Not so sweet Paris...

Back Blip posted on 12th June.

It was a bit of a mad day yesterday. It was the last day with my Oz friends and I took them from Albert into Paris. The first thing we noticed as we went through the streets was the smell. Rubbish appeared to be stacked up in areas, maybe another strike?

After dropping them off (doubled parked in the narrow back streets) I headed due north back to Calais. My image is from the Pont Royal looking at the Musee d'Orsay and the high River Seine. I was stopped at the lights...

I made good time and made a detour to visit some graves of men who had died from my great grandfather's RAMC unit. I have a website with a list of those killed and I'm trying to add images too.

By the time I arrived at the cemetery it has started to rain. Sally SatNav said I could go down the road it was in. The road looked narrow, steep and water was pouring down. I got to the cemetery at the same time thunder and lightening started. It was quite surreal.

After that I found the road was in fact a dirt footpath so I reversed back and continued to Calais. Within a mile or two there was no sign of rain at all.

I checked in for my train and the signs said 10 mins between checkin and train. I was given an option of an early crossing which I took. I had about 2 hours to kill. Forty minutes of this was taken driving the next 300 yards to the French passport control. The next 45 mins to the Uk passport control...

By the time I left there my train was being loaded. I started to move off and my car died. It wouldn't start for what seemed an age. Security started to walk towards me but it started and I got onto the train.

Once in the UK I left the train OK but it died on the up ramp off the platform. The other cars were behind me, stuck! This time it wouldn't start. The others were reversed and sent another way whilst I waited for a tow.

It started again at the top of the ramp but I stopped at the exit petrol station and called relay. First I was told they didn't have a record of me but did say they would send someone in 60-90 mins. I waited 180 mins.... 

Back now and getting ready for my next trip. I will try and catch up with journals during the week.