11 June 2014 (hot and sunny) 66km

Beautiful camping ground in which to pitch our tent, with pristinely clean facilities and a lush, flat surface……….and the neighbours from HELL !      We’d had a beautiful full moon lighting our way home from the pub last night, with the lights of Folkestone shining from the bottom of the hill and the lights from France visible across the channel.  Arrived back to a quiet campsite about 10.45am and by the time we’d been across to the toilets and brushed our teeth and snuggled into our sleeping bags it was 11.00pm.  Then our neighbours arrive back from wherever they’d been and although they are talking quietly, the guy had one of those voices that is just really loud and every word, every cough and every clearing of the throat just seems to reverberate through the still night air.  Eventually get to sleep but are woken at 3.46am when our neighbours begin talking………. Then she begins coughing as though she’s in the last stages of emphysema. Then…….on their way to the toilet block a few minutes later, they have the friggin nerve to hold a full volume conversation walking past the front of our tent.

Why don’t you shut the hell up I say……….  The old crow keeps hacking away, by now well into her death throes……….as they potter off to the loos.  No reduction in volume as the conversation continues coming back from the loos.

If you’re going to die…….. can you do it quietly I say……..

More conversation……….more hacking……….then nothing……..!

As I write this I’ve been awake since 5.30am as even in their sleep they can’t be quiet.  Now he is snoring his head off, fully audible from our tent about ten metres away.  Even the birds have had enough of the racket as a wood pigeon did it’s best to stop him snoring by flapping its wings incessantly outside their tent, but to no avail.   So I will have to take things into my own hands……..

After firing up my Stihl  chainshaw and ripping through the snoring, hacking, inconsiderate couple next door, with shouts of “oh yes its fine for you to go back to sleep ….. now that you’ve woken everyone else up” as I slung the machine one way, then sliced it the next……….We had some breakfast and made our way to Dover, to see if we were able to get on one of the eleven passages to Dunkirk each day.

Had a great ride to Dover on a traffic free cycle lane that wound its way over the North Downs (l’ll never get why the English call the top of a hill a Down) passing many old bunkers from the World Wars that are now well utilised by rabbits.  

It was a stunning morning with not a cloud in the sky, a very pleasant warm temperature with a slight breeze blowing.  The white cliffs looked spectacular in the morning sun and as we made our way into Dover, the castle on the hill overlooking it appeared in all its glory. 

 The cycle route brought us right out onto the seafront and we had a lovely ride along to the ferry terminal where we purchased tickets for the midday sailing to Dunkirk.  Got to cycle onto the ferry which is something you don’t do every day, right down to the front where there were bike racks and ropes provided for us to tie our trusty steeds to before heading upstairs for a coffee and a sausage roll. 

The internet connection was a bit hit and miss onboard so we had to content ourselves with blog writing and wages preparation.

Ordered two lager shandies and got two straight lagers. Bought a ham, cheese and tomato baguette (made fresh daily) said the blurb, only it was rock hard and with no ham and to cap it off it cost £5.

One thing they got absolutely correct was the 2pm arrival time. At 2pm on the dot we pulled into Dunkirk. Now I know the allied forces fought the Germans on the beaches, but ones first impression of the place nowadays is they should have left it to the “Krauts”.

It is miles upon miles of docks and oil refineries and huge smelly industrial plants.

We had taken down directions, but the only signposts were for dock signs so it was nigh on impossible to tell if we were heading the right way. We knew we had to keep the sea on our left and we’d be right………. 

a beautiful ride along the sea wall which was just as well seeing as we had to do it twice!

Rode for 8km down a sea road, which was spectacular, only to discover that today it wasn’t possible to get out that way………. So we turned around and cycled all the way back…..!

It was about now that we decided it was a good time to practice my French so we stopped a cyclist, who was also riding to the end of sea wall road, (except he knew he would have to turn and come back), who told us where to go.  To make absolutely certain, we also asked a motorist who confirmed what the cyclist told us and also drew us a map which was very helpful.  He thanked us for trying to use French to communicate as well.  

Dunkirk down by the marina

So it was that we began our trek into Dunkirk city centre, and very pleasant it was as well.  Totally flat, usually a smooth road surface or cycle path and a tailwind and sunshine. However, the scenery left a lot be desired.  Still, can’t have everything.  Found our way into the outskirts of Dunkirk and asked another cyclist if there was a bank handy and it turns out we were only 100 metres away from an ATM machine which was just round the next corner.  We tried out our cash passport card which worked fine and gave us the requested funds no problem and then we ventured further towards the city centre.  Have to say, even at this early stage we are both very impressed with the French cycleways and the courtesy of the drivers. 

In central Dunkirk we found a big shopping complex and felt a little nervous leaving the bikes outside but locked them together and took our valuables inside with us and hoped for the best.  Luckily for us, we found a McDonalds just inside and ordered a couple of frappes and then sat where we could see our bikes while we caught up on messages and checked our directions as we had great internet access here.  Might have to frequent McDonalds more often.  Never thought we’d say that as personal trainers.  Pete commented on how well dressed the French women were, very stylish.  A little further down the road we called into a supermarket but this time Pete stayed outside with the bikes while I went in and got the supplies we needed for dinner and breakfast.  Then we cycled on a lovely cycle lane alongside a marina, through a few backstreets and onto the promenade.  Initially there were lots of cafes (well frequented, but by now it was about 6pm) and a few old looking amusements and hotels and old apartments.  The tide was out and it was about 300 metres to the water and there were plenty of people out and about on such a lovely evening, even a few in the water.  We cycled along this promenade for about an hour before finding a relatively quiet bench to set up our gas stove and cook up some beanfeast with rice for dinner.  Followed that with blackberries and yoghurt and an apricot before washing the dishes, packing up and going in search of a campground.  Asked a few people for directions and found one but it was just a static caravan site with no apparent tent sites available.  The site office was closed so there was nobody to ask.  Decided it looked a bit neglected anyway and thought we’d push on for the next campground.  So we rode along flat, quiet roads to Zuydcooke where we found what appeared to be another static caravan site.  However, it was by now 9pm and getting cold so seeing as they had the nerve to put a picture of a tent on their camping sign, we decided we could set up tent, even though the office was closed and there were no other tents on the site that we could see.

Took a tour round the site to check out our options and asked one of the few inhabitants if he thought it would be alright if we pitched our tent on a grassy spot opposite his caravan.  He said that should be fine and was the first fellow we met today who could speak some English.  He also asked us if we would like a cup of tea but we kindly declined and got busy putting up the tent and then climbed inside, made a coffee and wrote up our blog thereby closing the chapter on our first day in Europe.