The British Library

We managed to get in another trip before the end of the year!  Our friend J is on her annual visit from across the Pond, and we decided to meet her, and her hostess A, in the courtyard of the British Library today.

I have been to the British Library before - I was part of a panel of speakers there at an event a couple of years ago - but not often.  We went to the café there to buy lunch, which was a bit of a failure as the food was very, very expensive for what it was (industrially-produced sandwiches for nearly a fiver each, anybody?) and they sold their coffee in disposable cups, which meant I wasn't about to buy any.  AND most of my eye-wateringly expensive BLT fell out of its wrapper and landed on the floor when I opened it.  SIGH.  But hey, the company was good and we sat and chatted for a long time before deciding to visit the exhibition that had first drawn us there, which was the one called "Cats on the Page".   It was really rather glorious; lots of familiar friends, from My Cat Geoffrey to Mog, via Old Possum and some splendidly Victorian moralistic cats.  But no cat that walked by himself... I suppose they can't have everybody, but I did feel that was a particularly egregious omission.

Once we had looked round that, we thought we might want to go to the Anglo-Saxon exhibition, but we found you had to pay for that, unless you were a member, so we decided not to, but instead went into the permanent exhibition of the Treasure of the British Library, which I have been to before, but which you can spend hours and hours in.  The "Treasures" are eclectic, ranging from the Codex Sinaiticus to draft lyrics of Beatles songs, via Magna Carta, Jane Austen and P G Wodehouse! 

The Magna Carta has a room to itself - you see the copy of the charter itself (one of only a very few in existence) with a modernised transliteration on the opposite wall.  And there is a video that highlights the salient points of it.  An awful lot of it was very personal: "We will remove completely from their offices the kinsmen of Gerard de Athée, and in future they shall hold no offices in England. The people in question are ,. . .." with a list of names. Fascinating stuff, and I could - and might - spend a long time studying it!

But the highlight of the exhibition is the displays entitled "The Art of the Book", lots of lavishly-illustrated manuscripts, often of the Bible.  Many of the Bibles and prayer-books were commissioned by wealthy landowners, and sometimes the illustrations are of them and their family.  There was one lovely Nativity scene inside a letter "P" (starting Puer Nobis).

We eventually had to tear ourselves away as time was getting on and the Swan Whisperer needed to get to Figure Club.  J and A headed for Library shop, and we headed home.  A delightful afternoon, with brilliant company!

Christmas Markets, 22 December

Before we went to bed last night, we didn't turn on the heating, as we didn't really need it, and we were not sure how much gas we had left. It was amazing how much difference it made to the warmth of our bed when we got into it - the boiler is in the "garage" underneath the bed, and some of the heat does rise.  Dreadfully windy and wet overnight - "gales" is putting it mildly!  Awoke at 07:00 local time to find the storm had blown itself out, and, despite our misgivings, the gas did hold out for hot water for our showers and cooking our breakfast.

I dashed into Carrefour to get some cooking wine, which I had forgotten to do earlier, and then we headed into an incredibly busy terminal. Fortunately we didn't have to wait, and ended up on a train that left 20 minutes earlier than planned. And so home, and now - it's CHRISTMAS!

Thank you for following our travels in 2018; we are now going to hibernate for a couple of months while the worst of the winter passes, but maybe there will be short breaks or days out to report on. Meanwhile, I wish you and yours a very happy Christmas and all the best for 2019.

Christmas Markets, 21 Decenber

The weather broke overnight, and we were treated to a howling gale and pouring rain. This was not conducive to a good night's sleep! 

As the only thing planned for today was the long drive to Calais, we didn't hurry away, and it was about 10:30 mm we set off. We stopped in Suippes to get diesel and patisserie (the latter at the SW's request) and then at some random aire to have lunch. One of the aires on the A4 has motorhome services which we assume were working as they were advertised on the boards outside, which the ones at Toul were not, although you could see where they had been. We didn't need them, so didn't bother to stop.

We had one further stop en route for the SW to have coffee. I should have liked a cup of tea but he said he didn't know if he had enough hot water for his coffee so I left it and had one when we arrived at Coquelles.  En route, we listened to a podcast of the Messiah that the SW had downloaded before we came away. 

After tea, we did an enormous shop in Carrefour, stocking up on tea and coffee and so on, and some last-minute Christmas presents. Then, before supper, we drive round Calais to look at their Christmas lights that they do so well.

It is still very windy - I'm glad we go under the Channel, not on it!

Christmas Markets, 20 December

So that was the Christmas markets all visited and now we are on our way home. The first port of call was for diesel, which  is several cents  per litre cheaper in Germany than it is in France. We had thought to go to Edeka, but there didn't seem to be any parking (probably underground, so no good to us) and it was raining, but there was a Lidl so I popped in for one or two last bits. Then we set off on the long journey home.

Our first port of call was some random parking on the N4 for coffee, and then we stopped at Toul services where we had hoped to get water (the water at Kehl was out of use and we didn't have enough to get home) but it too was out of use, so we had lunch. Many services are put out of use in the winter to avoid frost damage, you can't blame them. However, we knew we could get water in Reims if all else failed, but the SW found a place called Les Ilettes which was said to have them all year. And we eventually found the water, and decided to spend the night here, although it is €7, but that does include electricity. Actually a very nice place and you can use the services without paying, if you've a mind to. It had been noted for future reference!

Christmas Markets, 19 December

Up in good time this morning, all ready for our trip into Strasbourg. The plan was to park in the park-n-ride by the station and get the tram into town. However, when we got there, we found to our disgust that they had closed the barriers so that vehicles over 2 metres high couldn't get in. We knew such barriers existed, but they had been left open in November.

So we drove sadly back to the aire, via a Rewe supermarket where we returned dead beer bottles and I bought some Nürnberg sausages and mixed mince, among other things.

But Kehl has had a revolution in public transport in the last five weeks, and one can not only get a tram into Strasbourg from downtown Kehl, but they have also expanded their bus network dramatically and we can now catch a bus to the tram terminus. So after plugging ourselves back into the on-site electricity, we duly did that, and headed into Strasbourg.

The main part of Strasbourg is on an island, and what they do is to close the whole island to traffic and let rip with the Christmas markets. Because of the recent atrocities, trams were not stopping on the island itself and bags were being checked at all entrances.

Once we got in, we found the Place Kléber, where they had made an impromptu memorial to the recent dead and wounded.

Before, it had been one of the main areas, but only charity stalls remained. We headed towards the cathedral, but got turned round and ended up just by the restaurant where we had had lunch with the Daughter last month, so we went in there (I'd asked if we could have lunch sitting down, as a rest and a chance to get comfortable) and had a delicious tarte flambée with mushrooms.

Then we headed back to the Cathedral, having got our bearings, and drank mulled wine, but I don't know what spice mix they had used, but it wasn't to my taste. So the SW drank most of mine!

We said goodbye to the Christmas markets and got the tram back to Kehl, but only as far as the station, as I wanted to walk through the main shopping drag, so we did that and then got a bus back to the aire. After a cup of tea, the SW headed back to see the illuminations (I'd had enough for one day!) and now he is back and getting supper. Duck breast with red cabbage and mashed potato, yum!

Christmas Markets, 18 December

Another lazy morning - well, the Swan Whisperer did go for a run, but that was about it - and it was 11:30 before we set off. Our first port of call was the big E Leclerc just across the Ill from the camp site; I did a fairly big shop and then made the SW come in with me as there was stuff I thought he might want to buy people for Christmas, which he duly did.   

I had a ghastly shock when I came out of the supermarket, though, as the bright sunshine that had been a feature of the day so far had quite disappeared and there was only freezing fog! Fortunately not too thick, and it, too, disappeared before too long. 

Originally we had thought we might be visiting three Christmas markets today, but when I looked at the web site, two of them were weekend-only affairs. Some people might have checked that earlier, no? However, we decided that the Alsatian Wine Route was still worth going up, and we stopped at the very pretty little town of Kaysersberg for lunch. I discovered that I'd rather overdone it yesterday so I rested while the SW explored both it and the Christmas Market in the neighbouring town of Riquewihr. This was a mistake, as he treated himself to a mulled apple juice and then didn't want a cup of tea, and I was longing for one, which I didn't get.

We decided to go on up the wine route towards Strasbourg and only came off it when it began to get dark. We are now in Kehl, after a rather hairy drive through freezing fog, and will spend two nights here to have a full day in Strasbourg tomorrow. I also want to do some shopping here, if I can. And I finally have my tea!

Christmas Markets, 17 December

The Swan Whisperer was underwhelmed by the Christmas jollies at the Ecomusée, largely, I think, because he didn't understand what was going on. Some kind of tableau, he said.  So he came back to the van and we ate liver and bacon, and had an early night. 

We had a long and lazy meting this morning, too, and did not move on until about noon. We asked the Sat-nav to take us to the centre of Mulhouse, not really expecting to find the Christmas markets there, but were delighted to find a parking space about 5 minutes walk away. So we walked down and had a great time exploring the market, and treating ourselves to some kind of cheesy potatoes with sausage for lunch, and I had mulled wine and the SW had mulled orange juice, which he said was delicious.

Then, very full, we walked back to the van - we were in a paying space but, as so often in France, it was free between 12 and 2 - and trades of to the next port of call, which was. Colmar. We had arranged to park in a camp site here, but Reception was closed "for ten minutes" - long enough for a queue of motor homes to build up behind us! When he did turn up, though, he was very efficient and told us where to get the bus and gave us a map of the various markets (there are 6), so once we had settled in and got water and had a cup of tea, we headed off into Colmar. 

We only did two of their markets, but did buy one or two Christmas oddments for various people, plus a mulled wine for himself and apple juice for me. And so back to the bus stop - we just missed one, but they are quite frequent at that time of night, and so back to the van to flake out for awhile before supper.

Christmas Markets, 16 December

It was bitterly cold when we went to bed. I curled up under my duvet, thankful for a backlit Kindle. But when I woke up after my first sleep, the temperature had gone up and I even shed my bed-jacket before snuggling down again. I also developed a sore throat, courtesy of the Swan Whisperer who had one last week., and then wondered why he felt unfit on his run this morning!

It was very foggy all morning, and I was glad enough to sit and doze in the front passenger seat while the Swan Whisperer drove. We stopped at a supermarket in Saint-Dizier for necessities, and then again for lunch in a layby somewhere - it had been snowing, and with the fog it was something of a white-out!

But when we came through the Tunnel de Dié, it was like entering a different world. Still bits of snow, but no more fog and the sun even came out for a bit! No colours, though - the world is in its winter hibernation.

En route we saw two cranes (the birds, not the building variety, duh!), an every and two herons. And more geese this morning.

We are parked up in the Ecomusée motor home park, and the SW has gone in to enjoy the Christmas Market there, but I don't feel well enough and am flopped in bed. This isn't one I really mind missing, and we can't go in tomorrow as it will be closed.

Christmas Markets, 15 December

Today is the Swan Whisperer's 68th birthday. I gave him a Bluetooth earpiece so he can listen to music or podcasts while he is washing up and so on, plus more comfortable to listen in bed.  He had a nice shirt from the Daughter, which he promptly wore, and cards from my parents and sister, me, and the Daughter's family - Boy Two's very new signature rather dominating everybody else's!

It was bitterly cold but we had both pretty much slept the clock round, and didn't stir until past 08:30 (mind you, that's only 07:30, UK time). We were in no rush, though. The A16 was blocked - probably demonstrators, but it might  have been an accident - but the Sat-nav cleverly knew that and took us across country as far as St-Omer before joining the motorway. We stopped for lunch in a service area not far from Rheims, and again after the gare du péage a few miles later to tell it to take us on non toll roads for the rest of the day. As we came off, we saw one of the gares du péage surrounded by demonstrators in yellow jackets and were very glad we were going another way. We did pass one more demo, but very quiet, just someone burning palettes on the central reservation. And at one stage there was a new road which the poor Sat-nav didn't know about, which gave it a conniption fit!

We drove on and arrived here, outside a sailing club at Ste-Marie-du-Lac-Nuisement just before dark. We closed up the habitation to keep in residual warmth and then went out for a brisk walk round the club to get the blood flowing and shake the kinks out of our legs, enjoying watching endless Vs of wild geese flying overhead, and then back to the van for a cup of tea and toasted hot cross bun (yes, I know, wrong festival, but I do love them).  The SW, whose hearing is better than mine, says he can still hear the geese, but I can't. 

It's supposed to snow later, but then the temperature will rise quite dramatically, so I hope we won't be quite so cold tomorrow, which is another "driving day"

Christmas Markets, 14 December

Tomorrow is the Swan Whisperer's birthday, and he suggested that, for our last trip of the year, we visit some Christmas markets in France.

Normally we would have crossed rather later, but it is a busy time of year and the only evening crossing we could get was too early to make grandparent duty feasible, so we rearranged that, and the Swan Whisperer decided he could miss Figure Club for once, and we booked a crossing on the 16:20, the first one that doesn't attract a peak-time supplement.

When we got to Folkestone, we had half an hour to wait, so we were going to put the heating on and have a cup of tea, but a steward said we could go straight through, so we did. This was a mistake, as we didn't get on an earlier crossing and didn't quite like to put the gas on after the PTB had assured themselves it was off. And, of course, after having been so mild it is now very cold.  Oh well.

The crossing was uneventful, except for being 15 minutes late, but we used the time to finish unpacking and have some tea (we had a Thermos of boiling water), and arrived at Cité Europe shortly after 6.  I did a big shop in Carrefour, getting food for the weekend, and the Swan Whisperer went  to Lidl to see if they had any mini sausages (they didn't), and then we came back to the van and are getting supper. An early night will, I think, be welcome.