As is typical for the time have year, we are getting several seasons per day; right now it is like summer again with blue skies and warm late afternoon sunshine. But earlier, we had wind a drizzle, not very pleasant at all. Not that we did much today; it is Nan's 97th birthday, and we were due to take her out for lunch, but she did not feel well and with the weather they way it was, lunch has been postponed until a sunny day. Maybe tomorrow.
We did go to see her, drop her card off. She has had more cards than I ever had, but then in 97 years one has many friends I guess.
As I wrote before, Monday was our anniversary, and we decided to head to Bluewater for lunch, as there is a You Sushi there, and they do good deals on a Monday with all dishes costing £2.50.
On the way up, we visited the village of Chartham; it was a fine morning and we headed towards the village from the A2, down twisting lanes through orchards and hop fields.
We find a place to park by the village green, and head for the church, but find it is locked. I take some shots and we head along the main road, looking for the village pub to photograph before heading back to the car.
We get to Bluewater, and surprisingly for a Monday, the car parks are quite full and there are lots of people already there. But, or so it seemed to me, there wasn't much shopping going on, just people wandering around, and going for lunch, after all is just what we were doing.
We roll up at the sushi place just gone midday, and get a booth for a change and we eat a couple more dishes than we planned, but the food was all good.
Having eaten, we wander round the mall some more, buy some fancy snacks for later on, and then head back to the car and back home. After the busy weekend we were pretty whacked and so a nice relaxing afternoon seemed perfect. So, on with the radio and do more work on the photographs I took over the weekend.
Tuesday, we were up before dawn, having breakfast as we were heading to France for the day. It is just a 15 minute drive to the tunnel terminal, and with no fuss we check in, go through customs and are queuing up within 40 minutes of leaving the house.
We file on the train, the doors are secured, we listen to the emergency drill announcement, and the train glides out of the station and under Roundhill Tunnel and down and under the Channel, soon zipping along at 140kph. In 35 minutes we emerge into the light in Calais, the train stops and in under 2 minutes to partition doors open and we are able to drive off and straight onto the motorway.
We head straight for the wine warehouse, pick up several cases of plonk and head down to Boulogne, a 30 minute blast down the motorway. We head down to the centre, find a place to park and then wander off to find the old walled part of the city.
As it happens, we had off up a narrow residential street and see the remparts of the walls, and so after crossing a main road, walk through the ancient gateway and into the old town proper. Although it is packed with cafe's and trinket shops, it is possible to see how wonderful all the old buildings are, even after the repair of bomb damage from the two world wars.
We have a cup of coffee and a Pâté bagette whilst sitting outside watching the world go by. Which in this case seemed to be schoolchildren mainly.
We walk round the city walls, marvelling at the size of the basillica, and all the while the drizzle gets steadily heavier. We continue the walk, all the way round until we end up back at the massive church. I push the door open, but the sound of a service comes out, and so I let the door close gently.
We head to a tiny bar for a drink, and then head back to the car. We head to the coast road, as it is wonderful to travel along, through picturesque villages and then up twisty roads to the tops of huge chalk cliffs with views over the Channel back to England. Or would have if it were a clear day. The rain falls, and we head back to the tunnel, check in and wait for our departure back home.
It really is all so painless, but is functional.
I cook and early dinner, and we head out in the evening as we have tickets to see Reginald D Hunter in Folkestone, and we have a great night as he tries out new material on us.
And then back home, we actually get home at nearly eleven, very late for us, and then have the flavoured nuts purchased the previous day.
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