Posted by Neil
Bikes stowed against a bulkhead - no straps required as the crossing was perfectly smooth.
Decent grub on board too - most opting for Fish and Chips, with a veggie lasagne for me.
The crossing was 1h 30m rather than the normal 1h 15m - presumably due to the fog.
Bikes stowed against a bulkhead - no straps required as the crossing was perfectly smooth.
Decent grub on board too - most opting for Fish and Chips, with a veggie lasagne for me.
The crossing was 1h 30m rather than the normal 1h 15m - presumably due to the fog.
The ride off the ferry was straightforward, but you have to push the bikes over the first "fingers" of the ramp as they're just polished steel with no grip whatsoever.
Stuart's excellent mapping and navigational prep paid off again in Calais as we headed towards the F1 Hotel at Coquelles, although it did seem to suprise Stuart that we were on the right road... The town centre of Calais is something most travellers avoid, but is probably worth a detour when you've got some time to fill before your ferry is due. The Hotel de Ville and Theatre are worthy of particular note.
We were enjoying the smooth French roads and the lack of traffic (once away from the immediate port area) and made great time completing the 8 or so miles to the recently refurbished F1 at Coquelles. Showers, clothes washed and then off to bed.
Neil says to let you know:
ReplyDelete(his phone wouldn't co-operate today for blogging)
They've now cleared 152 miles (yawn) and are now off to sleep in the cosy hotel in Abbeville (yahawn) after a meal in the restaurant nextdoor. So - not much sightseeing of Abbeville itself, only a distant view of the impressive Cathedral as they approached.
They had a rest stop at a tiny military cemetery (WW I era) by the roadside.
It's been pretty hilly today & another large hill to climb tomorrow, but the weather forecast is cooler. 33 degrees today! (yawn)
...
snore...