Sunday, 24 September 2017

and finally...

...home again to Forges-l'Evêque.  Afficionados would find no news in a report of driving behaviour on the A86 and A15.   I find it pays just to identify the lane needed in good time, and to leave as much air as possible between the front bumper and the nearest rear one.  The Sologne is boring, and so is the Beauce.  But traffic was light, so I dispatched them and the ride round Paris in my shift (with a pause at an aire) before handing over to Martyn so I could enjoy the the pretty ride through the Vexin from the passenger seat.  We'd made good time, so decided independently and around the same moment (such things happen after so many years together!) to have our sandwiches at the Baie de Somme.  We drove round the deservedly popular Saint-Valéry, and stopped on the front at Le Crotoy for our picnic lunch on the steps looking across the sand to Saint-Valéry.  We managed to discourage a seagull from nicking our sandwiches, and we'd an amusing moment when a hungry chap came and asked us where we'd got them.  'Bourges, actually!' got a wry chuckle.

From there we went along to the bird reserve at the Marquenterre, but again not wishing to leave the car and its cargo of goodies unattended, didn't linger, rather marking it up for future reference.  The route thence to the tunnel exercised Dotty a bit, but she got us efficiently to the A16 a couple of stops up from where we'd left it earlier. The tunnel experience was as lovely as ever.  No offer of an early departure, and the one we were booked on was cancelled, yet again.  We have pretty well decided against long drives in future, so, for our shorter trips, we can try to choose quieter days and times of day.

Sainsburys opposite Hauptbahnhof Disgustedville provided the makings of two other simultaneous independent decisions: sausage, egg, chips, tea and toast, but also a distressing view of the local early evening life forms.  I was accosted by two beggars, and Martyn kept the doors locked while he waited in the car.

Said car has done us proud, and is tucked up in its garage, ready for unloading tomorrow (and quite possibly for several days to come).  It didn't protest in the slightest at being packed to the roof, burned creditably little diesel, and was ready with bags of performance when we wanted to burn our way clear of the various 4ssh013s we met on our way north who saw fit to accelerate while being overtaken.  (Supposedly Just Not Done in France.  Ha!)


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