Thursday... Another 'interesting night', I'd got my self settled in the tent and just drifting off to sleep when I heard someone shouting, but not terribly loudly, 'Hallo, Hallo, is anybody there?' after what seemed like 10 minutes of this and no one replying thought I'd best see what the problem, though not near my tent... could not find shorts or glasses, so wandered off in pants and t-shirt 
Turns out it was a Dutch couple who must have been in their 70's or older had got themselves locked out of the site and did not have the key code to get in - very grateful. Hilariously I saw them the following morning when I was leaving, they didn't recognise me at first with cloths on 
Anyway, whilst having breakfast I could feel a change in the air, so packed as quickly as I could and set off, within a few minutes of starting a drizzle started and continued for a couple of hours, it was hardly rain, more mizzle, but enough to soak my ancient tw@t jacket through - good for airflow, hopeless in the wet. A quick visit to Chateau Rambures on the way to Dieppe and some lovely forested twisty roads in the hills south west of Dieppe plus more photos of lovely old farm cottages, a stop for coffee and a baguette (also a Creme Brûlée) and I was in Dieppe. Had a potter around the town and out to the prom to watch the waves, lots of white horses, the crossing was going to be a bumpy one.
None of the new biometric stuff at the check in, thought they do have separate questions for EU and non EU passport holders, but in the end didn't seem to make any difference. I managed to attract two nutters whilst waiting,
first a bloke who droned on about how many bikes he had and wasn't coming back to France without his bikes, then another who arrived wearing shorts and Ronald McDonald boots who went on about how much he'd earned, as well as how many bikes he had and opinions on everything he felt he needed to share... hopefully no one here
A choppy ride over, I did wonder whether we'd make it across, as it took ages to get us onto the boat, then the bow doors were closed and opened again three times before we set off. Getting off at Newhaven also took an age with bikes the last off, but amazing watching the hydraulic ramps with HGVs on dropping to allow them to exit, a working weight of 105 tonnes, that's some major machinery. Nothing else to report, made it home on Friday... ready to go again
Turns out it was a Dutch couple who must have been in their 70's or older had got themselves locked out of the site and did not have the key code to get in - very grateful. Hilariously I saw them the following morning when I was leaving, they didn't recognise me at first with cloths on Anyway, whilst having breakfast I could feel a change in the air, so packed as quickly as I could and set off, within a few minutes of starting a drizzle started and continued for a couple of hours, it was hardly rain, more mizzle, but enough to soak my ancient tw@t jacket through - good for airflow, hopeless in the wet. A quick visit to Chateau Rambures on the way to Dieppe and some lovely forested twisty roads in the hills south west of Dieppe plus more photos of lovely old farm cottages, a stop for coffee and a baguette (also a Creme Brûlée) and I was in Dieppe. Had a potter around the town and out to the prom to watch the waves, lots of white horses, the crossing was going to be a bumpy one.
None of the new biometric stuff at the check in, thought they do have separate questions for EU and non EU passport holders, but in the end didn't seem to make any difference. I managed to attract two nutters whilst waiting,
first a bloke who droned on about how many bikes he had and wasn't coming back to France without his bikes, then another who arrived wearing shorts and Ronald McDonald boots who went on about how much he'd earned, as well as how many bikes he had and opinions on everything he felt he needed to share... hopefully no one here A choppy ride over, I did wonder whether we'd make it across, as it took ages to get us onto the boat, then the bow doors were closed and opened again three times before we set off. Getting off at Newhaven also took an age with bikes the last off, but amazing watching the hydraulic ramps with HGVs on dropping to allow them to exit, a working weight of 105 tonnes, that's some major machinery. Nothing else to report, made it home on Friday... ready to go again
