Remembrance Holiday, 3 November

Despite our late night, we were awake before 08:00, and it was not long before we discovered that I had forgotten to pack the Lady Grey tea I enjoy drinking at that time in the morning. Not that it mattered, for once. We also found, when getting breakfast, that I had forgotten to pack the pouring salt (as opposed to the grinding salt which I had packed). I wonder what the third thing will be.

After breakfast, I went over to Carrefour and did a bit of shopping, including the missing Lady Grey, and when I got back to the motor home, I found the Swan Whisperer dealing with an extraordinary infestation of fruit flies! We don't know where they came from, although someone in the flats had said they were infested but they were everywhere!

Once we had dealt with as many as possible, we set off  stopping at the Auchan in Grande Synthe for enough diesel to get us to Luxembourg and then on to our favourite Strépy-Thieux canal lift, where we had lunch. I got out to see whether there was a barge coming out of the lift, which there was, and then realised I'd left my phone behind when I saw a kestrel hovering!  I did get the phone and took a few photos of the lift going up again. 

While we were there, we realised that the fruit flies had congregated on the inside of the screen that shields the skylight, which was wide open (it was a lovely day), so the SW unscrewed it and all the flies went up out of the skylight!  We then opened the big window and encouraged the stragglers to go out that way, which seems to have done the trick. We took advantage of the screen's being down to give it a good brush - it needed it.

Belgian motorways, as I have frequently said, are often very congested, but they weren't today, and even the endless trees were quite attractive in their autumn dress. We have come to the town of Rochefort, and a campsite recommended by a friend. It was not expensive, and all included, so very nice. The Swan Whisperer has been for a walk, but it is dark now (the disadvantage of late autumn/winter trips) and we are set up for the evening with the blinds and curtains drawn and the heating on low. Cosy!