Tuesday 13th June (Day 50)
Well last night was the first night in our trip where we didn't sleep in the MH. Ashley had to go to London until Friday for business so we came into our own as we slept in the room with Chloé. She woke up four times according to Chris but once for me! A good day followed with a slow start once all were awake. We decided to go to the local pool and had a great day splashing and bobbing around. We had a pic-nic there and then in the early afternoon returned home. The weather was really hot but the car was in the shade at their house so during the afternoon we cleaned the inside of the car, a much needed task. We also played in the play house where the temperature must have been 10 degrees or more than the 25 degrees outside. The evening comprised of settling an excited Chloe, which took a long time and feeding Olivia before a curry dinner. This is likely to be a fairly repetitive, low key, diary for the next few days - but great for Granny Cumbers
Wednesday 14th June (Day 51)
A disturbed night with Chloé waking every five minutes (or so it seemed says Chris). Each time she settled quickly but it did result in a broken night's sleep. Anyway today is 'Gymboree'. So 9.00am we were off to the local 'Gymboree' place. It is a cross between a playgroup and a gym, all soft floors, climbing bits and slides with a organiser to help things along. Jumping. balancing, ball work and playing. After this it was back to the house and Chris and I then went shopping locally for lunch and dinner. After lunch Chloé and Hayley went to a friends and we stayed doing jobs. One such job, for me, was to drive the Range Rover to a car repairers to have a new radiator fitted and cycle the four miles or so back. Meanwhile Chris did 'other' things, not sure what but she was busy. The evening saw a weather change as the sky darkened and thunder rolled around. Confident it would amount to nothing I continued with my jobs until the heavens opened and I had to run and close the sandpit up and the roof lights on the motorhome. By the time this was done I was a drowned rat. Dinner loomed and was consumed before an earlier than normal bed time for Chloé in the hope to regain some of yesterday's lost slumber. I am not sure any of us regained the lost sleep.
Thursday 15th June (Day 52)
A bit of a broken night but not too bad. Nothing 'on' today so a slow start for breakfast and so forth. During the morning Kate Davey and her son, Ben, arrived. He and Chloé played in the garden, in the pool and all the other stuff available. Hoses and sprays also featured a lot. Lunch was had and then Kate and Ben left. For the afternoon we had Chloé while Hayley and Olivia went to the hospital for a routing check up (all ok). In 30 degrees the pool was lovely. Hiding from the heat did take up quite a bit of the day also. Indeed it was so hot Chris burned herself on some children's crayons that had melted. The evening involved collecting the Range Rover from the garage repair man and dinner, before a bit of tv and then bed.
Friday 16th June (Day 53)
Well probably the worst night so far, not wholly Chloé's fault as around 5.00am she banged her head on the head board (she is a trainee break dancer in her sleep). This, understandably, woke her up and she was, for a while, inconsolable. This had a 'knock on effect' for the rest of the day as she was tired / fractious and loveable while difficult to please. The morning was play group and after lunch a trip to the supermarket followed by one of the many local parks. Then I was to collect Ashley from Geneva Airport. Not a simple task in the rush hour and made more difficult by the lack of organisation there, coupled with my lack of knowledge of where to pick Ash up. It took over 25 minutes and several texts / phone calls for us to meet up. Then a return (rush hour) journey on the motorway with his work colleagues, Andy and CJ, who flew in a short time after Ash. The unpacking of Ash's suitcase revealed lots of food plus a takeaway curry from 'Chillies' in Gidea Park - smashing.
Saturday 17th June (Day 54)
With Ash home we are back to sleeping in the motorhome so no Chloé to disturb us. Still we got a text at 7.15am to wake us. The message? "Awake and downstairs. Don't rush". So by 7.20am we were in with Ash, Chloé and Olivia. Later, after I cycled to the bakers (closed) "Oh yes it is Saturday they are closed" remembers Ash, then driving to the local Co-op for croissants. Suitably refreshed we went to one of the many local parks for the swings etc. Back for lunch and then some jobs to be done around the house - mainly fixing netting to ward off the mozzies, not that I saw any to concern me. The day finished with a great BBQ while watching England v Argentine (rugby what else).
Sunday 18th June (Day 55)
Another 'early' start - 7.40am saw us up and in with Ash, Chloé and Olivia. Then a long slow morning doing, well, nothing really. Around 11.00am Chris and I went to the Carrefour in Divonne (France) for some 'essential' shopping. A quick lunch and then, once Chloé woke from her sleep, off to Andy's house on the lake road. It is his youngest daughter, Amelie's, 8th birthday party. Only a select few were invited. It was because of this party we were considering moving on so as not to be interlopers but, with it being father's day and also being assured Andy would be glad for us to attend we decided to stay. We arrived about 3.00pm and it was a good afternoon. The pool was lovely, the children had a 'bouncy castle water slide' plus a trampoline and then a BBQ which was also great. Link this with good company and it rounded off a good time. We got back home about 7.30pm and Chloé went to bed. We watched a bit of the Lions rugby tour before retiring ourselves. Tomorrow is a 'must leave' day to get the ferry without any daft long days driving.
Monday 19th June (Day 56)
Well today is the start of the move home. We said our goodbye to Ash then Hayley, Chloé and Olivia. Ash off to work and the others to playgroup. Around 10.00am we were about to leave and a text was received asking us to go to the playgroup to help out. How could we refuse, despite a second tearful goodbye (from Nanny) In the offing? Playgroup was good fun but by 11.30am we were back home feeding Chloé and generally helping out. Eventually with goodbyes said again we were off- about 12.30pm. The drive then was good with no hold ups and the only stop was to get some food for lunch and dinner and have to eat lunch. However, Mrs Snooper kept shutting down for no apparent reason. Plan B (Mrs Garmin) who was always ready to take over but then I needed to be especially awake and alert as she did not know heavy, wide or high we are. We selected a stop at Thaon-Les-Vosges, France, by a canal. On the way there was a 'Route Barré. The diversion took us a few extra kilometres but also resulted in a stone chip on the windscreen; this may be fixable but probably not - a replacement is around £2500. As we approached the aire there was a bit of déja vu. Had we been here before, last year perhaps Not sure. But indeed as we entered the Aire we have definitely been here before. We parked up and it was still 38 degrees at 5.30pm. Hot Hot Hot. A drink followed by a walk around the town then a (very) late dinner. We then took a walk along the canal for about 45 minutes just to try and cool down (apparently it will be hotter tomorrow).
Tuesday 20th June (Day 57)
After a good night we were off on the next stage of the journey home. A good run through France and into Luxembourg. Here we 'had' to fill with diesel at 80p a litre and also did shopping for the evening meal. Parking was a problem but we managed to find space. On our return, however, we found we had prevented a tanker lorry from leaving and so caused a bit of a tailback. Undeterred, or embarrassed, we were off again. Lunch was had at a pleasant Aire by the motorway and while here we decided on our stop for the night. A place called Hamoir on the river Ourthe, near to Liege. Nearing to the stop I was getting tired (having mainly driven on motorway / dual carriageway so far). So we stopped and changed over drivers for the last 50 miles. The last bit was the best bit to drive (I was gutted). We arrived and parked up at a basic Aire but right by the river. A nice stopover. Temperatures were still around the 30 plus (4.30pm). A walk along the river followed which was lovely with some houses in them town that were so pretty with flowers etc. A return to the motorhome and a beer. While back at the motorhome we laid in the shade and dozed. Another river walk in the opposite direction followed before we returned and had lemon chicken and salad for dinner - it was still in the mid 20's around 9.00pm. Indeed Chris was so hot she had a cool shower to make herself feel better. Eventually things did cool down and bed was calling us.
Wednesday 21st June (Day 58)
The morning started with ..... sunshine and blue skies and the promise of another 'hot one'. Our journey was one of 200+ miles, more than we would normally contemplate. That said it was mainly motorway so an easy drive. Part way, around Brussels, we met a hold up which was just slow traffic where two three lane motorways joined into one. A minor delay. Being on a motorway did mean that bread shops were rare, nay non existent. So we had a really nice impromtu salad for lunch in a motorway service area. The bonus was LPG and around 30p a litre. Off again and we stopped at Cité Europe for some booze and meat shopping followed by diesel (£1 a litre). Our destination for tonight was Wissant; a car park. We parked up and went for a stroll to the beach - a great beach, wide and deep with good sand for children and a shallow sea which was lovely and warm. A bit of swimming was needed to cool down as it was still mid / high 20's although at the beach it felt a good 5 degrees lower. A walk back and chat to the neighbours, who were from Thetford. We had opted for a meal tonight to finish the trip and the neighbours, Colin and Chris, suggested going as a foursome. What followed was a most memorable evening with laughs and tales galore and mussels and chips that were both nice and huge in quantity. Back at the motorhome we chatted until 10.30am and then both retired to their motorhomes especially as the others had a (very) early Chunnel crossing. A great day with the unexpected meeting of the neighbours.
Thursday 22nd June (Day 59)
Well what a different start to the day. Grey, overcast and almost cold. Our neighbour's left around 7.00am very quietly, a bit later than they planned. We were up quite early and having got sorted left in good time for the ferry. We were in such good time we stopped and visited Cap Blanc-Nez (White nose) This, and Grey Nose a few kilometres further south, are high lifts jutting out into the Channel. This was a stratgic point in WWII. The Dover Patrol which kept the Channel 'safe' from the Germans have a memorial here. The Germans used it as a listening point for shipping using 7.5m dish (a bit like Jodrell Bank). They also had some guns positioned just behind the Cap. 20m long barrels weighting 160 tonnes each which could deliver a 1 tonne shell on the Kent coastline. It was very windy so after a short time we left and made our way to the port. Here we had the most thorough check of the motorhome we have ever had. All lockers opened, under the bed checked, shower and toilet, wardrobe. The soldier with rifle was courteous but thorough. All vehicles had the same - cars had to open their boot; van the rear doors. Eventually, we were on board and had nice smooth crossing before hitting the traffic that has become Britain. The 'English Welcome' was thunder, lightening and rain but by the time we got home all was well (as was the Dartford Crossing).
The trip was about 3,500 miles with a 30.5mpg average. So many high points and such variety; seaside, mountains, deserts it will be hard to beat but planning is now underway for September.