Breakfast is everything I expected from this hotel with a great spread of food available. This has to be one of the best overnight hotels I have used and will definitely be using it again.
I book a taxi for 07:15 to take me to the coach on a wet and windy morning. We are not used to this!
Everybody is on and we depart the hotel for the motorway. I have checked a map and am following the sat nav to get me out of the city but the road I want to take to the motorway has a low bridge which i cannot get under so I take a longer route out. This costs me a few minutes but we are soon on the motorway heading towards Aachen.
I decide to go via Antwerp and all is going well until we come across a delay due to roadwork’s which loses me another ten minutes. It is also very wet this morning and when I’m on two lane motorways I am not allowed in the outside lane if it is raining, which again loses me some time.
By the time we have navigated Antwerp and I reach the service area our proposed stopping time has been reduced from 40 minutes to 20.
As I’m driving today I notice the fuel gauge is low and I think I may have to top up again. This is a nuisance as I don’t want to be wasting time at the fuel pump but may have to. When I filled up yesterday I couldn’t have completely filled the tanks as there should be ample fuel to get home with.
We arrive in Calais at 13:20, an hour before our 14:20 sailing to Dover. Passport control is a bit of a pain with lots of non European youngsters holding things up but the group are all soon through and we take our place on the dockside ready for loading.
The ship leaves a few minutes late but hopefully will make the time up as it is not very busy.
Dover is sunny as we drive away and I am still concerned about the fuel.
As per normal, we have a stop at Clackett Lane with enough time for toilets, shop and taxi booking and also the mileage quiz.
My bum is twitching as I decide to put a hundred litres in the tank, first driving onto the wrong pumps before eventually going to the commercial pump after missing the whacking great sign telling me where to go! At about 10p a litre dearer than we normally pay I am glad not to be putting too much in!
We have a good run back and am finished in Petersfield by 06:00.
It has been a great tour and I love the river cruising. It has got to be the best way to relax and is something I can’t wait to do again.
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