Wassenaar, Netherlands to Calais, France

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Last day today, off to Calais in readiness for our ferry home.
Not a good night’s sleep as large family occupying the static behind us, as the night before, made a terrible noise, banging and shouting until 4am. I promised the lady from the caravan across from ours that I would report at reception so did as we left. Felt very sorry for the other people in the statics round about if they get that every night and we wonder if that is why the family left us their pitch !
As it is so very built up, motorway wise, round The Hague and all points south we decided to go with the flow and take the motorways. Through The Hague and round Rotterdam where on one stretch we counted 14 lanes of motorway.
At some point we crossed into Belgium in a seamless flow of one motorway into another. Round Antwerp, where the traffic was awful as two ring roads meet. Then, tired of busy motorways, we decided to do a bit of non-motorway so pulled onto ordinary roads in Ghent. Badly in need of a rest stop but absolutely nowhere to stop, no lay-bys, no nothing. Lots and lots of cycle tracks and the road surface was dreadful rumbling, bumpy, noisy concrete.
Gave up and went back onto the motorway and from there to France. Hurrah - within minutes of French roads we were at an Aire and had drinks and lunch. Unbelievable road systems really, where on earth is all that traffic going ? For miles and miles, across three countries, Netherlands, Belgium and France there seems to be nothing but multi-lane road with a few canals and fields in between.
Set Clarissa Tomtom the task of finding us a supermarket and did a bit of a take home drink shop at a small Carrefour somewhere in the suburbs of some small French town or other. Looked very much like the small Dutch and small Belgium towns we had passed through earlier.
And so to Calais and our favourite overnight stopping spot there, the Aire on the harbour. Not many spaces left, as there are quite a lot of holidaying motorhomes here complete with families of children as it is full summer season now. When we have stopped before it has been out of season and used by others like us as a stop over before or after the ferry crossing. We parked next to the first GB motorhome we have seen in three weeks but there are also lots with NL, B, D, I and F stickers as well.
We had our usual Calais tea of frites from the stall round the corner and a stroll along the newly rebuilt pier.
Amazingly clear evening, the Dover coastline is easily visible.
Early start as our ferry leaves at 8.30.

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Photos

France
et voila, immediately somewhere to stop so we can have lunch - after 2.5 hours of non-stop driving through Belgium