Hello. We are off again… Only just.
It has been 8 months since we were last out on Jess, a very long time, and we have missed our European adventures. We have done a couple of local outings on the Isle of Wight but so many things have happened this year that we have not been able to get a decent long trip away.
We have both been subject to work both being cancelled or moved, another loss in the family and trying to buy a property. All very stressful, some of that stress is sometimes evident, and other times it can be very subtle, that’s the dangerous kind, so we are well overdue for a change of scenery and pace. The UK news is depressing us each time we get up. We need to escape. Where to this time?
We did have a Scandinavian trip planned for 5 to 6 weeks which was reduced to 4 and a bit weeks taking in Eastern Europe, however, that was reduced again to three weeks so we are doing a steady run down to the French Alps for a week then the third week coming back, all very short but at least we are getting away before a very busy couple of months when we return mid-July.
Week 1. 21st – 23rd June 2023 Home to Poperinge, Belgium. 224 miles.
Wednesday 21st June 2023 – East Cowes (home) to East Cowes, half a mile!
Today is a heavy travel day. Up at 6:30 in the morning in Scotland and using a car, a bus, a plane, two trains, a ferry, a taxi then on foot, we finally arrive home at 3pm. We have already part-prepared Jess the van before we left for Scotland, so it’s a simple matter of collecting Jess from storage and finishing the stock up, then it’s off for the staggering 1-minute drive to the campsite at the back of our house, Waverley Park.
We are given a spot with a lovely view of the Solent, which for some unknown reason, is teaming with very expensive old classic yachts, at dusk three of them are anchored. A lovely evening. We dine at the campsite where a better than expected burger is had, helped along with a large glass of red.
It’s such a lovely night that we gather a couple of plastic glasses together and a chilled bottle of white wine, and take the short walk to our local beach where we sit for an hour or so watching the boats and the ferry coming and going before heading back.
Jess is now fully prepared and we are both beat and can’t wait to get to bed. All set and ready for a good night’s sleep, Del suddenly discovers a leak in the bathroom sink. Water is filling the cupboard under the sink. The waste pipe appears to have come away from the sink drain. Oh, dear. 20 minutes, and half a kitchen roll later, the water is mopped up, cleaned, and a large bowl is placed under the drain. We’ll deal with that in the morning. Time for bed.
Thursday 22nd June 2023 – East Cowes to Poperinge, 224 miles
This morning we are up and about just after 8 am after a good night’s sleep. The coffee machine is on and it’s porridge for breakfast. We get cleaned up and pack away our fresh water pipe, and grey water pipework and put away the electric cable. Del gets the tool bag out and fixes the leaking sink drain. Let’s hope it lasts for the trip. It should do. At 9:30 am we are pulling out from the campsite. A quick stop at home to pick up a duvet, and drop off a multitude of bottles, potions, shampoo and shower gel that had been rammed into the cupboard under the bathroom sink. It was these extra bottles of stuff that had probably pushed the pipe free. There were more bottles of toiletries than Boots the chemist.
At 10:00 am we are off again and heading to Fishbourne for the ferry to Portsmouth. We arrive early just in time to see the previous ferry leave.
We kind of hoped that we would have made that early one, but it was not to be. We board our 11:00 am ferry, which leaves on time, arriving in Portsmouth on time (that’s a first!) and we are soon away, up the A3, the M25 and the M20 into Dover.
We arrive at the Port of Dover with an hour to spare, just in time for check-in. The port is empty. We did a trip in Covid times that was very quiet but this is even quieter.
We are loaded onto the “Dover Seaways” DFDS ferry for Dunkirk.
On board, it’s so peaceful and quiet. Hardly any kids, but of course there will always be one or two running around the boat like it’s a playground. Oh well.
We have a chicken dinner and have a seat on the starboard side of the ship. The sun is out, the sea flat and calm. A lovely trip. One of the best so far by our reckoning.
Our first stop will be our usual stop, a farm in Belgium. We do like it there, it’s peaceful out deep in the Westvleteren area of Belgium, (southwest-ish, kind of) but before we get there we need to do a spot of shopping.
Hayley dives into a local French supermarket before they close and grabs some provisions to see us through for the next few days. What we don’t have is cash. We’ve never left the UK without some cash but for some reason, this time we didn’t bring any, so we are now on the hunt for a cash machine. Unlike home, cash machines here in this part of France and Belgium are rare. A nice chap in a local bar in the Belgian town of Watou tells us that there is one just a few km down the road. He’s right, soon Del is in front of a shiny, well-kept ATM and grabbing 100 euros cash.
It’s a short 8-minute drive to the farm along narrow windy roads, soon we are in a pitch and in the bar at the farm ordering two Belgian beers.
It’s nice here and we drink our beers in the company of three goats that were here the last time.
Del cleans the inside of the van after the long trip from the home. The floors are washed, the walls wiped down and the cockpit dusted and the carpet brushed. We will now settle in for a two-night stay at the Stal ‘t Bardhof Farm in Proven in the area of Westvleteren.
Tonight’s dinner is a wonderful Hayley paella…
Friday 23rd June 2023 – Poperinge day 2
We wake up to a very pleasant morning. Del pops off to the farmhouse to pick up a loaf of local bread that we ordered the night before a lovely multi-seeded loaf. Lovely.
Today is bike riding day around the very nice flat countryside of Westvleteren
A very quiet day and night. Tomorrow, Peronne in France
We’re really enjoying reading about your latest adventure. Hope you get rid of that rain. Very impressed with Hayley’s cooking. Looking forward to the next instalment.
Congrats to you both that you are safely on your way . May any troubles be little ones in fact no worse than noisy goats ! Looking forward to the posts to come . I’m sure Jess is happy to be out and about . Take Care xx
Hiya John, great to hear from you. We are all good out here, lovely weather lovely sights. So far so good
That paella looks great 😊 have a good time away xx
I tell you. Hayley does do a mean paella… Very very tasty.
The goats! 🙂 look ace!
Hope the leaky pipe is still saved and no more leaks!
The goats were great fun. Daft they were. Bleating hour between 7 and 9 at night. Pipe is ok so far…
So pleased to hear you’ve finally managed to get away as we look forward to reading your adventures. Have a nice restful few days in Belgium!
Good to hear from you again… Do you have any plans this summer for a getaway?