What an interesting holiday. My last two holiday articles described how I thought the trip would go. Here’s what actually happened.
I lost the car key. Unbelievable, but as my booking on the P&O ferry to Calais was not finalized, I had options. Read on for the low-down on Day 1.
Found the key. Thank God. I made a booking at 1800 yesterday with Transmanche (the French, publicly-owned ferry company). It cost me £122.00 return, Newhaven to Dieppe. I’ll admit that it was double what I’d have paid to get to Calais, but I might not have made it: Operation Stack turned the M20 into a car park.
I ran around the house collecting belongings, and got on the road at 2015 to arrive at Newhaven at about 2145. Very quick around the M25. I was early for boarding. Talk about an instant holiday: bear in mind I’d booked only about 4 hours before…
The crossing was fine. Tried to sleep, but ended up chatting to an itinerant Greek called Petrus. He wouldn’t let me take his picture, though. At 0400 French time, the ferry birthed. I drove Petrus into Dieppe, where I left him. He was looking for a bus or taxi to Paris. I wished him luck. He may still be pacing around Dieppe. The place was completely dead.
I then drove for about 2h45 to a village outside Chartres. Parked in a quiet spot in the country and fell asleep. I was woken by an old man urinating noisily against the nearby wall. Within minutes, a funeral crowd and procession turned up and the place was very lively. I was caught with my trousers off in my sleeping bag. Madness. I had to wait for them all to go into the graveyard before I could get out of the sleeping bag. Didn’t want to cause a scene on such a tragic occasion…
I spent the time talking to a nice Indian girl with a fake midlands accent (nearly typed “accident”). I was calling Orange to arrange a discount on my calls from France. I ended paying £15 for 10 measly MB of data (using it sparingly now), an hour of calls out and an hour of calls in. Horrendously expensive. She reviewed my current plan and remarked with my amazing 7-8 year loyalty to Orange, she had _never_ seen such a discounted package. She promptly discounted it again by another £5/month. I now pay less than a texting teeny-bopper for all my (around 1600 mins a month) calls. She also put me on a better data plan, saving me yet more money. She asked me to give her a good review, which I will do when that text comes over. I’m still going to push for more deals at the end of the month, though!
So, at around 1030, I set of for Chartres. I’m aiming to spend as little on accommodation, food and parking as possible. I bought bread, orange juice and a cake for breakfast from a small suburb. I then phone-googled the public swimming pool, and had a good swim and… a great shower and shave! All for 1€ parking and 1€30 to swim! I don’t think I’m going to stay in a hotel the whole trip!
I spent the afternoon wandering around Chartre, drinking coffee and reading old Linux User magazines. The sun has been great. Now I’m sitting in the car, in the rain, blogging and planning the evening. I think I will go to Double-Six, A night club a short walk away from where I’m parked. I hope to sleep in the car again tonight (I don’t think the police will notice me: most people don’t sleep in MPVs with the seats taken out!) In the morning, I will go for another swim, shower and shave, then drive down to Poitiers, unless Clare e-mails me a better plan as she has suggested she might. I might eat dinner out tonight.
Love to all!