Day one
The sun is out and the sky is blue. Excellent.
I had planned to catch a train at about 15:30 and then scoot to St Omer via the motorway. But, with no great delays at the QE2 crossing, nor down the M20 (despite the contra flow and 50 mph limit) I rolled into the Chunnel at 13:45 and was offered the 14:35 crossing, at no extra charge. Happy days.
Unsurprisingly, given that it’s August, the train was full. I spent the crossing In convivial bikermate chat with some Belgians, who were returning to Ghent, having spent a week hooning around north Wales:
Catching the earlier train, meant I was an hour ahead of myself, so I changed tack on arriving at Calais, taking the non-motorway route along the D roads to St Omer:
As everyone knows, the D roads south of Calais are crap, which is why they are empty:
After around an hour I was in St Omer, filling-up ahead of tomorrow’s decent schlep to the Hurtgen. From the fuel station, it’s a short hop to the Ibis Budget. I parked the bike, locked it up, saving a bit of time having checked-in in advance and pre-reserved a room at the back:
A swift change and shower and it’s a short walk up the hill (it’s not the Eiger) and a cut through past the splendid cathedral, to take up residence in the Queen Victoria pub, busy as usual:
More later, I hope.
The sun is out and the sky is blue. Excellent.
I had planned to catch a train at about 15:30 and then scoot to St Omer via the motorway. But, with no great delays at the QE2 crossing, nor down the M20 (despite the contra flow and 50 mph limit) I rolled into the Chunnel at 13:45 and was offered the 14:35 crossing, at no extra charge. Happy days.
Unsurprisingly, given that it’s August, the train was full. I spent the crossing In convivial bikermate chat with some Belgians, who were returning to Ghent, having spent a week hooning around north Wales:
Catching the earlier train, meant I was an hour ahead of myself, so I changed tack on arriving at Calais, taking the non-motorway route along the D roads to St Omer:
As everyone knows, the D roads south of Calais are crap, which is why they are empty:
After around an hour I was in St Omer, filling-up ahead of tomorrow’s decent schlep to the Hurtgen. From the fuel station, it’s a short hop to the Ibis Budget. I parked the bike, locked it up, saving a bit of time having checked-in in advance and pre-reserved a room at the back:
A swift change and shower and it’s a short walk up the hill (it’s not the Eiger) and a cut through past the splendid cathedral, to take up residence in the Queen Victoria pub, busy as usual:
More later, I hope.
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