Wednesday, 11 September 2013
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
The drive to Calais
Trying to catch up with the blog.
Saturday 31.08.2013
Despite saying the night before we would be in breakfast between 7:30 and 8:00 we decided on a short bike ride before breakfast so just after 7:30 were we off and on our way towards the Canal De Marne. Its about 10 minutes away from the hotel and one year we will try and plan a longer ride and cycle further along it. We had to turn round after about 5 miles to get back to the hotel in time and breakfast and a shower. The breakfast was excellent with lots of choice. As we returned to our room the rain started so an early bike ride was a good choice. We left the hotel for the 20 minute drive to Le Mesnil-sur-Oger to taste some champagne. We found a good Champagne house last year so decide to return for some more champagne. We checked the cooperative cave first but it just like last year it was still shut at weekends. After a quick tasting the champagne was stored and the local boulangerie was the visited for some excellent cheese filled ficelle and fruit tarts. We when then off to Calais. All we needed was a supermarket for cheese and fruit. We found a large Carrefour in Epernay but would have been better waiting. For future reference there is a large E.Leclerc where the D951 joins the A4 paege. For the Carrefour in Epernay we had to divert though the centre of the town. The drive to Calais was uneventful. We have no idea what the wooden man was doing riding one of the bikes on the back of the car! The cheese ficelle were eaten on route and a fruit tart consumed with a quick Brexton coffee stop. The toll was around 21 euros. Arriving in Calais we turned off at junction 3 for diesel and beer. Turn right at the roundabout and a total garage is about 500 metres on the RHS with a Pidou wine and beer warehouse behind. A left turn toward Calais centre would have taken us past a large Carrefour. We avoided the direct route to the Port. We remembered the delays in previous years with the queue back from the part on the motorway. Kate finally accepted we were not going to turn around and directed us towards the town centre and then to the port and brought us out at the front of the long queue. We had a short wait for customs. The PO check in was efficient but the ferry was running approximately 30 minutes late. The crossing was busy but uneventfully. A good seat was found in the bar next to a socket to power the notebook. On arriving in Dover we had the now “traditional” fish and chip tea with mushy peas and a proper cup of tea.
Saturday 31.08.2013
Despite saying the night before we would be in breakfast between 7:30 and 8:00 we decided on a short bike ride before breakfast so just after 7:30 were we off and on our way towards the Canal De Marne. Its about 10 minutes away from the hotel and one year we will try and plan a longer ride and cycle further along it. We had to turn round after about 5 miles to get back to the hotel in time and breakfast and a shower. The breakfast was excellent with lots of choice. As we returned to our room the rain started so an early bike ride was a good choice. We left the hotel for the 20 minute drive to Le Mesnil-sur-Oger to taste some champagne. We found a good Champagne house last year so decide to return for some more champagne. We checked the cooperative cave first but it just like last year it was still shut at weekends. After a quick tasting the champagne was stored and the local boulangerie was the visited for some excellent cheese filled ficelle and fruit tarts. We when then off to Calais. All we needed was a supermarket for cheese and fruit. We found a large Carrefour in Epernay but would have been better waiting. For future reference there is a large E.Leclerc where the D951 joins the A4 paege. For the Carrefour in Epernay we had to divert though the centre of the town. The drive to Calais was uneventful. We have no idea what the wooden man was doing riding one of the bikes on the back of the car! The cheese ficelle were eaten on route and a fruit tart consumed with a quick Brexton coffee stop. The toll was around 21 euros. Arriving in Calais we turned off at junction 3 for diesel and beer. Turn right at the roundabout and a total garage is about 500 metres on the RHS with a Pidou wine and beer warehouse behind. A left turn toward Calais centre would have taken us past a large Carrefour. We avoided the direct route to the Port. We remembered the delays in previous years with the queue back from the part on the motorway. Kate finally accepted we were not going to turn around and directed us towards the town centre and then to the port and brought us out at the front of the long queue. We had a short wait for customs. The PO check in was efficient but the ferry was running approximately 30 minutes late. The crossing was busy but uneventfully. A good seat was found in the bar next to a socket to power the notebook. On arriving in Dover we had the now “traditional” fish and chip tea with mushy peas and a proper cup of tea.
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