On the Road Again!

As it is Sunday a bit of a lie in and then when Claire was getting ready I took the boy out for his morning ablutions. Today there was a very autumnal chill in the air and a heavy dew. My trainers are definitely not waterproof, seeming to have the water resistance of cardboard. Still after breakfast and checkout it was dry for the 35 miles or so to Desplanque Farm and the cemetery. The track off the main road is worse than ever. Bumpy and not suitable for most cars. The Corsa coped okay. At least it was dry. Desplanque Farm Charles is one of four graves in Row D alongside the standard cross. Already there was a cross from a school and a laminated sheet of remembrance left last year by my brother, Neill. Family Remembrance  It's a little muddied and tatty but still readable. I put our cross on the front of the headstone. The headstone and poppy cross It's a very sobering place and time for reflection. Cross of Sa...

We were up reasonably early to make sure that Reggie was watered both ends and had his breakfast. The special food he has from the vet to try and cure his bad belly is not to this liking. He eventually ate it at about 4pm. The "plan", such as it was, was to head along the coast towards Veurne in Belgium before turning down to Armentières. I set TomTom to avoid motorways and we set off along the back roads before joining the old N1, now designated D940,  near Fort Mardyke. Not all that scenic so far. Ignoring the instructions we headed into Dunkerque and parked near the old harbour. The three of us walked to a caf é  for coffee, dogs allowed inside. On the way we passed a succession of historic ships in the harbour. Tug The former light ship that guarded the sands in the channel. Duchesse Anne The "Duchesse Anne" is a German 3-masted sail-training ship and given to France after WW2 as reparations for war damage, and rescu...

Not really jour un but après-midi un. Claire got off work a little early and we set off for the Tunnel. There was hardly anyone checking in and the parking was almost empty. But the train before our scheduled departure was full. I bet! It gave us time to get a coffee and take Reggie to the dog exercise area. We had about 25 minutes there and he had a ball to chase.  Pet exercise area Pet exercise area The plastic grass makes accidents (poops) easier to clean up. Reggie abstained. Once underway he settled down and seemed unaware that he was on a train at all! Some 50 minutes later Tomtom delivered us to the Hotel Campanile. Not bad. Fenced and locked car-park in a residential area. Reggie stayed in the room and we went and had dinner and a beer. Reggie settles in There are quite a few British cars here plus a couple of Harley's plus other European visitors. The hour difference between GMT and CET means we have lost an hour, but w...