weekend break had begun as we rolled onto the P&O ferry. We went into the club lounge. A smart luxurious room decorated in soft beiges with large comfy sofas. This lounge could have been mistaken for the reception area in a top class London hotel, but it had one distinct advantage the view of the wide open sea.

On board we had a superb three course lunch in Langans brassiere which was timed to perfection with the crossing, so as we were taking our last sip of coffee we were docking at Calais.

Gravelines is a fortified town on the river Aa. Water is an important part of the town and its history. The town has a river, canal, moat and it is by the sea.

The fortified town is surrounded by a moat with only two bridges to get in and out of the town by car, and a further two foot bridges.

The best way to get a feel of the fortification is to go on the 3km journey around the moat on one of the electric flat bottom canal boats. The towering fortification had protected the town during the 17th century and is slowly being restored today.

The town is charmingly French with a traditional square. There's an imposing town hall with 'Liberte Egalite Fraternite' etched boldly into the limestone brickwork on one corner of the square next to a clock tower that chimes out every half hour. A war memorial statue with neat manicured flower beds is at the other end and, of course, there are cafes and shops. But, unlike other French towns overrun by English tourists, there are hardly any souvenir shops. This little town has yet to be discovered.

Friday morning is market day in the square with stalls selling everything from clothes to local produce.

It is worth going to the cheese stall where you can try local cheeses made by monks in the area and in Flanders and the cooked meat stall with its selection of sausages and horse meat.

Then it was on to the harbour Grand Fort Philippe. At one time the area had a thriving fishing industry with 50 fishing boats, but today there are only three. However, the people of Gravelines are determined not to let their heritage disappear they have created a little museum which captures the history of the fishing village of by-gone days with fishing artefacts donated by the families of the fishermen who fished for cod in Iceland from the 19th century. And they have also reconstructed a two-up-two-down fisherman's home.

Keeping to the fishing theme we then went on to the last traditional smokehouse in the area. This family run business was started in 1886 and is now run by the granddaughter, Natalie. The fish smokehouse has five smoking chambers with five chimneys in which Natalie smokes salmon, herring, mackerel and dog fish.

Then it was time to relax on the sandy beach at Petite Fort Philippe which is large and expansive 2km wide and 4km long.

Two long jetties, more than 2km long, jut out imposingly into the North Sea on which people go for a stroll, walk their dog or go for jog with the fresh sea breeze in their hair. A traditional black and white lighthouse, which is no longer in use, looks out to sea.

The wide flat beach is perfect for landsurfing, sand yachting and flying kites. And Gravelines hosts the sand yachting championships.

The shallow water is ideal for all manner of activities including wind surfing, sailing boats or dinghies, sea kayaking and it is also safe bathing for children.

The river Aa which flows into the sea is strongly governed by the tides. It wasn't until late afternoon that high tide came in and we were able to go out to sea on a reconstructed 42-year-old sail boat.

The captain and his mate could have stepped out of a French story book as they wore the traditional sailor's tunic and cap (but this was their every day attire not a costume for tourists). They steered the boat along the coastline singing French songs.

If a 42-year-old reconstructed boat isn't old enough for you then how about one from the 17th century.

This is one man's dream of reconstructing a boat that was sunk by the British off the local coastline at the battle of the Hougue in 1692. About ten years ago M Cardin had been diving for leisure and discovered a shipwreck. So excited with his find and with his sheer enthusiasm, he was able to get funding to reconstruct this 17th century vessel Le Jean Bart. Today he has begun the reconstruction of the vessel with a miniature model which is on show in a small museum devoted to the project, and the first section of the vessel, the keel, has been put in place in the yard. He hopes the full reconstruction will be completed in 15 years times life moves slowly in Gravelines.

Of course, one of the main reasons for English people venturing over the Channel is for the food. Gravelines is no exception.

Being only a few kilometres from the Belgium border, the Flemish influence is very prevalent, in this area especially with drink. Beer is the favoured drink of the area and visitors should try the special brews. There is Les Trois Monts, which refers to the three hills in French Flanders Mont des Cats, Mont Noir and Mont Cassel, La Chaoulette which is brewed near Valenciennes, La Cuvee de Jean Bart made for the trust building the reconstruction of the 17th century ship.

Another delicacy unique to the area is Pot'jerleesch, meats in aspic, a speciality of Dunkerque which is a lot lighter and tastier than it looks.

The restaurants in Gravelines are superb, every dish I tried was beautifully cooked. The restaurants we went to and perhaps the ones not to miss are Hotel Beffroi, Le Turbot which specialises in fish, Arlequine ,which is on the river Aa, is perfect for lunch and specialises in muscles have them curried or in cream or marniere.

Gravelines is quite a feast in many ways the nautical aspects of the town, the expanse of beach for recreation and the food. And it's only a half hour drive from Calais just perfect for a weekend break.