27 March Final Leg Back

We woke to a chilly 0C, but it was looking like it was going to warm up with the clear skies at 6.30am.

Our ferry crossing was booked for 5.15pm, with an option to get the 3pm if our journey went well. So with fingers crossed for a trouble free trip we started on our drive at just before 7am with 300 miles to cover.

Today's route took us through Chartres, which we normally buy pass. The cathedral was very impressive.

We ended up having a straightforward trip with minimal holdups - of which most were due to traffic lights or when there were roadworks reducing the lanes. However, unlike in the UK when traffic grinds to a halt at the slightest wiff of roadworks, because there's so much less traffic on the roads it keeps flowing but just at a slower rate. The autoroutes are also more like dual carriageways, with many not having a third lane, and traffic limits are a speedy 130km/hour (just over 80mph).

As we approached Calais we started having a conversation about people being fined recently for unknowingly smuggling illegal immigrants under the bike cover on the back of their campervan. We'd read about it on the BBC news page.

With most of our duty free being packed in the back seat area there has been space in the boot, so we were trying to recall who last opened the boot - to confirm that no one was in it! Luckily I was confident that a journey squashed in with our dirty washing, left over bits of cheese, half a cabbage and some of Ian's shoes would have been a death sentence so could we be fined for importing a body? Anyway we got through customs without being checked and when I opened the boot to get our cheese baguette and chilli and lime crisps it was free of unwanted people. Phew!! 🤣.

Anyway, we arrived at Calais port before 2pm and had no difficulty getting on the earlier crossing. With only 3 other UK cars, a UK coach and a Belgian horse box (are there special conditions for transporting horses and can they join the dogs on the dog walking deck? 🤣) in front of us, I don't think we'll have problems getting a seat. Hopefully, there also won't be the normal queue for a coffee either!

Unfortunately Ian discovered on his sorte to the refreshment hub, that the coach was full of school children so we'll take action to avoid being plagued by teenage kids running around!

It seemed like we had our own private ferry as it was so quiet. The school children must've been corralled at the other end of the ferry!

So this evening we're now back safe in Kent with fish and chips for dinner - delicious 😋.