travel

The Chunnel

Sharpthorne, England
Thursday, August 16, 2012

I had a good sleep and had dosed up on the good drugs so I woke feeling slightly less icky than I had for the past three days.

I can highly recommend the Hayloft at Orchard Farm as being the BEST recuperative centre in the whole of France and if you ever get sick whilst travelling around Europe by scooter, drop in on Kate and she will nurse you back to full health.

I loaded up Henry, mustered all my energy, said sad goodbyes to Kate and Martin and hit the road for one last blitzkrieg across France. I didn't trust myself to read a map so I just jumped on the motorway, settled in between a caravan and a tour bus and blasted my way 150kms to Calais - dream run.

The Channel Tunnel was an interesting experience too. If you book ahead you can get a single trip for approx 50€ as opposed to 150€ if you just turn up. You wait to be called in the café, spending the last of your euros on really expensive sandwiches and drinks (or like me, on duty free perfume) and then line up to board the train. You have about 4 different passport, customs, ticket, vehicle checks and then you ride right onto the carriage.

The four bikes that followed started putting chocks under their wheels and one guy even had a tie-down rope. I wondered what they knew that I didn't. You travel with your vehicle and I didn't see anywhere else to go (or toilets etc) so I just chatted to the guys in my carriage. The train moved off, a little jerky but not enough to warrant chocks and then half an hour later we arrived. Really really painless!

It was then 1pm and I was still feeling okay so I kept going to Sharpthorne another 100kms east. I missed a turn; got lost once; bought some more lozenges that were less like suppositories; stopped for ice-cream; and arrived mid afternoon at Ruth and Rick's place. Heaven!!

Loading the Chunnel
Loading the Chunnel
The ramp
The ramp
Loading the train
Loading the train
Inside the carriage
Inside the carriage
Comments:
The Eurotunnel usually reaches about 18 degrees under the Channel - just a bit warm! From Kate Pegler, on Aug 18, 2012 at 03:45PM
Unsecured bikes
Unsecured bikes
Comments:
Hey! Henry shows that he is up there with the big boys! Steady as a rock! From Kate Pegler, on Aug 18, 2012 at 03:43PM
The dude lying on the ground doesn't look too steady From BOSS, on Aug 19, 2012 at 12:17PM
Previous Entry Next Entry