Final hurrah...or maybe not?!

Don't want to think that this might be the last post (toot toot), so I guess we will have to keep going! So, where are we now?
Well...after St Valery we decided the need to get back to blighty was fairly important. Lots of things to sort (schools for the boys being the most essential-that's going to be a shock to the system!) So, we had an overnighter at Calais (just south actually) and took the tunnel back home.
The tunnel was brilliant by the way. I really wan't looking forward to it, not natural being under all that water! However, we were sniffed for explosives by a frenchman (using an electronic sniffer, not his nose), passport checked, asked if we had gas (comedy moment would have been nice, but didn't want to risk being jumped by armed guards) and queued for about 10 minutes, then drove onto the train 5 minutes before departure. The carriages are really big, although they don't feel too wide with the walkways up the sides. I think I had about 4" to spare between the wheels and the sides!
Then we were away. It takes about 25 minutes to cross, apparently doing 140km/h. At the other end we drove straight out without any checks and into blighty. How depressing!
Decided to avoid London and head for home straight away. The first night was spent in Peterborough. It doesn't sound very promising, but I rather liked it. The sun shining really helped. Got shouted at by irate englishman for going the wrong way up a one way system (on a campsite I hasten to add), then advised by his wife to ignore him...which I managed beautifully.

Off again, closer to Scotland with every mile...this time to Powburn in Northumberland. We kept driving past Alnwick castle on all our visits down south looking for motorhomes, so this time we promised to visit. The camp was idyllic. Really busy with it being thew last weekend of the school holidays, but the number of birds singing and the peace and quiet (once the kids had gone to bed) was lovely. Visited the castle the next morning. Lovely gardens with impressive cascade down the hillside. Looks a bit like a scorpion...only wetter. The weather was fabulous, although the hard winter you lot had meant that many of the plants were not out. Had a few funny moments with kids playing in the water spouts and fountains, which were freezing. They breed them hard up here if that was bathtime!

After all that fun we went to Dunfermline and caught up with the folks. Had a very pleasant couple of days eating, chatting, boring people with photos! Then back to Aberdeen to tackle the monstrous pile of mail and final demands! One bonus is that the flat now seems really big. And, I can pour cooking water down the sink, rinse lettuce with lots of water without worrying about tanks, spillage and waste. Simple things! Did I mention the bath? I did threaten to be in there for a couple of hours, but I didn't want to soak my tan off, as there aren't the sunbathing opportunities here at the moment...because it's bloody snowing! Welcome home...

St Valery sur Somme

Right you two...it aint a chatroom! Only joking. Nice to see a bit of family history and poetry making it on to the blog.

Got one of my own, which has always been a favoutite of mine.

What is this life, if full of care
we have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
and stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass
where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see in broad daylight
streams full of stars like skies at night

No time to turn at beauty's glance
and watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can enrich
that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if full of care
we have no time to stand and stare.
W H Davies

Hope that one hit the spot. Needless to say, lots of standing and staring has been done on this trip.

Euan went on a pony today, and no, we never got along to see the trains. I had no idea you were such an anorak John!

Amiens to Abbeville

We are currently outside Abbeville, not far from the beach and town of St Valery. At a really big camp full of statics and tents! Only planning on spending a couple of days before getting back to blighty.

Despite all the british tourists there are hundreds of owl pellets (have collected half a dozen for a rainy day activity) and the most amazing array of solitary bees which are thriving in the sandy soil. Have spotted the odd parasitic wasp eyeing up the opportunities! Heaven...well, for someone like me. Have also discovered piles of rocks with crystal centres (can't remember what you call them, nodules maybe?)

Amiens

Found a great camp on the outskirts of the town, all newly built and lovely. Found a great spot by the river and ponds that form in the low lying ground. Adopted a hedgehog and fed him with scraps. The bats that came out and flew amongst the trees at dusk were so fast! Pipistrelles I think. There is a cycle path alongside the canal which takes you straight in to town. We went to the local zoo which despite its size was pretty impressive. Not too many animals, so the enclosures were all of a decent size for them. The gibbons were hilarious and very loud...Bill has a new ringtone on his phone!



The boys were impressed by the snowy owls and the bits of rat that were half eaten and strewn around the cage!



NOTE; if you are ever in Amiens and need a belt shortened, key cut, or shoes re-soled or heeled go to the shop next to the Hotel du Ville. There is a wonderful lebanese man who runs a shop and is so helpful and very charming. He has lived in France for 35 years and has a great shop complete with zebra skin over the counter and lots of shoe lasts on shelves! I lost the card he gave me, but trust me, the service is second to none!



Other places worth a visit are the cathedral and the town centre itself. There are fabulous post war deco buildings that are beautiful to look at!

After Paris...

We travelled north, not too far, to a wee place called Bresles, outside Beauvais. The campsite was full of travellers who were mostly british and working in France. The atmosphere was not pleasant, so we decided to move on...rapidly. The outside toilets, openair showers and flooded sinks didn't do much to improve on initial impressions.

We moved to an aire in Beauvais. Fabulous place perched on top of a hill overlooking the unfinished cathedral. The town was mostly destroyed during the war, but traditionally there was a tapestry industry in the town which survives to this day. Apparently the French government supports the industry by commissioning works for their embassies and public buildings. Seems like a good idea to me!

Vertiginous view!

Thought I was uploading the view from the top down to the ground. However, this one looks pretty good too! It wasn't misty when we were up there.