This involves a car journey to Chalais near Angouleme and a m cycle. This route involves overnight camping. For this adventure I will be driving to a small town in central France called Chalais and then cycling around miles down to Lourdes.
After double checking the house is locked then checking again because we all forgot things inside, we hitch up and off we go. Out first major challenge is Birdlip Hill. This is the hill which separates Gloucestershire from the east of England and the main route is a steep climb. The hours dragged past and the night drew in, arriving at out overnight stop at Newhaven. Dad slept in the caravan to keep it safe, and mum and I slummed it in the Premiere Innβ¦.
After a few hours of broken sleep, we rose at 5. As usual we arrived before the port had opened with me longingly looking at the Mcdonalds down the road. After parking in the wrong lane at the port and then mistakenly driving past the ship to board, dad managed to steer us into the right place. I pegged it upstairs and bagged us a great window seat by the buffet and managed to scrounge some traditional French cuisine! The beautiful blue sea was calm as we made the four hour crossing from Newhaven to Dieppe.
Having slept poorly in the Premiere inn, I went to our cabin to get some quick shut eye before our long drive through France. All was well until Jack started up. Little Jack in the cabin next door cried his lungs out at having his nappy changed.
To placate him, his parents decided to teach him colours. After half an hour I went back on deck and snoozed. The waters were calm as we sailed the brine and before long we docked in Dieppe and after a Sat nav malfunction, where we were led through the narrow streets of the town centre, we picked up the motorway and began our monotonous journey. After a restful nights sleep accompanied only by the buzzes of mosquitos, we breakfasted and finished setting up the caravan; putting out the awnings, connecting the electricity, cleaning the bog etc.
