Dunkerque Harbour, France

The adventure continued.

We travelled from Poland into Germany last night. I didn't even think too much about the four star bed I didn't have, and managed a few short periods of sleep on the coach until we arrived around 4 am in Southern Germany.

A second emotional goodbye ceremony there, and then back on the bus with the Sat Nav set to head north. Soon after, we stopped at services, to find they wanted Euros to use the loos. We had none, no-one was around, so we all crept under the turnstiles. As I had never been to Germany before, I kept awake, enjoying the countryside and passing by towns and cities, and over the Rhine. I particularly noted Koblenz, as my Grandfather regularly travelled there with his work years ago.

We all agreed we had to have a bed tonight, rather than spend a second night on the coach, so we called an Etap hotel outside Dunkerque, reckoning that all accommodation in the Calais area would be booked out. Success at the first try, and we arrived in the town around 2 pm.

If you know France at all, it shuts down on a Sunday ... and it had. Everywhere CLOSED. It took quite a while to find the one cafe at the harbour which was open and then a cash machine to get some Euros. We sat in the sunshine, relieved we'd made it to the coast, drinking coffees whilst S was sketching.

We booked into the Etap at 5 pm, basic but clean and a very welcome shower. We then asked about somewhere to eat. The only place which would be open tonight was about 45 minutes walk away - we couldn't use the coach as the drivers had used up all their hours and had their mandatory break.

So off we went, with instructions, and found the Buffalo Grill. A great meal, and a brilliant laugh, reliving the memories of the last few days. We then had to find our way back .... and we were "Lost in France", as we weaved around deserted streets until we eventually made it back.

I could have posted a collage of bodies lying across the coach seats, and ladies with PJs and painted toes at 3 am, but I chose the harbour instead.

My Trip to Poland Blips start here.