There is a magic invisible line in northern france where the Friteries start appearing on the side of the road. Think large portable cafes selling huge amounts of chips (or frites) and other assorted fried goods. None of it very healthy but great for filling up empty bellies.
Since Roubaix there have been plenty of them on the road. This is Friterieland.
After a rest day watching the pros tackle the Paris Roubaix I headed off for Dunkirk via a (brief) sortie into Belgium.
For the first time since turning north at Grenoble I had a tailwind which made the 88km ride up to Dunkirk fast and rather easy. A brief detour into Belgium saw the good French roads suddenly become pot holed and rough. Disappointingly there were know welcome to Belgium signs on the side of the road.
More Paris Roubaix style cobbles awaited at Cassel a 1.5km climb into the centre of town before a long fast descent into Dunkirk.