This was a trip we had planned some weeks ago and fairly tight upon our return from the USA but Hey Ho, live the dream as they say!!
.We had booked for a Monday morning ferry but the weather prior to this time was getting worse and heavy snow was forecast to hit Kent on the Monday morning and so we packed our bags and left early and stayed the night at the Premier Inn at Dover, nice Hotel I must say, and then the following morning we caught the ferry over to Calais where we arrived at about 12.45. As we had a little time to spares we drive to a place called Guines which is about 10 miles from Calais and there is a very good overnight caravan site we had heard off and it certainly is in a good location and it looks like a nice site although there was some snow here and there. We picked up some sandwiches from Carrefour, and also some new kitchen pans, and then headed of to the coast to hopefully enjoy our sandwiches overlooking the sea in the sun. However by the time we got there the sun had disappeared and the fog had arrived along with sleet, nice. We therefore had a quick bite and then took a short cust to the motorway which we had to abandon due to snow getting thicker and as we were in the Supra with a poor turning circle we decided to go back and start again.
The trip to Montreuil Sur Mer was short and we arrived just after three pm and joined up with Roger and Sue for a walk along the ramparts of this old town and as time was getting on the 'beer time' was calling we stopped in for a couple on the way back to the Hotel. Prior to dinner R & S came to our room with a nice bottle of red and some beers which were quickly demolished and then to dinner. R & S have been to this Hotel several times in he past and the food certainly lived up to its reputation. Three bottles of excellent wine later we headed back to the room to test out some Calvados that Roger had brought along. A nice evening indeed even if the restaurant was a touch on the chilly side.
The following morning R & S headed off home and we took the Supra along the coast around f Le Touquet where we stopped for lunch. It was interesting to see several coastal towns which were completely devoid of people and closed due to them being summer only resorts and then we headed back via Etaples where we stopped to take some photos of the 2nd world war cemetery and to see so many white crosses makes you think alittle as the advantages of war. In the evening the restaurant was still quite empty but the surprise starter was 'snails' a somewhat interesting taste of two tons of garlic and four pounds of butter. This time we tried a nice bottle of Sancerre with our fish andagain it was a nice meal in very good surroundings and we would certainly return.
The next morning we left for Lille and going only by country roads, there was some snow in places but overall not bad at all. Where there had been a lot of snow the road gritter's had done a great job of removing it. We stopped at a Carrefour after visiting a restaurant we used to use to see if it was still there, and it was, but as we didn't have time for a l ong meal we didn't stop and made do with an omelette at Carrefour. Our Hotel in Lille was slightly out of town but there was a tram directly from to the main station in Lille and it took 15 minutes and very convenient location indeed. We stopped in the Christmas market for some hot red wine and then continued walking around for a couple of hours and then had dinner in an Italian Restaurant and then back to the Hotel.
The following morning we did some shopping in yet another Carrefour where Noel topped his wine supply fro Christmas and then back to Calais Port where we boarded a Ferry at 1400 hrs which was very wise to go earlier than expected as the roads M20 and M25 were a nightmare with virtually no snow cleared and hardly any 'gritters' and cars all over the place and accidents galore. Luckily we got home without a scrape almost three hours later and when you consider it only take one hour and 20 minutes to get there you can see what I mean. This was a nice little break and something we will do more often.
