A bit of a long day to get home to Birmingham in one day, from Arras via Calais to Dover, and then on up through London to Birmingham.  By train.  It mostly worked, except for over 2 hours of delay stuck on the ferry after we docked at Dover but were not allowed to disembark because of a security issue in the port.  I never found out what the security issue was.  But, security, like health and safety,  trumps all these days, and so you just have to sit tight and wait.  I got an 8 am train from Arras, and was eventually back in Birmingham and home about 930 pm, so quite a long day.

I’ve enjoyed my passage through Germany and France.  Nice cycling.  Especially in Germany where there is good, safe, infrastructure.  France a bit less so, but you can always find quiet ways through the countryside to keep off the busy roads.  Food and accommodation in both were pleasant, and surprisingly not outrageously expensive, especially France where, a few years ago, I had given up visiting because of the ridiculous pricing.  Maybe it’s a reflection of the fact that I’ve got so used to the expense of the UK these days - inflation has vastly increased prices here - that when I go away abroad it doesn’t seem so out of balance.  I enjoyed my camping, but camping / clamping where there are services and all the necessaries to make it a bearable experience - showers, toilets, electric, brasserie, food, drink etc.  Anyhow, that is it for a bit, because other things are going to take up my time, Germans visiting, birthday lunches, garden, and generally gathering myself ….. until ??!!  Well, I have some plans, which I will share with you in due course !

Berlin-Lutherstadt  :   Lutherstadt - Bernberg. :   Bernberg - Blankenberg  :  Blankenberg - Einbeck  :  Einbeck - Kassel  : 

Kassel - Kirchheim  :  Kirchheim - Marburg  :  Kirchheim - Limberg/Diez  :  Limberg/Diez - Mainz  :  Mainz - Koblenz  :

Koblenz - Krov  :  Krov - Remich  :  Remich - Verdun  :  Verdun : Verdun - Reims  :  Reims - Amiens  :  Amiens - Arras

.