We sat and enjoyed the bright sun first thing in the morning whilst having breakfast overlooking the players on the golf club whilst watching the dark clouds slowly coming in our or direction. We packed the car just as the rain started to fall, initially quite light and then bucket full’s as we left the Hotel car park in the direction of Hoek of Holland where we are to connect with the Stena Lines ferry to Harwich.
The journey took about 90 minutes using the motorways and when we arrived it was still raining but soon after we arrived they opened the check in after a delay on our part of the queue caused by three people in a grey Merc it must have taken at least ten minutes to sort them out whilst every body else was whizzing thro and we could not move. Then on to a car park where waited to board and we had to go the Dutch Immigration which is separated and marked EU and NON EU and blow me down we ended up behind the grey Mercedes that delayed us earlier and again we had to wait a long time before I could reverse and try another booth. Clearly this was not going to be our day and subsequently proved correct.
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After a short while we boarded and went to the cabin which I must say was a darn site superior to the Brittany ferries version and very comfortable and better bathrooms with a proper shower door rather than the bit of plastic sheeting which seems to cling to you whilst showering. We then for a brief walk around the ship and fond the main restaurant which had just opened and enjoyed a very good lunch indeed. We retreated to the cabin for the rest of the seven hour journey and about 45 minutes before the ship was due to arrive we vacated the cabin and went to a seating area for a cuppa and wait to be able to disembark.
The ship arrived a few minutes late and the order they unloaded the cars meant that we would have to wait and finally were were in the last fifty odd car to disembark and that's when UK immigration showed their worst. With over perhaps 150 cars on board they had three kiosks open and no difference between EU and Non Eu and no matter what we did after moving lanes were actually the last ones to leave the dock, was I pissssed off.
We left the docks and surprised that the major A12 had not overhead lighting for many miles and then we came across what appears to be a vehicle fire on the opposite carriageway which delayed many people getting to the ferry we had just left and then again about ten miles further on a motorcycle was lying in the road with police cars in attendance. WE stopped at a service station only to find it was an off road , around this roundabout and then that roundabout via McDonalds so that we could have a loo break.
We finally arrived home at about 11.20 and had a nice cuppa then watched a documentary on HM the Queen we had not seen before then off to bed.
Well that's it for a while as no more travel planned although once we have the lounge new furniture fitted we may go to the caravan whilst we also have a certificate for a night in a very nice Hampshire hotel donated by the Jubilados group at Noels recent Birthday party
