We decided to take the caravan to France for 4-5 weeks. As soon as Michelle finished working at the Royal Highland Show, we were free to go.
On the way, we went to the Kubix music festival at Herrington Country Park near Sunderland. We went in a convoy of three caravans with Jim and Sandie, our neighbours from across the road, and their friends, Steve and Gillian.
The Penshaw Monument from Herrington Country Park
Gillian and Sandie
Steve and Jim
Ominous clouds
After the festival, we headed south towards the ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe. We always wanted to check out Durham, so we stopped there for the next night en-route.
We didn’t spot the Pink Panther though. (♫ Dur-um. Dur-um. Dur-um, dur-um, dur-um ♫).
After Durham, we stopped in Cambridge for two nights.
We had a trip down memory lane, as we both lived in Cambridge for 3-4 years, and that’s where we met when we lived at numbers 80 and 84 High Street, Chesterton.
One of the local pubs by the river Cam. Hence Cam-bridge.
The pub where we “got together”.
The Chinese restaurant where Ronnie proposed, and to Ronnie’s relief, Michelle accepted. Classy?
Cambridge was in the middle of a heatwave, and everyone seemed to be in hiding. Normally very busy with tourists, even the punts were almost deserted.
The car said 41 degrees, but it was officially 39 degrees. Still a new record for Cambridge. Somewhere in England set the new UK record of over 40 degrees.
After Cambridge we stayed in a small “CL” site in Kingston near Lewes, to be close to Newhaven for the ferry the next morning.
It’s not just Dover. Newhaven has white cliffs too.
Leaving on the ferry
On arrival in Dieppe, we sat that it also has white cliffs. Dover really isn’t that special.
We stayed at a campsite by some lakes for a couple of days. There was a cycleway from there into Dieppe, which was 8km away.
Dieppe castle
Ronnie does a (very short) section of Eurovélo 4, to add to his collection of the Eurovélo network of long distance cycle routes.
Now we need to work out where we’re going in France!
