Departure

There was another very vigorous storm as we headed for bed last night. Lots of flashes and clashes and some very heavy rain.

Predictably, the night passed in a certain restlessness until daylight arrived and I could get up. I thought I just had our two wheelie bags to get into the car, but other bits and pieces kept appearing.
And of course, equally predictably, I don’t know now where any of these items of great importance are. This , as I type from our French Hotel room. Yes! We made it this far! To Ouistreham.

T stayed in bed until about an hour before we left home at 11.00. We collected a parcel from Ali’s – last year’s Christmas present for Tina. I also failed to find the beam deflectors, with the unintelligible instructions, for Dave to put on the car. Well I did find them, but in Portsmouth.

Useful that!

H got a rather raw deal whilst I was trying to manage everything. T was totally unhelpful. But I ask for nothing and have no expectations any more.

Today: He offers to help. I ask him to put the few remaining bits and pieces by the car. Where by the car? By the rear passenger door. He responds again where by the car? Then he forgets and wanders off to fiddle in the kitchen sink and I have to mop the floor puddles he has made.

Finally, after a few more minutes where I take the remaining things to the car- the ones I asked him to take – I enquire if he is ready to leave. . His response – I’ve been ready for ages. The Axe Man Cometh. Red Rags to angry heffer etc.

This road trip is going to be fun! Drivel poured into and out of my ears as we pootled towards Reading. Not exactly the direct route. I can block out the drivel most of the time. The trouble is … every so often he catches me out and throws a question in there. And gets cross when I don’t answer it, never mind know what he has asked.

We picked up the engine oil at the Honda dealer in Reading and headed for Portsmouth. The route from Reading was tortuous but we got there.

All the paperwork and passports were fine. Some french vets are no longer issuing EU passports for British dogs unless they are to someone with proof of second home ownership (tick) and the dogs are registered under CAD. This was what someone said, and internet checks reveal the accuracy of this. I won’t bore with further details.

I was pretty shattered by now and we had a bit of a wait to board the ferry and a lot more of a wait to departure. (Late)

H was in the cabin with us and seemed disappointed to discover that she could no longer squeeze herself under the bunk bed. Whether age is catching up or just inflexibility, I am not sure. Anyway she remained quiet whilst we ate at the restaurant.

As for the majority of the crossing… I know nothing because I slept through it. The extreme stiffness I felt upon embarkation wore off so I could move more easily.
(Perhaps I should explain that loading the car at home brings with it difficulties that I did not have at BV- namely: two awkward steps out of the front door and then a hike over an uncomfortable chunky gravel slope. )

Getting through Douanes was very slow and irritating. The stamping of passports has a lot to answer for. The Ibis was right by the port. Ouistreham was dead. We dicked around 22.30 french time.

The Ibis reception man here in Ouistreham made my day. He asked me if I was half French because I spoke it so well! After three years!!

The hotel room is not spacious, but the bed is very comfortable. T is complaining there is nothing to eat or drink. I had meant to buy a snack but had slept too long and ran out of opportunity.

H weed and pooed, to her delight.

We have no deadlines tomorrow. Just the long route ahead of us via Le But. We may not hang around if things are overwhelmingly bad: My new contact has contacts so I may hand him a little project of some minimal organising.

Thought for the Day

“The worst part of stopping during a road trip is knowing all the idiots you’ve passed are once again getting ahead of you.”