Late Spring Holiday, 8 May 2026

Saint-Omer, Pas-de-Calais

We were horribly low on water this morning, so did not shower but made do with a "possible wash" in the basin (you know - you wash down as far as possible, then you wash up as far as possible, and then you wash possible). 

The Swan Whisperer went out to buy croissants and, incidentally, to look at the local cemetery in case it had a tap so we could get water - CCP still haven't fixed the services, and I gather they have been out of use for several days. Unlike them to be so inefficient, but they haven't even put a notice on them saying "En Panne", far less produced a bowser of water! I have emailed them to complain - not that it will do any good - and will write them a bad review when the time comes.

So after breakfast we drove up to the cemetery and filled our water tank. We didn't quite like to connect our hose to the cemetery tap, so the SW filled our 11-litre watering can several times. We think we have enough to do us, certainly for the morning and, hopefully, as far as Strasbourg on Sunday.

When we got back to the CCP, I went out to Lidl, which is only marginally further away than it is at home, and which doesn't observe public holidays (which today is, but in France). When I got back, the SW was busy mending the bedroom door, which broke again yesterday. We badly need a new latch for it, but he has made a sort of Heath Robinson arrangement with a spider clip. Then it was lunch-time, and after that we flopped on the bed for what was supposed to be half an hour, but the SW went sound asleep, and it was about 90 minutes later when I woke him to suggest we had a cup of tea before heading out for our walk.

We had a lovely walk along the canal for a bit, and then past the ruins of St Bertin's Abbey,

and then past the Church of Saint-Denis. 

 It said there was a fountain, but it was not an ornamental one, rather it was some kind of historic standpipe or something. The church, disappointingly, was locked. We walked back to the campsite past a Carrefour City, as the SW wanted milk and he doesn't like UHT stuff, but it was closed. So back to the WoMo - he went on a little further to look at the marshy area beyond, but I didn't join him. Then he nipped out for some more beer, as we only had a smallish bottle in the fridge, and now it is supper time. Photospam on Facebook. 

Late Spring Holiday, 7 May 2026

Saint-Omer, Pas-de-Calais

The Swan Whisperer had to get up at 05:30 this morning to open up the Youth Club to be a polling station. I had had every intention of getting up then, but I must have fallen asleep straight away, as it was 06:45 next time I looked at my clock! This meant, of course, that it was after 08:30 before we got away, and we didn't get to Sussex until nearly 11:00. 

We decided it wasn't worth filling up with water, as we would have services this evening, so only put a few litres in, to get us there. Spoiler alert: Big Mistake. 

We made good time to Folkestone, stopping at Clackett Lane services to eat our sandwiches, and were pleased to be offered a crossing at 16:16 rather than the 16:46 we had been booked on. I discovered I had forgotten to enter our API, and had a bit of trouble finding out how to do it, although the man in the customer services seemed to think it wasn't necessary (I don't think he was right. Plus he gave me some extremely dubious information about what to do next time. I do think customer service reps ought to know what they are talking about; they very often don't, though!). Anyway, I found the correct login in the end, and was able to enter the info before we went through passport control. 

We were well on time for our crossing, but they suddenly said the next crossing was at 16:46 and they apologised for the delay, which wasn't very nice of them. I do wish they wouldn't do that! I don't at all mind going on our booked crossing; I do mind when they muck us about. 

Anyway, once we got going, that was fine. We stopped at the Cité Europe for me to shop and the SW to get diesel, which was horrendously expensive. And then a smooth run to Saint-Omer. 

But the services have broken down! We tried and tried to get them to work, but they wouldn't, and when the SW rang up they told him there was a fault and "they were working on it", but couldn't tell him when they would be mended. So we have almost no water, and I have no idea where we can get some. And we have booked here for two nights; I assume they will refund me if we can't stay the second night! They would have need to! 

There is a cemetery up the road, and that may well have running water; they often do. Otherwise we'll have to buy water from the local Lidl, which is just round the corner. 

I had made a big vegetable stew for supper, which we had with rice and an egg poached in it, but it wasn't very nice.... 

We have, by and large, had better starts to our holiday!