French roads still empty during lockdown
Aire de camping cars Sangatte
Day 14 - Bosc Geffroy (France) to Sangatte near Calais
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We have a quiet night here opposite the church at Bosc Goffroy, nothing on the road and the church bells silent until 7.00 am when they toll again, and then again at 8.00 am with great joyfulness and vigour, for mass. No-one comes again.
We breakfast, have a frugal wash to conserve water, washing is becoming an unnecessary use of precious water! We re-use what we can, letting some of the grey water outlet into a bucket to wash out the toilet cassette and other external items considered 'dirty'. We plan our route and leave about 10.00 am. There is only about 90 miles to drive to Calais. From the carpark by the church at Bosc Geffoy we take the A-28, a fast-dual carriageway for 30 miles to Abbeville, then the D1001 to Montreuil. We travelled this road back to Calais on 26th September 2019 on our last trip.
We stop at the church at Hesdin l’Abbé for lunch. It is warm and sunny in the camper but windy and only 8˚C outside. Back on the road and the A-16 towards Calais. It is a beautiful clear sunny day and we can see all the way across to the Baie de Deux Cap, there are kestrels and buzzard, yellowhammer, goldfinch, starlings and crows (especially crows) swooping, diving and nest building. The farmers are in the fields, ploughing done, now tilling and planting seed, some already grown.
It is difficult to imagine the changes that have happened over the past seven days. We arrive at Sangatte, the site of the infamous French holding area for illegal refugees and asylum-seekers. There are three campers already here (two UK and one French). We park up, on a not-so-level tarmac area and breath a sigh of relief.
We have driven 1800km (1200 miles) in six days to get here. Over the narrow (very narrow) mountain pass out of Portugal into Spain. Through the Douro valley and across northern Spain to Irun (stopping on the car park overnight at Hernani). Crossed from Spain into France at the bridge over the river Bilasoa and traversed the very deserted town (and beach) of Biarritz to Bayonne. Crossed France from Biarritz in the south, via Pissos under the crossroads church; to the lovely chateau town of Verneuil sur Charente; to the funny-shaped car park at Cloyes sur le Loir; to the loud and resonant church bell car park at Callengeville (where they called no one to mass); and finally to Calais.
Not just Calais but Sangatte of all places. We stop… we relax and we read and write, we feel safe. We watch with amazement as the P&O ferries and DFDS ferries zip backwards and forwards across the channel to Dover and we wonder why we thought all ferries were cancelled. We decide it is French-operated ferries that are not operating as the UK border has not yet been closed.
Over the span of the afternoon many friends (and family) send texts of encouragement and support, we particularly appreciated one from daughter-in-law Angela, commenting on our resilience and resourcefulness during the journey. We realise that some of them have lived this journey with us. Our daily messages have been circulated to our English and square dance friends in Lancaster and across the north west, to our Christian friends and their prayer groups across Lancaster and the UK (and probably further).We have felt their love and support (and needed it).
We reflect on a strange and changing world. Will it ever be the same again? We think not.
Summary of motorhome journey
Total miles |
mpg | average speed mph |
hours driven |
97 | 28.5 | 34 | 2:50 |
Totals for this journey |
|||
1828 | 28.2 | 35 | 51:55 |