We are away by 07:30 and at the slopes by 08:05. Today they are ski-ing in Flachau and all their shoes have been collected in black bags to be left in the ski hire shop.
Once unloaded we are away for our 10 hour break before the drive home later.
We once again stop at the services and the water is now unfrozen. Brian connects our hose to the water but the water cannot get into our tanks as they are frozen as well as our pipes and hoses.
We are now concerned that we will not be able to use the toilet or make drinks until everything thaws. This could be a problem especially the loo.
Back at the hotel it is very sunny and David’s father in law says we can wash the coach using water from a tap near their garage. It is a bit tight manoeuvring the coach to the tap but we manage it and it is all worthwhile when the all of the dirt and salt have been washed off.
Back in our parking space we position the coach so that the sun is on nearside where all of the toilet and drinks hoses, pumps etc are. We leave the locker up and hope the sun can thaw everything out.
As we are leaving at about 20:30 we are allowed to keep our rooms until 16:00 which will hopefully allow enough time for a couple of hours sleep before the long journey home.
At 16:00 I am clean and ready to go! We have packed our cases and it is now a question of waiting around for dinner and then the drive home.
The sun has done its job and we now have a functional toilet and hot drinks.
Dinner is at 18:00 and tonight it is chips and Weiner Schnitzel, lovely.
It is nearly none o’clock when we eventually leave with Brian taking the first leg. I do the second and when I stop, in Germany, we fill up with fuel. I go to pay and the cashier’s machine will not accept any of the four credit/debit cards that I carry. I am not impressed as it is the machine and not my cards. The lady behind the cash desk is also not impressed with me as I do not have enough cash to pay the €220. She points me at a cash machine in the shop which does accept my card and I draw out €200. It doesn’t give me a receipt though!
I pay her cash telling her that I thought German machines were supposed to be efficient but this one and you are not!! Well something along those lines anyway!
We press on and reach Calais before 11:00. Our ferry home is at 16:00 but we want to be at the docks for 14:00.
We spend the remaining time in Cite Europe before going for the boat.
I was expecting Calais to be busy but we only queue at passports for a short time. No chance of an early boat though so it is all sit back and watch a Bond film (Goldeneye) while we wait for the boat.
Our ferry is the new Spirit of Britain and it is massive. Having only been in service for six weeks it is still very new looking and the facilities are very good. The drivers room even has its own balcony!
P&O have cut some of their sailings and replaced with one sailing in a bigger boat. This is great if you are off early but if made to wait while unloading at your destination (as coaches normally are) it can take half an hour to get off the thing!
Robert is waiting in Calais for us and after saying our fond farewells he takes the coach home and we take the car home.
It has been a great trip and I hope the first of many with Crookhorn College.
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