Friday 1st May

The start of our Bulbfields tour today, and another early start! I am up at 03:30 and in Petersfield with the coach at 05:00.
All of the taxi's were on time at Petersfield, Liphook and Guildford and I am on my way 10 minutes ahead of schedule. You always want things to go this smoothly and do everything you can to make that happen but it just doesn't work that way normally. Today is great!
We even have time for a 15 minute break at Clackett Lane before reaching Dover and are the first in the queue to be loaded onto the ferry.
Our sailing is with Seafrance and the boat leaves bang on time at 09:30 and the coach is well positioned at the pointed end for a quick getaway!
We dock in Calais on time, which in itself is rather unusual, and are soon driving down the motorway towards Belgium and Holland.
Driving through Belgium on a Friday is normally very busy and I have to navigate the Antwerp ringroad which is somewhere you can lose a lot of time. Not today!
Two hours from Calais we stop at the newly refurbished service area this side of Antwerp for a very comfortable 45 minute break. I am glad of the break as it is very warm and sunny and the sun always seems to be shining into the front of the coach! I have even had to wear my hat today, something I don't often do.
Leaving the services we drive around Antwerp as if it is Christmas Day! No traffic. I wish it was always this easy!
Our planned ETA at the hotel is 17:00 and we arrive 10 minutes early.
Our hotel is the Radisson SAS close to Schphol Airport. And very nice it is too. The checking in was a little slow but we soon sorted everybody into their rooms.
The hotel is excellent with lovely rooms, a buffet dinner and coach parking. I can see the airplanes taking off and landing at Schiphol from my room.
Am very tired tonight so an early night is called for.

Goodnight

Jamie