At the beginning of my France 2013 blog I mentioned that this year we were going in May instead of September, well it turns out we were doing both.
In fact this holiday was booked before we even set off for our three weeks in May, we got another Groupon offer, with Ralph and Amber again provisionally booked but yet again this was not possible. So I rang Mick and Bren to see if they wanted to split the price of the holiday and and have a week near Paris for just £175 and that included, accommodation, ferry and fuel, so of course they did. There was one problem though, they had a wedding to shoot on the first day of the holiday but very helpfully Al Fresco let us move the holiday back by one day
So we were booked into a three bedroom mobile home at La Croix Du Vieux Pont, we had been there twice previously and in 2010 did practically the same trip, dates and ferry but with Siblu.
As this was all booked in April, I was not having problems with sciatica then and for most of July and August the pain in my left leg had been getting progressively worse. I did not think that any of the painkillers I was getting from the doctor were having any effect at all and I was taking quite a lot. Three days before the trip I had been to the hospital for an MRI scan on my back but would not get the results before out return.
To tell the truth, if I had been going on this holiday on my own I would have cancelled but as others were involved, Dot and I thought we would make a go of it and see how things went.
As in 2010 Dot would drive in England and I would drive in France (if that was possible) but for very different reasons.
Day one 8th Sep
We had to be in Dover for 13:00 to catch the 14:00 ferry, we knew from 2010 that we didn't have to set off as early as last time but decided that we would still set off with plenty of time. This was just in case we had to stop for me to walk about to help with any pain.
I got up around three to get my leg working and give the drugs time to work and I think we got going at about seven. As it was, we arrived at about twelve, better to be that bit early than being late and it gave us time to have our packed lunch as we waited in line. We had scoffed our bacon buns for breakfast on the move, as we drove down.
As last time we were on a new ferry and they are nice, although as last time some of the toilets where out of order (two years to fix toilets).
I took over the driving in France and managed quite well, we knew the way fairly well but still relied on the satnav. It was already 17:00 by the time we arrived in Dunkerque, so we texted the reps to let them know we would be late and gave our approximate time of arrival, just as we had done in May.
On arrival at the site, we headed straight to where we knew there were toilets. It was very painful for me getting out of the car and suitably relieved, I could not get back in, the pain was far too much to bear.
We knew where the reps where so dot drove over to book in while I walked slowly after them. Well I got to the reps hut (it had been moved closer to the main reception) first, the others had missed it, so I waited for them to come back.
We phoned the rep and he came straight over (he claimed to have not received out text which I find odd as I used the same phone No to text as I had just used to call) and took the others off to our mobile home, I followed slowly behind. It was a long walk and after what seemed like an age, eventual Dot came back to find me and walk the last bit with me.
As the others unpacked and got things sorted, I had a cold beer or two.
Day Two
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