Last Day

And just like that we've reached the end of our holiday. It's flown by!
I had vaguely planned to leave the campsite early enough to have a few hours on the beach at St Aubin and then a cup of tea at the Cafe Gondrée on Pegasus Bridge before heading up for the train. 
I always link back to this but it's one of the most special memories of France - and especially the D-Day commemorations that I have. Mme Gondrée was so taken with the Little Misses, especially the five year old Miss L who reminded her of herself around the time of the Liberation, and spent such a long time talking to them and us about it. It was Incredible!!
And she makes a lovely pain au raisin!!!!
But our plan went a bit awry. We had a lazy morning around the chateau packing up and then headed off to Courselles to stock up at the Carrefour we couldn't be bothered to go to yesterday. I like to take home all the goodies we cant get - semolina puddings, celeriac remoulade, Miss L's gluten fee cereal which she LOVES, gluten free muesli bars, yoghurt in glass jars, tartiflette (potatoes and bacon in creme sauce. In a tin!!!!) and something from the fabulous homewares section to remind me of our holidays whenever I use it.
As I walked up to the revolving door to get in it didn't move. I went round to the door at the side and there was a big security guard who told me they were closed. Arse, arse, arse!!!!
The car park was full and there were clearly millions of people inside. It was 12.05pm and they closed at noon. Stupid bloody France!!!!!!
I had to stop myself behaving like a crazed loon as we drove off, wailing periodically if only we'd got there a few minutes earlier I'd have got in!!!
Oh well. 
From there it was to our usual restaurant in St Aubin. We met my mum and dad in the carpark and walked up together.
The restaurant has been the scene of some dramas over the years - Mr C wandering off and getting lost; Archie running off down the prom with the chair he was tied to flying after him, whacking him , freaking him out even more and making him run around even more wildly, making it all worse and taking out anyone who got anywhere near him; thunderstorms whipping up out of nowhere and forcing us under the awning until it passed.
Today was no exception.
Just as we walked up the prom there was a dog running off, covered in blood with people running after it trying to catch it. There was another dog, lots of blood and a man sat on a chair - his arm dripping with blood - with a crowd round him. The crowd included an ancient looking woman, skin and bones, also splattered with blood who was wailing and shouting at everyone and wringing her hands.
God knows what had happened. And thank God we hadn't arrived a few minutes earlier otherwise we would have been right in the middle of it.
In the end the paramedics arrived in an ambulance and then the gendarmes. Probably to deal with the batty old woman - who had stood wailing and necking from her bottle of whisky and clearly had problems.
We watched all this while stood waiting for a table. We've never had to wait for a table before and it was an annoying delay.
But lunch when we eventually had it was delicious. Miss L had her usual King prawns and was interestingly more squeamish than she's ever been about ripping them to pieces so she could eat them. I wonder if she'll have them next year?!, burgers for Mr K, my dad and me, and the lovely galettes they do for Miss E and my mum. Ham and cheese, and camembert and apple. And lemonade, beer, cider, capuccinos and diet coke. 
Mmmmmmmmm!!!!! 
Then it was time to dash up the motorway to get our train. At 7.20pm.
And when I say dash I mean crawl almost all the way and get hideously held up at every toll. It has never happened to us before in France - there's never any traffic! - and it was a crappy journey. We could have stayed on the beach or gone to Pegasus and still got to Calais at the same time!
We eventually checked just after 8pm and the woman said we could get on the 9.30pm train. Not too bad.
Not long after we parked up the departure boards started showing delays and cancellations and our train moved to an 01.34 departure. OMFG.
We decided to heat up some baguettes - the beauty of being delayed in a motorhome! I went in to get some tea and chips which took hours and by the time I got back the sign had changed to Now Boarding and the Little Misses were a bit hysterical because someone had kept banging on the door and telling them to go to the train. 
Hilariously when I got in the Eurotunnel van parked next to us turned on his flashing lights and followed us - just us - all the way to the train. It was like a little cavalcade!!!!
We had a carriage to ourselves and as soon as we were in the train started moving. It was a bit weird but good!! 1030pm was better than 1.34am!! 
We had to stop at South Mimms on the way home because Mr K was falling asleep. He had a ten minute catnap and then felt OK to carry on. 
We got home just after 1.40am.
Let's never do that journey in one go again!!!!!