The melancholy journey

  I find I haven`t written a blog for nearly a month, the impulse comes and goes and for four weeks it had went! However, I would like to bring you up to speed with the drama of last Saturday`s disastrous journey to Roscoff in the attempt to cross the Channel to see Kim and Alyson.
  It all started so well! I was programmed to leave on Saturday morning with two of the dogs in our new vehicle. All the preparatives had been carefully arranged, the dogs had been treated for ticks as their passports demand, arrangements had been made for our kind neighbour Ian to feed the cats, hens and sheep, and the new kitten, Mounette, had been left with Agnès to cuddle. All was set for me to depart to cross to England and spend a week with Kim and Al. Originally, Kim was supposed to come back with me, but we had accepted that Al is still not sufficiently recovered from her shoulder operation to be safely left. Still we were looking forward to spending a week together.
  All was packed and prepared. I was due to leave by eleven for the six-hour drive to Roscoff in north Finisterre. In fact, I left at ten, intending to pass any spare time exploring the town and perhaps eating a crèpe. All went swimmingly until just north of Rennes, with the journey over half completed. As I pulled in to the service area of the Armour et l`Argoat, I saw that the road ahead, the National 12 was completely blocked by almost stationary traffic. I saw a couple of Gendarmes at the Aire and asked them what was going on. They said that the Bonnet Rouge demonstrators were trying to destroy the Ecotax gantry further up the road and it was blocked for the foreseeable future.
  Well, that was not the answer to the maiden`s prayer!  Nevertheless I had hoped to proceed via an alternative road, the N 24 towards Brest. The problem was that I was stuck on the N12 and the first turn off was  two and a half kilometers ahead, no chance of a U turn due to the central barrier. Would you believe it took over two hours to reach the turn, and the alternative route was longer. It became obvious that I wouldn`t be able to reach the port in time for the boat, night was falling and eventually I decided to stay somewhere for the night, eventually landing up in a Formule 1 hotel in a small burg called Le Rheu.
   The f1 hotel was very welcoming and I was tired out after a long day`s driving. I spoke to Kim on the mobile and found there was no ferry on the Sunday, to add to my troubles but there was one on Monday morning.
  After a night at the F1, I set out refreshed, having worked out a route to avoid the N12 but go cross-contry to Roscoff , only to find the ferry terminal closed. Kim then tried to book me onto the Monday ferry, but it was full! The only offer was a ferry on Tuesday from Caen to Portsmouth! I was tempted to take this but realised that the dog`s inoculations would have run out. They have to be done less than 120hours before sailing and more than 24 hours. As the vets were closed on the Sunday, even this minimum time was to long if I had renewed their jabs. It was no good, we sadly decided to abort the crossing altogether and for me to return the 540 kilometers to Mort Limouzin. It had all been for nothing....
  The return journey passed without incident, although I passed many traffic radars burnt by the Breton demonstrators.  As the CRS riot police had protected the gantries, they had taken their spite out on the radars and had even torn up long lengths of safety Armco! I arrived home safely but very tired, having driven 1200 kilometers in the two days.
   We have since decided to re-schedule the trip in three weeks time, after a month Alyson should be recovered and Kim can return safely with me. Kim rearranged the booking with Brittany Ferries, who only charged an alteration fee of £25 which, considering I had failed to catch the booked ferry, I think is very reasonable indeed. An airline would have recharged my ticket!

   I am already concerned at possible delays on the road and am seriously considering going up the day before!  Certainly I shall leave LOADS of time for the trip!  I`ll let you know in future how I get on this time.

    Bye for now! Cup of tea time...

A much-travelled car