Summer!

I had a really good night’s sleep at good old Gayot, followed by a weepoo walk for H and a brekkie full of delicacies.

Then onwards and northwards towards that beach at Ouistreham. For old times’ sakes, I took in the lake at La Ferte Mace to give H longer to stretch her legs and empty herself. Then I drove past Le But once more, to find a tent in the garden, as well as a car, van and motorhome. It’s looking very sad around there.
La Ferte Mace lake… Scène of Fleur’s first triathlon.

Next up, I could not resist a trip to Rabodanges where our little cafe on the sand has been demolished. How the kids used to enjoy the inflatables! That area is now quite sad too. Only a burger van and other mess stands in lace of the cafe.

But extensive work has taken place, and a swimming pool has been created within the edge of the lake, which looks great fun. I’m impressed. Shame they did not do it 20 years ago.

It was a beautiful sunny morning.

We enjoyed another warm walk across the sands at Ouistreham where a few people, not at work, were sunbathing, maybe even testing out the sea. There were various people pushing babies or dogs around.

Preparations were underway for some event or other this evening. And there, more people were out and about ( in my way) enjoying the sun.
And I enjoyed another meal at l’Accostage . This time we were outside but in the shade.

I tried quite hard to add to yesterday’s shopping by buying some items (apple pots and raclette cheese) from a supermarket chiller cabinet.

But the local supermarket car park had been commandeered for an open air market so there was no parking at all, and the Carrefour had no shaded parking so I couldn’t leave H.

Therefore I went to the ferry, ans it was time to do so, and we hung around until we were loaded. Right at the back of the boat. H was snuggled in the car with water and space.

The sailing seemed to take for ever. I remained in the cabin because there were lots of coaches containing far too many school children.

The disembarkation and customs procedures are frankly awful and not fit for purpose. As I type this, I’ve been off the boat for half an hour and have not yet moved more than 100m. The system seems riddled with unfairness in the way the cars are moved forwards. Poor old Heidi… it’s a real shocker.

…. I got to move eventually …

Thank you all you brainless morons who voted for Brexit. Although, to be fair, the system ( or lack of one) was dreadful before. I tried to explain, very politely, that their system was not fair as a man stopped me from joining the other cars ahead of me in the passport queue. He must need hearing aids or something called compassion.

I explained I was one of the first off the boat and I had a dog with ‘needs’. A sticker shows the presence of a dog. I explained that I could not understand how a fair system made me one of the last to reach the passport lady.
Fairness was not a concept within his grasp. He just rabbited on about two boats docking at the same time. I didn’t ffffing care about that. They should time things better. Same number of people to process, but why have the boats arrive simultaneously? Just to muddle people up? And cause them stress? I must be missing something here.

But then, in the very words Jeremy Clarkson might use in one of his Farm programmes, things, were about to get a whole lot worse. What? Worse than an hour to disembark and clear immigration? Oh Yes!

You see, some equally incompetent twat had decided to close the A34 north of Winchester. For how far? Who knows? They didn’t inform you of that bit. But this meant quite a diversion- via Basingstoke. Helpful that. About 30 miles of detour. Via Aldermaston which was not straight forward either because I missed a sneaky turn and ended up in Ufton Nervet. Lovely way to round off a holiday.

Four beautiful relaxing days away, utterly ruined by my return to this godforsaken pit of highway mismanagement. Poor little Heidi – a six hour boat ride and then there are no services to let her stretch on the A27 /M3 until the A34 turn at Winchester. Now that is a rather sore point.

Perhaps I had better stop grumbling … and be grateful. For…Well I might think of something … Did I say the holiday was great?

Thoughts for the Day