On the road again...

 

So we were only just back home when we had to pack again for our Scottish/Irish trip. We headed up to Calais yesterday on what proved to be an eventful trip. Part of the trip consisted of lines of traffic cones reducing two lanes to one for no apparent reason which always puzzles me though I'm sure they have a plan! Another section had one side of the dual carriageway closed and cones in the centre of our side to allow traffic to flow each way. We had the joy of one cone being knocked by a lorry and pushed in front of us clattering the front of the car. I managed an almost full emergency stop with no car behind me and the cone bounced of the road.

Just after Rouen, Pauline needed a 'comfort break' so we decided to stop at the first service station we came across. Unfortunately it was closed for building work so we had to hope we would make it to the next one but that proved too far away so we decided to slip off at the first town we came across to find a suitable venue. We eventually found a supermarket but Pauline had to negotiate 'jobsworths' to leave without having made a purchase. The delay cost us quite a bit of time as just as we were about to slip back onto the motorway we were stopped by police motor cyclists to allow the passing of not one but three giant wind turbine blades! 

As it happens it didn't cause us a problem as Pauline, as ever had us leaving early in case of any mishaps such that we arrived at the port two hours early! We were early enough to perhaps catch the earlier ferry but first of all we had to get through the only passport control gate that was open. After this which took around half an hour we were pulled over by customs police who had us opening all the doors in our car and had a poke around the contents. Then it was through the British side where we were again stopped and searched. Had they heard about our smuggling racket? This time it was a little more thorough with me having to take a large suitcase that was squeezed in the boot out of the car and opening to show how well it was packed.

Even with these hold ups we made the earlier ferry with just 10 minutes to spare and had a fairly smooth crossing.

As soon as we hit the M20 the heavens opened as if to welcome us to England but fortunately by the time we reached our hotel in Folkstone the skies had cleared.