First up... work!
Sophie and I were working today from 8am until 12pm, so we went in together in Olive, leaving the VW at home safe!
Sophie dropped me off, and I had a busy shift, tying up loose ends and trying to do as much as I could before I left. I had to amend my "out-of-office" email message to be back on the 9th of July, as we learnt yesterday that Val's funeral will be held on the 8th, one of the worst days to choose! We will have just one day between getting home and heading to the Northeast!
Sophie picked me up at 12pm and we headed home. She was very disappointed that neither cat made an appearance before we left at 1pm, after doing final checks and locking up the house. It was a warm day again and they were probably lying low to escape the heat.
We took the A14, M11, M25 and M20 down to Folkestone and had a stop/start journey all the way. At one point we were held up on the M20 by an accident (a car was on its roof) and I feared we'd be held up for a long time, but the traffic began to move and we made it to the terminal in plenty of time.
We were able to choose a slightly earlier train and went inside the building to use the facilities and check out the Duty Free shop. We couldn't resist buying two bottles of Vodka for £18, and Sophie treated herself to a bottle of Hermes perfume.
Soon, our letter was called and we made it through passport control without being searched. We drove straight onto the train via a ramp - no slippery wheels today!
I fall in love...
The crossing was hot, and we feasted on our picnic as we made our way across the Channel. Before we knew it we were back out into the sunshine and heading towards Boulogne and Amiens. We knew this road very well, and once past the outskirts of Calais, the traffic thinned out.
It was a gorgeous evening with crops being sprayed with great arcs of water and windmills turning lazily. We passed one of our favourite aires, La Baie de Somme, but carried on as we were nearing our stop for the night, in the village of Hallencourt.
Sophie used her phone to guide me, with "Jeeves" giving great directions. We turned off the autoroute onto stunning country roads, passing several delightful villages with gorgeous houses. Trees lined the road - it was so typically French! Soon, we arrived in Hallencourt and discovered a beautiful village with several shops on the main road. We turned off, and after a short distance, turned into a gravelled driveway. The house looked sweet and very pretty!
We had been given the code so we let ourselves in and unpacked the things we needed for our overnight stay. While Sophie unpacked, Keith and I drove back to the main street and popped into a little supermarket that had everything we needed and a lovely, friendly owner. Keith bought some cold beer (so that was him appeased) and we headed back.
As it was such a lovely evening, we sat in the garden until 11pm, enjoying drinks, chatting and listening to the birdsong. It was utter bliss, and I think I've fallen in love with this area as well!
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