On the Road Again!

With it being Easter Sunday we had been unable to secure a day trip with Eurotunnel. We could have had a short stay trip for £94.50. Instead we decided to go with P&O for £34.50.  So to make it to Dover for the 8.25am meant getting up early. It's Sunday after all. So when the alarm went at 5.55am it was a struggle. I needed to be at Dover at least 60 minutes before sailing.   So I was away by 6.25am. The V-Strom starting first prod and we were away. It was foggy on the M20 and A20 but luckily the holdups over the holiday weekend had mostly gone. Getting through French passport controls took around 30 minutes. It would have helped had Dover Port have had some staff on duty to marshal the queues. It was chaos. I met up with fellow travellers in Team Meldrews' members, Phil on his R1250RT and my brother Neill on his K16. We were loaded quite quick, and first on. We retired to the lounge for the 90 minutes crossing. It was foggy until a couple of miles off the French coas...

Since the last update a few weeks ago we have a third Meldrews' member sign up and book the ferry.  It would seem that Vera is going to have to share the P&O Ferry with two huge BMW mile-munchers. In addition to Phil and his 1250RT, my brother Neill has signed up. He will be aboard "Ginny" the six-cylinder BMW.   I have made little or no progress with a lunch stop before we decamp for Vimy itself.  As it is Easter/Pâques Sunday, restaurants are hoping to be filled up with French families hogging down on whatever nosh they can. I had one say that they wouldn't accept groups. There were TWO of us! The plan is to head down the non-toll route to the huge French cemetery and ossuary at Notre-Dame de Lorette and then maybe have lunch at the attached cafe restaurant.  Then moving onto the memorial at Vimy in time for the traditional 3pm start. Every time I have attended apart from Vimy 100 has started late as the VIP's need time to finish their lunches before mak...

Hurrah!  I am not Billy No-mates for this trip.  I added it to the Meldrews' and the Old-SOCS Facebook pages to see if there was any interest. Canadian Memorial @ Vimy Ridge Old mate Phil, who came with me to Czech last year, has signed up to come along and booked his tickets for the same boat as me and also booked himself into a B&B he used last year to save the long ride back to Cheltenham! I have had a few knock-backs with places to have lunch replying to say they won't accept groups as it is  Pâques - Easter. We are hardly a group!  Unless in France TWO is a group!  At this rate it looks as though we will indeed be eating at the McDonalds' by Lens football stadium! So any more?

This year the Vimy Memorial is on Easter Sunday and that might be a problem for many riders. I have booked the P&O ferry to go out at 0825 from Dover returning around ten hours later. I have shared this with my club mates in the Meldrews' MCC. Whether anyone will join me is doubtful. It's Easter after all. The offer is there. https://vimyfoundation.ca/learn/vimy-ridge For previous Vimy Memorial Trips please click on the links at the bottom of the article.

After this year when my trip to Vimy was cancelled when P&O closed down operations, I am hoping that 2023 will be more successful.  I have the offer of a free crossing that I can take but not for the 2023 memorial! This year it will be Easter Sunday. I have posted it as an event on the Meldrews' FB page but I doubt there will be many takers. Nearer the time I will check out ferry or Eurotunnel fares.