What a difference a Channel makes

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Tuesday August 4th
What a difference a Channel makes
The weather pattern really does look like it has changed but the forecast too for France was for fine weather so summer is officially declared back on track for the BBA.
It is only a short distance to Dover and the Sea France ferry to Calais but we wanted to get there in plenty of time to locate where the ferry sailed from and because we anticipate there will be some customs and emigration forms to be completed on our departure from UK soil.
Breakfast has been a bonus when it has been part of the tarrif and cooked for us but we dreaded the thought of the hotel buffet which we thought would be on offer considering the dinner was buffet.Sure enough it was a buffet.So we joined the mostly OAP’s picking up cereal and juice.Gretchen couldn’t face the full English from the buffet stations and just had bacon and eggs but I made up for it by going the whole hog,baked beans and all !!!After all what was ahead of today was the unknown,for us at least,regarding where the next meal would be coming from on French soil and what might be on offer.
With the internet only being available in the lobby we again joined in with 20 or so OAP’s sitting looking out the window to the bay across the road from the hotel.We hadn’t particulary noticed at first how the easy chairs had been set out but after sitting ourselves for a moment while waiting for the net to open it became apparent that they were all turned towards the windows.My god this place was just like a retirement home and we were part of the scene!!!!On the way back up to our room we shared the lift with an old guy who said he wasn’t joining the bus trip today but just going to stay in the hotel lounge.It seemed that the tour coaches brought their loads of OAP’s down here from other parts of England and used the place as a base to do day tours out to other places of interest in the area.
We just had to get lost(temporarily)at least one last time and with the maze of roads in Folkstone we managed to get onto the road heading inland for Canterbury rather than the coast at Dover.We quickly realised the error and turned around this time finding the right road and we were soon at Dover harbour.We went into the information building for the port to enquire about documentation we might have to complete to leave Britain and entre the continent.The young lady was sure there was nothing to fill in so with a couple of hours to spare we drove off to explore Dover township.
The town does give you the feel it is at the end of the road as it was kind of grubby with people to match in the streets.It all just looked liked it needed a good kick to get itself back up again.Perhaps most of the people that pass through this busy port simply don’t stop unless they have time to spare like us and the economy is suffering because of that.
After a coffee that cost us almost all of the last sterling we had in coins we drove back to the ferry terminal to sort out the way to access the right queue for Sea France amongst the 4 or 5 ferry companies that operate from the port heading for France.
It all seemed a bit too easy as we joined a small queue of cars and edged our way towards a booth where we expected someone to inspect and stamp our passports.But when it became our turn we could see that there was no one actually in the booth and with other cars behind us we had no option but to drive ahead.As we did so we didn’t think it was quite right not to have someone inspect our passport at the very least so Gretchen turned away from the road heading to the ticket collection point and intended to rejoin the queue and try a different booth.In doing so we got into the lane that actually took us away from the customs area and we found ourselves on the road leaving Dover port heading for London!!!!
Fortunately it wasn’t too far to one of those inevitable English roundabouts and we were heading back to the port and the customs queue again.This time we picked a booth withan officer in it and received what we expected,a stamp in our passports.
After the ticket collection point it was a free for all with trucks and other cars to get to the lane we had been allocated for our Sea France ferry.Boarding was simple and after parking on what eventually turned out to be a full deck of cars and trucks we found seats in the lounge ready for the trip across the Channel.
With 4 or 5 ferry companies operating from Dover it was no wonder that the view ahead to sea revealed 3 or 4 other ferries either leaving or arriving at Dover port.
The crossing was very smooth with only a light breeze making it quite pleasant to wander around outside once we got underway.Our final view of leaving Britain was of the white cliffs behind and around Dover port and seemed all quite appropriate that we could enjoy such a world famous sight as we headed for the continent.
The duty free deal on casks of wine,which we had found quite expensive in the UK,was too good to turn down so we purchased the 3 for 2 deal and with 9 ltrs of wine this should last us for some days to come.
We were coming out of the duty free shop when Gretchen noticed out the ship window that there was coastline yet we had only been at sea for just over an hour and I had thought that the trip across the channel would take a bit over 2 hours.What I hadn’t taken into account was that we needed to put our watches back an hour for the current time on this part of continental Europe.So it was no time at all before we were being summoned with all the other car and truck drivers down to the vehicle garage to be ready to drive off once we berthed.
Before we did go down to the garage we tested the air temperature outside and found it to be much warmer then when we had left Dover.This seemed a bit strange given that we had only travelled 20 or so miles across the Channel but if this was to be what it was going to be like,bring it on!!!!!
Sure enough as we drove away from Calais port the temperature reading in RR showed 30C!!!!What a difference a Channel makes!!!!
We had a fair distance to travel down to Le Harve which we had chosen as the town was located in close proximity to the D Day beaches which we had decided to take in before heading back north to the Netherlands.We had made this decision before we decided to extend our time away on this adventure and in hindsight we could have left seeing the D Day beaches until later.
Although we had plenty of daylight ahead of us still today we thought it best to get down to Le Harve as quick as possible so plotted a route that involved highways all the way,an option we wouldn’t normally take as you don’t see much of the countryside and villages from a highway.
With the outside temperature rising even further to 32C we found our way onto the A16 easily.The road signage was very clear and we hope that this keeps up as we journey our way around Europe over the next nearly 4 months.And there was very little traffic!!Where was everyone??At the beach in these temperatures!!
The highway south initially was free but just after Boulogne-sur-Mer we entered a toll road which according to our map would carry us down to Abbeville before it changed back to free driving again.The toll system was going to be on a basis we had experienced previously in the USA where you took a ticket at the start from a machine and then paid at the end based upon the mileage you had completed on the toll road.Joining in along the route would obviously be cheaper.
Paying tolls is of course against the principles of the BBA but with the distance we had to travel and the absence of other traffic especially trucks on the road so far saw us forego the BBA principles on this occasion!!!
The kilometres sped by as we cruised along at between 100 and 110kph on a road that was superb to drive on with a smooth surface,gentle corners and virtually no hills or at least hills that affected the continuous speed we were able to travel at.
The countryside along the highway was virtually all given over to crops of various sorts and quite a lot of harvesting already underway.And every so often in the near distance there was a village usually apparent because of a church spire stretching out above the tree tops.However the highway had been so designed that the villages were all avoided and there were very few access or exit points on the toll road part of the highway all the way of the 270 or so kilometres to Le Harve.
After paying our €7.30 the road changed to be free to drive on at Abbeville with no noticeable change in the high quality of the road we were driving on or the minimal amount of traffic on the highway.
Gretchen actually felt so comfortable with the road and lack of traffic that she even consented for me to drive a stage of 80 or so kilometres!!!I was astounded and quickly grabbed the opportunity!!She must have been feeling relaxed!!
We took a break at one of the highway side refreshment stops and took on some drink and had a wander around the extensive grounds with ponds and walkways as well as a tall viewing platform where you could see out over the countryside set aside for motorists and truck drivers to take a break from driving.
After St-Saens the road changed back to a toll highway again and with only 80 or so kilometres to go to our destination we opted again to pay for our drive as the road swung more westerly towards Le Harve.
We had downloaded the directions to our hotel in Le Harve and for a strat as we entered the sizeable city it all seemed to fall into place as we ticked off the various roads and changes in directions we had to take to get to the hotel.
However we knew things had gone wrong when the seaside was just ahead of us and that we had missed our hotel which should have been adjacent to the road we had come into the city on.So we parked RR and I headed off to read a map that we had spotted in a bus stop a street or so away from where we parked.We didn’t think our French was going to be good enough yet to ask the locals where the hotel we were looking for might be.
The map was principally a bus route map and so I had to go back to the car to tell Gretchen that we might just have to try our luck with a local.On getting back to the car I found that had I gone 10 metres in the other direction I would have found a full map of Le Harve almost next door to where we had parked!!!It always pays to look around where you stop first!!!!
With a better idea of where the hotel was located we soon found it and did the check in and with the extra time it had taken to find the place we decided to eat out tonight as although the travel today had been relatively easy it had still been a long day.
We chose a cafe nearby to the hotel and sat down to order a large cold beer and pizza and what did we hear from the table across the cafe.....an Aussie accent!!! It is a small world indeed!!!

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Comments

[Helen Fenwick]

Bonjour
You will no doubt love France, my favourite area was the south - beautiful. Enjoy the wonderful food, xx Helen xx

[Stella]

Summer time starts
Glad to hear that you have made it to France and that the weather has improved now. We have still been having mixed weather but this weekend was good. So nice to meet you, hope to see you again - perhaps in NZ Love Stella