Pacific Calais

We awoke to the noise of trucks and early morning deliveries..Took Lucy for walk and packed van ready to hit the road again..Start? Yes!!<br><br>Breakfast at the Happy Chef opposite the Marina in Dover was very welcomed, and to be recommended. We will be checking out Uncle Sam's next time we pass through. Now down to the Ferry port for check in..<br><br>Ooh la la......<br>

... br>The parade through Calais followed, with all the vehicles making as much noise as possible. The navigators were all frantically trying to work out where to go.<br>Unfortunately, we followed a group along the motorway, missing the correct exit. That was a mistake which we decided not to repeat again - we needed to have confidence in our own skills.<br><br>We ...

18th September<br><br>Staples 2 Naples &#8211; Day 1 &#8211; Calais to Sarnen.<br><br>Last night I was well fuelled up on continental 6% European blond beer! Real lethal stuff, it was served in 3 litre tubes, we had 3 of these between 4 of us!!<br><br>Not a good mix after just 1 hour sleep in 2 days! <br><br>After drinking this and signing up for the rally, with a few more beers, i was told we are heading for a ...

... to a strangled cat heard accross the campsite. Dave Shayler had gone for a shower only to find a token was needed for warm water and the camp office was shut. The screaming carried on until we were all showered - apparently it was refreshing!<br><br>The snoring started very shortly afterwards.

... 1 litre every 40 seconds and we took almost 50 litres. 30 minutes I had my finger presses to that damn "fill" button! So we are on this ferry, now heading back to Dover for reasons as yet unknown!! <br> <br> <br> - Injuries<br><br> It turns out we damaged an crew member on our departure so return to drop him off with A&amp;E!<br>On our way again, 45 mins late

... for about 20 Euros. The good news -- my eyes are fine. The bad news -- the car ain't ready. The place we thought was beautiful and charming has become our own personal hell. Because we're stuck here for another night. The verdict: Calais is amazing on day one. Breathtaking on day two. Completely hideous on days three and four. Quotes of the day: "I know what you're gonna ***** about, before you ***** about it." "Sar, you take dis chicken for roomspace?"

... stained glass windows in Europe, including a number of windows by Marc Chagall. Can you guess what I ate? - Quiche Lorraine (at a restaurant called Strapontin), then local sausages with a smooth fine texture, with lentils and mashed potatoes, then finished up with Mirabelle liqueur. Luxembourg Luxembourg is a tiny country with half a million population and is the only Grand Duchy in the worls, ie ruled by a Grand Duke. It's another one of these tiny, odd European countries ...

... a little aphrensive because this will be the first country I've ever visited where I can't read or speak the language. Paris looms before me. Dinner was alright. Ratatouii was ok and the chicken was good. Paris is a little overwhelming with all the signs and flashing lights. Granted, we are in the red light district, but there are alot of lights. The thing with the French language is that it sort of looks like Spanish to me so my French has a Mexican accent ...

We soon climbed out of the tunnel and raced towards the train's first stop at Lille. The land was flat, bathed in sunshine and looking decidedly and strangely 'foreign' !!!<br><br>We were served with a late lunch during this section of the ride. Well cooked and well served! Also with a nice glass of champagne!!! <br>