Small annoyances!

I drove myself to work this morning and was back to my usual hours. Gina, who is covering for Dan, came in and spent all day in the office. Most of the time, she was taking phone calls, making phone calls or talking on Teams, giggling and simpering about one of the senior managers contacting her directly. I know I sound like a moaning minny, but it was quite annoying! 

I spent most of the day with the cinema admin, managing to get the films on until early December and sending off the figures from the weekend. Everything seems to be running smoothly now, as I knew it would!

It was bliss to leave at 4:00pm and drive home, where I tried to catch up with the blog. Tomorrow, Keith and I are going to Wickes to sort out the en-suite once and for all, and I have a hundred and one things to get done as well!

We are currently enjoying War on Sky with Dominic West and Sienna Miller, so it was great to sit and watch another episode after dinner!

The Monday morning blues...

It was truly horrible getting up this morning, even though it was an hour later than normal, as I'd decided to work from 9:00am until 5:00pm. Never again will we come back from a break or holiday and go to work the next day!

We still had loads of things to deal with, and I sorted out the laundry for Keith to do for us today. Other things would have to wait until Wednesday or the weekend! Sophie and I left at 8:15am and went a different way to avoid the heavy traffic.

I arrived well before 9:00am and had worried both Amanda and Sheila (who had been for a swim) as I was so late! I explained we'd been delayed the night before and I'd decided to work different hours. Sheila came up to the office for a short while, and I gave her the gifts I'd bought back from France for her.

Thankfully, the day passed swiftly, and it was great to get home and make a start on the weekend's blog! Keith had managed to get all the laundry sorted for us, but there were still some things that needed unpacking. It would have to wait until Wednesday, when I was off. Hooray!

Northern France, 16th - 18th of October 2026

Back to Ypres

Our plan was to get up reasonably early this morning and be out of the house by 9:00am, to drive into Belgium and visit Ypres. After a coffee, we packed, showered and made sure the house was left in a good state. I explored the garden while Sophie finished getting ready and took some photos of the stormy sky. I'm sure I heard thunder in the distance!

Sophie didn't appreciate me popping up at the window as she put on her make-up!

By 9:00am, I was gingerly reversing out of the driveway, helped by Sophie. We did the same little route as we did yesterday to get back to the front of the house, facing in the right direction, and then put directions in for Ypres, avoiding the motorway this time.

Our route took us past St Omer again, and through some pretty villages surrounded by farmland. We saw mounds of what we thought were swedes or turnips piled up in the fields, probably set aside for winter feed. I became stuck behind a large tractor and trailer, but spotted a garage and decided to fill up while we had the chance!

On the outskirts of Ypres, near the town of Poperinge, we stopped for coffee, and I called Keith to check that he was OK and to see if he was still suffering from his cold. We enjoyed our coffee and the rest of the pastries before setting off for Ypres, just a short distance away.

Sophie directed me to the main square in Ypres, and we found a parking space easily. The last time we were here was Easter Sunday, and it was a little busier today, but still lovely and quiet. We saw a few school groups milling about, and when we took our seats outside at a bar, a group of teachers sat behind us.

We ordered a local beer and sat and enjoyed the ambience. What a delightful way to spend a Sunday morning! 

While we sat, Sophie looked at several restaurants for lunch, but we couldn't resist going back to Vivaldi across the square. Before we went, we called into a chocolate shop and bought some treats to take home.

Vivaldi was very quiet when we arrived, and they invited us to choose our own table. We chose one next to a fire and had a good look at the menu even though both of us knew what we were going to choose! I opted for the chicken skewer served with curry mayonnaise, salad and French fries. Sophie couldn't resist the pork escalope, accompanied by apple sauce and French fries as well. We ordered two Wipers Times beers and sat back to look forward to a good lunch!

Before our main courses arrived, we were treated to a little amuse-bouche - a scoop of sausage meat served with mini silverskin pickled onions. Delicious!

The food was as good as ever, and as we ate, the restaurant gradually filled up, with a big family party sitting next to us. There was a lovely atmosphere, and we really didn't want to leave! I had noticed chocolate fondant on the menu, so we had to have it! It was gorgeous, served with vanilla ice cream.

I urged Sophie to enjoy a glass of Cointreau with her dessert, and she didn't hesitate! While we were eating, Sophie was messaging Michael, and after we'd paid the bill, we walked to another little shop to buy some beer and chocolates for him. The shop where we'd bought Keith's La Chouffe glass in April had closed down (what a shame). We picked out two beers, a lighter and a chocolate willy on a stick (I think the Cointreau had gone to Sophie's head!).

Gearing up for Halloween!

Train troubles!

We returned to the car, and Sophie suggested a rural route back to the motorway. I agreed, so we navigated the outskirts of Ypres and made our way into open countryside, passing through pretty, sleepy little villages, some of which, as we neared the French border, had two names. It was a delightful route and much better than going onto the motorway. There was no great fanfare when we drove back into France; just a change of language!

We turned onto the motorway, and it started to rain heavily. We arrived at the shuttle terminal earlier than our check-in time, but there was no offer of an earlier train, which was a disappointment. We were forced to sit in the car for ages due to the torrential rain, but in the end, Sophie ran into the terminal to use the facilities and buy a bottle of Cointreau to take home!

When we were called to board, we managed to get through passport control pretty quickly. However, it was obvious that we were going to miss our planned train, as it took ages to actually get onto it! We had just parked, turned off the engine and settled back to relax when we heard an announcement that we were to be taken off our train and put onto another due to a problem... great!

We sat and waited, and we chatted to the driver of the car behind us, who said he had been delayed twice over the summer and received compensation! Eventually, we drove off our train, up the platform slope, down to the next and along the platform again, this time right next to the train tracks below. It was a bit hairy!

The delay meant we didn't get back to the UK until 6:00 pm, and it was already almost dark with torrential rain falling. It was a most unpleasant journey on the M20, and I kept to the inside lane, not going above 60mph due to the weather conditions. Thankfully, as we turned onto the M25, the rain lessened a bit, but it was a long, slow journey home, and we didn't get back until 8:45pm. We then had to unpack the car, and Keith hadn't put the heating on, so the house was freezing!

We dumped as much stuff as we could to be dealt with over the coming days, and I relaxed on the sofa with Keith and told him all about our break while Sophie disappeared upstairs with the cats. We'd had a fantastic time after a wobbly start, but we weren't looking forward to going back to work tomorrow!

Northern France, 16th - 18th of October 2026

Second thoughts...

Both of us had a decent night's sleep, but we hit a low point when Sophie went to have a shower and said there was no hot water. We'd already had issues with the loo and the lack of a decent flush, so this was the final straw. We had already mentioned the possibility of going home early because of the weather, and I said that if we didn't have any hot water, we'd be heading back over the Channel.

Luckily, after twiddling about with the control, hot water gushed through, and we were both able to have a decent shower. Outside, the heavy grey cloud and low mist had gone, to be replaced with towering storm clouds and showers. Occasionally, the sun would peep through these clouds, so we decided to change our plans and try to visit a museum.

While Sophie was showering, I Googled local art museums and found an interesting one in the town of Cassel, about fifty minutes away. The Museum of Flanders specialised in Flemish art, so it sounded very interesting and useful for dodging the showers!

Market Day in St Omer

It took me two attempts to manoeuvre out of the driveway, and Sophie had to stand in the road to direct me. It wasn't ideal, and I wasn't looking forward to driving back onto the driveway this evening, when I planned to reverse in.

As I found it better to turn left, I had to do a series of left turns and rejoin the road. Outside one house was a "body" encased in black plastic hanging from a window. The French seemed to be mad about Halloween!

Back at our starting point again, Sophie put directions into Jeeves and our journey took us onto beautiful country roads, with the occasional small village. The sky was very interesting indeed, with brilliant sunshine one minute and heavy rain the next. As we neared the town of St Omer, we decided to stop for a coffee. It was market day, but we managed to find a space in a large car park, just a short walk from the market square.

The town was bustling with people shopping in the market, and we found a lovely little brasserie for a coffee. Some of the locals, including three jolly women of a certain age, were indulging in glasses of wine already! We both ordered a café allongé crème, but the dairy came in a little pot, not hot and frothy as we'd hoped! It was still heaven to sit and relax and soak up the lovely atmosphere in the café. There were also delicious smells wafting about!

After paying the bill, we wandered around the market, looking at all the different foods on offer, including one stall selling a vast array of sausages. One, I am sure, was horse!

Strolling away from the market, we stumbled upon a gorgeous wine and spirits shop. It was a delight to peruse the shelves, and I picked out a red Sancerre, rarely seen in the UK, and a wine from a village - St Pourcain - where I used to stay with my parents back in the 1980s. Again, I have never seen it in the UK.

We also splashed out on a sparkling Vouvray and a bottle of beer for Keith. The owner was very chatty and gave us a box for the wine so we could transport our bottles back to the car safely. St Omer was a very pretty town, and one we'd been to a few years back with the children on a day trip.

Dining with giants

Back at the car, we headed for Cassel, taking more smooth country roads through mainly arable fields. The village names became more Flemish as we neared the town, and we knew we weren't far from the Belgian border. Ahead we could see a forested hill and realised this was Mont Cassel, with the town perched on the top. The road wound up steeply, and we followed signs for parking near a chapel. As we got out of the car, we were treated to stunning views across the countryside; it reminded me strongly of Montreuil-sur-Mer with the ramparts and cobbled streets. What a find!

We strolled to the centre and looked for somewhere to have lunch. One restaurant looked full to bursting, while Sophie said another hadn't received good reviews. We walked over to another eatery called La Terrasse des Géants and had a look at the menu. As we were reading, it started to rain, so I suggested we go inside. Sophie wasn't happy, as one of her favourite things to do is study menus, but it had great reviews, and I was hungry!

It was a great decision, and although the interior was a little basic and there was a giant television screen opposite our table, the food and service were tremendous. We ordered smoked salmon and toast to share as a starter, followed by a beef Flemish casserole, with chips and salad. The food was delicious, and the chips were the best I have ever eaten! And I don't say that lightly! We ordered a pichet of red wine to accompany the meal, and it was equally delicious.

The woman who served us was lovely - very motherly and friendly - and we were very glad we'd chosen to eat here. Towards the end of our meal, a group of eight men came in for lunch, and we suspected they'd either been fishing or farming, as the aromas surrounding them were very earthy! They were friendly, though, and they all said hello as they took their places at their table.

We had no room for pud, and it was only as we were walking out that I noticed the chocolate fondant on the blackboard... uh oh! I'd broken the law!

What is that?

Our bill came to a highly reasonable 60 euros, and we found the meal extremely good value for money. The 500ml pichet of wine was 9 euros... try getting two large glasses of wine in the UK for this price! We bade the staff a fond farewell and walked across the road to the museum. Imagine our delight when we were told that the entrance was free, as there was work going on upstairs.

The rooms containing the art were very dim and dark, highlighting the gorgeous paintings. We saw a painting by Rubens and one by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. But it was the art by Hieronymus Bosch that really caught our eye (if indeed it was by him). Very weird and nightmarish, to put it mildly. Below are details of the paintings we saw:

This was my favourite... it resembles me looking at John Mayer...

What's with the screaming face?

Creepy!

A  bit more conventional

Topless creepy nun?

It was lovely wandering around and gazing at the art. It wasn't busy at all, and at first there was only another group of people having a tour, so it was quiet and peaceful. I just wish we could have gone up to the next floor. We will be back!

We were able to go outside and admire the stunning views and the architecture of the building itself. I love the crenellated roofs and the beautiful brickwork.

Outside sculpture

Between showers!

Sophie bought a couple of postcards, and we emerged into the pretty square. Before heading back to the car, we called into a patisserie to buy a couple of cakes for later in the evening. The young girl serving asked me to hold a pane of glass that was part of the cabinet, while she attended to an alarm further in the shop! Her mother came out and said it wasn't going to fall, but I didn't dare risk it! 

A little indulgence!

We left Cassel via a cobbled road, and we later learnt that the town has been occupied since Roman times and some of the ancient roads still exist. The views back down were beautiful, and it's a town we'll certainly return to again.

Before heading back to the house, we decided to drive to Bray-Dunes, right on the coast, and apparently the northernmost town in the whole of France (including its territories). Sophie was in the middle of reading Atonement, and one of her characters died in the town. It played a big part in the evacuation of Dunkirk in the Second World War.

Interesting skies!

The journey was extremely pleasant, and we passed through pretty villages and along straight roads. We managed to park near the front and walked the short distance to the wide promenade that stretched on either side of the town. It reminded me a little of Houlgate.

We spotted a café and went into its warmth as it was windy and quite cold. I was glad I'd brought my coat! We took seats next to the window and ordered two hot chocolates with frothy cream and a little treat, a glass of Grand Marnier each. Bliss!

For both of us, this was the highlight of our little break, and it was heaven to sit and chat, people-watch from the windows, and enjoy our delicious drinks.

We paid the bill and reluctantly left to drive back to the house, using the autoroute and its mad drivers. I always find the area around Dunkirk and Calais to be frenetic and the driving crazy. I have no idea why, but today was the same! It was a relief to get off and drive on normal roads!

I tried to back into the driveway of the house, but every time I tried, another car would appear. We didn't know why this road was so busy! In the end, I drove into Ardres again, turned around and approached from the left, driving in as normal. Sophie would have to help me get out again in the morning!

We lit the pellet burner and had a very relaxing evening, watching two game shows on French television that were originally from the UK - Family Fortunes and the 1% Club! Amazingly, I managed to get a few questions right on the equivalent of the 1% Club! We also spotted a couple of pheasants in the garden and other guests had mentioned deer in the field next door.

Halfway through the evening, we enjoyed our platter of meats and cheeses and the rest of the tabbouleh, accompanied by a couple of glasses of red wine. The cakes we'd bought were delicious as well!

A few more photos of gorgeous Cassel:

Old cobbled streets

Northern France, 16th - 18th of October 2026

An unpleasant journey...

Sophie and I were both up at about 3:00am, and showered, dressed and ready to go by 4:00am. Outside, it was raining, not something I really wanted. The rain was set to be a feature of our little break, and never really left us for the whole weekend!

Keith got up to say goodbye, and we set off into the dark, taking our usual route of the A14, M11, M25, and M20. It was great to take Celine on a longer trip, and I loved driving her, although the behaviour of some of the lorries on the route wasn't great. One veered into my lane as I was overtaking it, whilst I was being overtaken myself. We were mightily glad when we reached Folkestone!

We opted to take our chosen departure and went into the terminal to use the facilities and buy a UK sticker for the car. We also took advantage of the Duty Free deal of a bottle of Gin and Vodka for £24, which was a bargain! What wasn't so good, though, was the zip on my handbag breaking! Drat! I think it's time to get a new one!

Back at the car, we enjoyed our flask of coffee and Keith's sausage rolls that he'd made for us yesterday. Unfortunately, delays at passport control meant we missed our slot of 8:15am, so we took the next at 8:45am. We were diverted to the lane where the steering wheel was swabbed, and it took us ages to rejoin the queue for the French passport control. We weren't in any hurry, though, and couldn't check in until 5:00pm, although we had been sent the key code for our house in Brêmes. We were hoping we'd be able to get in a bit earlier!

Rain, rain, rain!

We had a pleasant crossing, but we were in for a shock when it was time to drive off the train. I couldn't put Celine into "drive" and, worryingly, a battery icon flashed up on the instrument panel. We tried not to panic, and nobody behind us started getting impatient, and after what seemed like ages, but was probably only a couple of minutes, we managed to restart the car and put it into "drive" so we could move away. I had no idea why this had happened, and Sophie suggested it was because we'd put the keys on the phone charging pad. That's something I won't do on the return journey! There are so many gadgets on these modern cars, with so much to go wrong!

We headed for Sangatte and the coastal road, and we stopped in a layby in the town to convert the miles to kilometres so I knew what speed I was driving at. We were both still a little shaken up, and I realised that on this break, I'd really be getting to know my new car!

It was a cloudy day with the promise of rain on the horizon. We wanted to stop at our usual little café/restaurant in Audinghen, and on the way we saw several groups of gendarmes by the beaches. This was the first time we'd seen any police presence in the area, so were they looking for people trying to get to the UK by boat?

At Audinghen, we parked and went into the restaurant to find no tables in the small bar area. A local was enjoying a beer, and a member of staff was counting a huge tray of coins. We ordered a small La Goudale Ambreé each, paid ten euros, which I thought was a bit steep, and took a table outside, next to a jolly group of Belgians with their dogs.

We sat, relaxed, and discussed the car problem, both of us mystified about why it had happened. It started us off on a worrying note, and I dreaded the journey back in case we had problems again!

As we sat and enjoyed our cold beers, it started to rain. The Belgians returned to their two cars (they had been lovely and chatty), and we moved under cover to finish our drinks. I called Keith to let him know what had happened, and he was perplexed as well.

Halloween decorations were big in France!

After using the facilities, we returned to the car and carried on to Wimereux. By now, it was raining hard, and we looked at the leaden sky in dismay. Neither of us had brought an umbrella, and Sophie didn't have a raincoat with her.

In Wimereux, we managed to park easily, and we took a quick walk to the front and to our usual restaurant, Les Oyats. We took a table inside and chose our lunch - Sophie decided not to have a Welsh, and opted for mussels in a garlic cream sauce instead, served with chips. I fancied the turkey in a pepper sauce with salad and fries. We ordered a pichet of Chardonnay, a bottle of water, and sat back to relax.

We couldn't decide whether the tide was coming in or going out, and the weather didn't change. People arrived looking drenched, but inside it was warm and cosy, and the food was fantastic as always.

We found room for puds - chocolate mousse for Sophie and a chocolat Liégeois for me. Delicious!

After paying the bill, we decided to go back to the car and abandon our plan of exploring the shops on the High Street. It was pouring, so we ran back and headed for the Carrefour on the outskirts of the town to stock up on food for breakfast, snacks and some treats.

Those who wander aren't lost...

In Carrefour, we bought pastries for breakfast over the weekend, Cracksters, our favourite salad and tabbouleh, wine and a bottle of beer for Keith. I looked in vain for an umbrella, but the only ones available were expensive!

When we got back into the car, Sophie contacted the Airbnb host to see if we could get in a bit earlier. By now, we were tired and longing to get unpacked and settled. Unfortunately, he said the house was still being cleaned, and he would let us know when we could get in. We filled up with petrol, and I suggested we go to the house anyway and see where it was. If nobody was there, we could get in.

We headed for the autoroute, and I had a shock when a driver pulled out in front of me on a roundabout! This set the tone for the rest of our day, and the driving was most unpleasant. And there was me thinking that driving a French car would win me over with the locals! 

We took the autoroute for about three miles, and then turned off into the countryside. We had hit school run time, and the roads were busy. Following Jeeves' expert guidance, we took a series of roads leading to Brêmes, which was a small village near Ardres. The last part of the journey was quite complicated and took us along a road parallel to a canal, which I eyed warily! Luckily, there was a barrier, but the road was quite narrow, and this was where our house was. We drove past and saw a car parked on the driveway, so we knew that the cleaner was still there. There was a tiny bridge leading to the gravelled area in front of the house, and this crossed a narrow ditch filled with water.

We had no choice but to carry on driving, so I suggested we go to Gravelines, a town we had intended to visit tomorrow. It didn't take us long to get there, and we eventually managed to park in a square outside the town hall. It was still pouring with rain, and we ran to the nearest bar, which was full of locals enjoying a coffee or a beer. We took a seat and didn't know at first if we had to order at the bar, but a friendly woman took our order for hot chocolates and brought us two tiny chocolates with the drinks.

I watched in fascination as several people bought scratchcards, completely absorbed in seeing if they'd won anything! The bar had embraced the season of Halloween, and cobwebs and spiders adorned the walls.

We paid for our drinks and decided to have a little walk. Sophie spotted a shop selling bags and shoes, and I treated myself to a new bag for 40 euros. There was no point in walking about as it was so wet, so we returned to the car and headed for Grand-Fort-Philippe, where Georges Seurat had painted.

The journey was horrible, and I had another driver pull out in front of me from the right, on a side road. It looks like this bizarre rule is still alive and well in this part of France! By now, I had really had enough, so I said we were going to go back to the house, no matter what! We had been up since 3:00am and I wanted to relax and enjoy the rest of the day!

Sophie guided me back over the canals and bridges, and when we arrived, the cleaner's car had gone. I realised it would be difficult to turn in from the right, so I drove into Ardres and turned around. Turning in from the left was better and gave me more room, but I dreaded getting the car out tomorrow morning! The road outside the house was narrow, and then there was the steel barrier and the canal beyond... The photos of the house hadn't shown this entrance, and when Sophie Googled the house and went onto Street View, it didn't really give a true impression. A previous guest had knocked down one of the brick pillars that lined the small bridge, so it was obviously an issue.

And... relax!

We unpacked the car, put our clothes and food away, and explored the house. Although there was a flight of stairs, the door at the top was locked, which was a bit creepy. There were three double bedrooms, a tiny loo, a shower room, and an open-plan kitchen, dining area and living room, all on the ground floor. 

If it had been my house, I would have made some major changes. The lawn and flower borders at the front would have been replaced by a wider driveway where you could turn around and drive out. I would have ripped out the old-fashioned and tatty kitchen and replaced it, adding a peninsula with bar stools. I would also have added another loo in the bathroom and put lots of storage in the hallway, and somewhere to keep clothes in the bedrooms. The only place to store our clothes was in Sophie's bedroom, and there weren't any hooks for coats or bags!

I would also have added Netflix to the television! We had to put up with French TV! However, the one thing we loved was the pellet burner, which had been put on for us before we arrived, so the house was lovely and cosy. The long L-shaped sofa was comfortable, and we poured a glass of wine and relaxed. I even had a nap! We were delighted to find a small platter of meats and cheeses with a bottle of French sparkling wine in the fridge!

Outside, the bad weather didn't let up, and we played cards before having the salad and tabbouleh at about 8:00pm. After eating, we found a programme featuring the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and a concert taking place at Schönbrunn Palace in the summer, which was lovely! 

Need I say we were in bed early? We were shattered!