Because my house still isn't sold, we haven't done any of the major works which allow us to economically heat the house or have a bath or shower. We didn't want to spend another year in a gite just down the road looking towards Preuilly and wishing we were established, and because of finances, Christmas in a hotel wasn't on our list of do-ables. I then, however, got an attack of the "we can survive in the cold, we will just wear more layers" and booked the Ferry before I could change my mind.
The Ferry at Calais
We went across the channel with P&O this year, the situation with SpeedFerries being what it is (i.e. finished). It was the first time we have travelled with P&O, but we have learnt our lesson, and will be going with Sea France or Norfolk Line in future. The ferry was very noisy, no slightly dark corners in which to grab 40 winks, and the chairs are appalling. 90 minutes of that immediately before you start trying to find fuel in Calais at 4.00am and the humour factor was not high. Add to that the fog which started near Rouen, and the fact I needed to stop for a sleep (in the car by the roadside - not warm) it was a slow and not completely comfortable trip.We arrived in Preuilly at about midday, turned on our heaters, made the bed, and then headed to Yzeures for lunch and shopping. We lunched at a new Restaurant, la Cuisine du Marche, which is in a prefabricated tin barn next to Intermarche, and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and menu - and the price, which was 3 courses for 11€50. Well done those people!
It was cold this year, and sometimes foggy-
but it was warmer than last year
but it was warmer than last year
The rest of the holday was very pleasant, too. Although the kitchen was Siberian in climate, we managed to keep the bedroom/lounge lovely and toasty warm, and our original "little room" (not what you might think) was heated to be used as a dining room/wash room. We did get to the truffle market (and made an interesting discovery); fellow local bloggers Sweetpea and Captain Sensible dropped in on their way to a birthday party; Ken and Walt visited for lunch, and we took lots of photos. (We average about 100 photos a day. Digital cameras have a lot to answer for.)Us in residence, Christmas 2008
On the way home we stopped for lunch at a Chinese restaurant at Chambray-lès-Tours, and had dinner at a brasserie attached to an EnormAuchan before we joined the ferry and the rat race back to London. Norfolk Line are advertising £19 one way fares to Dunkirk (the brochure was in our letterbox when we got home) so that will hopefully be our only experience of P&O.Simon & Susan
3 comments:
You almost pass us at St Margaret's when you go to the ferry, you should pop in for a "cuppa" nest time.
Tony
Tony
That's an extraordinarily kind genture to make towards people who are driving past at stupid o'clock!!
Tony: We have been St Margaret's a number of times, and it is a lovely place to take o/s visitors. I'm sure we won't be inconsiderate enough to call in on you like that, but it is very kind of you to offer.
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