23 February 2023

Early spring holiday, 23 February 2023

Merlimont, France. 

So we are off on our travels again. It has been a very mixed day. We got up early and were away just after 09:00, heading down to Sussex to pick up the WoMo. But we discovered that the M25 was closed, which was going to add significantly to the length of the journey from Sussex to Folkestone. My mother and sister are away, or I'd have booked us a later crossing! 

We decided to drive straight up to where the WoMo lives when not in use, and where we leave the car. And that is where we hit the first, very minor, snag of the day - my brother had changed the padlock on the gate! However, a quick call to him solved that one, and we threw (not quite literally, but not far off) everything into the WoMo. After a quick call into No 6 to change keys and put in a little water - not too much, as we can get more in the morning - we were away by noon. 

And, just as we were about to leave the M3 and go cross-country - quite literally, we were on the roundabout on the slip road - the M25 not only reopened, but told the Satnav it had. So we were able to go the usual way, and arrived at Folkestone at 14:00 to catch the 15:20. But although we went through the second we were called, Eurotunnel had not allowed enough time, and by the time we reached the boarding-area, we had missed the 15:20 and the next one wasn't for another hour! We were very unimpressed, and I have contacted Eurotunnel and asked for compensation (which I doubt I'll get, but hey!). 

So we naughtily turned the gas on again and got ourselves a much-wanted cup of tea. We did turn the gas off again before we boarded the Shuttle, I hasten to add. And these delays had meant we had had time to eat lunch and put everything away. 

However, by the time we crossed at last, we were tired, and decided not to stop at Cité Europe, as we had originally intended, but to drive straight down to the Camping-Car park at Merlimont, where I had booked for us to spend the night. Just as well, as it is full! We have, however, managed to get a space with electricity and are lovely and comfortable.

I have invested in a VPN, and hoped that by doing so, we would be able to watch television in the evenings. I am delighted to say that, after an awful lot of fiddling about, we have made the Chromecast work with my tablet, using my hot-spot, and we are now watching a documentary about Queen Victoria! I was beginning to regret having bought a television, but now with a VPN and a Chromecast, we can watch stuff, which will make all the difference in the evenings. 

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