Day 15 - Reims (F) to Calais (F)

Saturday 3rd June
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Woke-up with bad guts, didn't have to break the Immodium tablets out, but obviously that beer had it's effect. In any case, I was back on the road by 09:30. I realise, being in rural France where nobody speaks much English, that my French is pretty terrible. I can ask for most things but people struggle to understand me and when they do respond in French I can't understand anything they say - especially numbers.... and they have so many different words for bread. In a bakery I spotted a small baguette thing that I fancied - so I asked for a small baguette. The lady started pulling-out all these full size ones and I said again, no I want one of those small ones. It has some other wierd name and only once I repeated that word she knew what I wanted....

On the road I fancied a coffee and saw a decent place to pull over and enjoy a coffee outside. Saw a sign saying Petit-Dejuner (spelt wrong I know) €5.  Sounded good but when I asked what the breakfast was, I understood nothing. In any case €5 got me a coffee, an orange juice and some buttered mini-baguette thing (which isn't a baguette I now know).

The road quickly turned into dual carriageways and by 15:30 I rode past the ferry terminal in Calais. Thought of just getting an early boat home but why not have one last night in France seeing as the sun had come out after an overcast day. Popped into a supermarket, bought some bread, wine and Blueberries as I haven't had fruit in a while and will probably get scurvy.

The campsite is in a really pretty area. I have been through Calais at least 50 times and it always looked crap. 20 minutes off the motorway and everything is so nice that it's hard to believe that you're only 30 miles from Blighty. Campsite is very tidy and organised. Full of British caravaners - probably as far as many of them will venture into the continent. Still the grounds are nice with tennis courts and a swimming pool, bar and restaurant - so it's not a bad choice. Followed the very pretty receptionist in her golf buggy to my allocated pitch and here I am, my final night on foreign soil.

All my clothes stink but I can't be asked to do any washing as I can smell home and no doubt home and the other campers can smell me. Went for a swim in the little pool and even went down the slide. Ate all of my remaining rations Smash, Mug-Shots, etc. Feeling very full but the cheap-wine tastes good.

Tomorrow I will try to explore the area a little more before getting a ferry home. Missing family, but wish they were with me and we could spend another couple of weeks together exploring the continent. Looking forward to retirement, a camper-van and more long excursions with the family.

Mileage: 3931
Country count: 14 (GB, F, D, A, SLO, HR, BiH, MNE, AL, MK, RKS, SRB, FL, CH)
Beers: 42 + 0.5l of red + Blueberry Schnapps + 3 Raki + 4 Pokojnice shots + 1 bottle of Croatian home-made white + 1 bottle of cheap French white.
Fines: 0
Bribes: 0 (but 1 passport switching scam)
Ass pain: 2/10
Mechanical issues: 1 (headlight bulb & fuse)
Accidents: 1 (witnessed) + 1 guy reversing into me + 1 crash in Kosovo petrol station
Coldness: 1/10

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