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.
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| 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!
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