Dover.uk.com

The Front Page. - Copy 273 ( Flowers in Calais )

25 July 2012


The bright eyed and bushey tailed among you this morning will have had a double take and realised this is not Dover displayed here in the shown pictures. It is indeed our near neighbour Calais, well spotted reader. But.. no..no.. we haven't suddenly become the website for Calais, but thought it was worthwhile showing this magnificent display of flowers which are currently on show over there with our cross channel neighbour. This is just a common garden for the citizen of the republic, open to one and all outside the Hotel de Ville ( the Town Hall ) and most definitely not a specialist garden hidden away at a country house where joe citizen has to part with his kopeks to catch a glimpse of. It is on display at main thoroughfare for all to see.
 

The most obvious thing here is the expense of it all. Given these austere times, and with daily hand-wringing overwrought discussion over the fate of the Euro and everything else..Calais has still managed to come up with such an expensive display with a huge and wide variety of flowers and plants on show. Dover sadly struggles in comparison. There are new designs for Calais too, the main square at Place d'Armes is being given over to a revamp, a redesign, or in modern parlance..a makeover. Right next to the main thoroughfare 24 ( yes 24 ) fountains of the instant sprout variety are being shown in local maps of future design. It's all coming soon, development underway. Quite a lot of spouting water there. Dover on the other hand is losing its traditional fountain in Market Square and this to be replaced by a single sprout. So far, on the water sprout front, Calais 24 Dover 1.

The town seems to be on the up over there, showing plenty of wealth. New near-pedestrianised boulevards and so on with fine restaurants and al-fresco dining. Why does Calais have more wealth than Dover? after all we are both involved in the same business...servicing the ferry industry, serving the same ferries. Roll on roll off.

 

























Just added these two extra pictures...there is an exhibition of the flags of EU Nations in the gardens in the shape of wrapped sweets, the kind you used to see. Picture left shows the union jack. Pic above shows the famous stunning statue by Rodin himself...the Burghers of Calais...all in the gardens outside the Town Hall.
 


Hit the f11 key to see the pix at their best.

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