Camino 2018/2019

We return by magical Astra carpet to Wisques where we were picked up by Jane yesterday. One problem in this area is that campsites are a good distance apart. Certainly further than we wish to walk. So two nights on a site and a brief car shuffle is within the rules we set for ourselves on this walk. Sadly today’s walk is all tarmac and with little shade.Itis still reasonably cool as we walk into Wizernes for coffee. There are two monasteries in Wizernes we do not pause to visit. The other local. attraction is the WW2 V2 flying bomb development site at Helfaut. We don’t have time to visit that either. Though the attraction of a mobilty scooter from a local supplier as we pass gives great temptation to Ray and Tim.
Getting out of the sun is our priority. There is little wind adding to the heat of the walk. We make Inghem by lunchtime a beer in a bar and the shade outside the church (not open) go some way to cooling us and we tramp on over more fields of barley and peas.
Eventually we reach Therouanne and another beer in a bar named for Ray. We are met by Jane and Ann who have been shopping and have no room in the car. So a last stagger completes 23km to one of three campsites around Les Lacs de Rebeques. Campsites are like buses you walk 40km and then 3 come along

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The earplugs worn by some against snoring proved just as effective against the revels of the wedding party in the sites function room. All slept well though as the distant drums did not disturb.
The bread order arrives at the shop at 8am as expected and 3 enormous pain au raison (or get-you-home tyres) are included. We manage to leave LiQues before 9am and the day of Q’s has begun.
We stop for coffee in AlqQuines a nice little village with a Source which we are unable to visit as it is in a locked field. We settle for coffee and what is becoming the obligatory education session with the questions on the cubes of sugar that come with it. How much sugar do you get from 1kg of sugar beet? 160grms. You may not think this is educational but it is in French!
We pass a house with gnomes and other bits of plastic including possibly the only storks we will see on this trip. Cracking on we soon turn down a green lane. It is poorly maintained and soon deteriorates further becoming impassible. We divert to a field. There is no path but vaguely walked long grass and muddy furrows. A tract of recently planted young trees with a anti weed cloth around the roots which heads in the right direction. We follow it and via a couple more muddy puddles to a track that rejoins the road. Only a km along the road is AcQuin where a bar is open. As is the church opposite with some nice stained glass and steps on which we have lunch.
Back on the road the temperature climbs to around 25 degC. After a few more km we give up. The village of Quelmes has open bar but Jane soon arrives.
Today was a test to see how far we would go as we still with the help of Jane have access to vehicular support and are spending tonight back at the nice campsite in Liques. The last photo in a village with either a colour blind mayor or a lot of pink paint was included to show just how badly things can clash.

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The cider came off best in this round!

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Scuttling across our path!

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It rained in the night, not forecast but everything and everyone remained dry. The bread and croissants arrive at 8am so a lie in allows the moisture to start to clear. But not well wet clothes are packed.
After a short walk and crossing of the railway line we get to the interest of the day. A large stone column in the forest dedicated to the first aerial channel crossing by Jean Blanchard and John Jefferies in 1785 in a balloon from Dover. They landed there.
The day steadily improves getting hotter and more humid. The slightly frantic pace of the last two days slows and a pleasant walk through woods with various orchids ensues.
We eventually emerge on to a ridge about 150m above sea level ( as high as it gets round here)and have lunch overlooking the lowlands to which we descend to Liques.
Meeting up with Jane in the car in the town. She has done the shopping and after a beer we ramble on to the nice campsite 1.5km outside town.
Weather is now excellent for drying and after there last two days we need it

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The evenings rain is still threatening with thick mist and cuckoos are heard on the mist. Tim sees one on the way to the boulongerie for the morning croissants. An hour or so later we are packed and on our way to Guines. No not Guiness Ray hard luck!
The mist persists and through it across the fields we see hares and lapwings. But not much else in the cereal fields and potato fields on either side of us though a reasonable variety of wild flowers in the verges. A bar appears for coffee at an appropriate time and the day drags a little until we, at length approach Guines and our campsite around about 3pm.
This is a 5star site as proved by the presence of plugs in the washing sinks. And possibly a swimming pool a bar and restaurant. The restaurant we shall not use but the bar may provide a little internal embrocation.

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Second day in France, today all above sea level! (See profile from yesterday). Not as flat as the sand below the high tide mark was but a bit more interesting. As usual I enjoyed bugs and wildlife.

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We get up and out of the Backpackers for the 9.25 ferry.Two of us are foot passengers cost £60 for them 4are in a car cost£100 for them. There are a couple of dozen foot passengers and at least a dozen staff involved in getting them on the ferry.
We meet for breakfast and the get off the ferry to meet down the road on the French Via Francegiena.Then it’s off along the beach 18km past the little village of Sangat of which you may have heard. The refugees/would be immigrants depending on your politics have been moved on by the gendarmes and the beach is quiet apart from a few people walking dogs and a large pack of French students with hammers. Tackling the geological interest of the hall cliffs of Cap dear grand nez blanc with its flint nodules. Happily low tide is 16.17hrs so we have a huge expanse of sand to walk along instead of having to scale the crumbling cliffs to escape the tide.
It seems a long way as any landmark is seen at least an hour before reaching it.
Lunch is taken on the beach when Tony anounces we are now directly over that other means of crossing the channel The Tunnel.
Last night we visited the White Horse pub in Dover a pub used by many cross channel swimmers and with the walls of the bar covered in their exploits and signatures.
We end up in La Source a pleasant enough long established camp site and a quick shop in the village allows washing and dinner and to be completed before the evening rain shower.
Many sea birds and pill boxes adorn the cliffs and a lone blue hard hat is found on the beach by Tim who adopted it until the end of the day.

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Although we spent last night in a six bed dormitory in Dover Backpackers we are not yet officially in Dover having caught a train from Shepherd’s Well,today we catch a train back there to finish the English stage of our journey.
Dover Backpackers although basic is supposed to be the oldest current pub in Dover. We all sleep well with no complaints of snorring although Betsy has some bespoke ear plugs which seem to improve her nights. Tim wonders what the problem was.
The plan to get the train back to Shepherds Well was thwarted by the train not being available when we were. Nothing daunted we all set off on foot knowing train times back from yesterday. More importantly we also knew there was a pub the Bell Inn back in Shepherds Well to visit while waiting. Just as well it was raining when we got there. Jane a Kettish girl remarked that it does rain in Kent occasionally inspire of the obvious dryness of the fields and their problems with the rate of extraction of water from the aquifer.
On the route over the downs this time apart from plenty of Red Campion and some white we passed though Waldershare estate and stopped at the church to eat sandwiches. It has as pair of very ancient yews one of which may have been partly blown down in the hurricane of 87. Certainly a significant number of trees around were replanted then. Some magnificent old chestnut and a plane tree remain.
We get a train back to Dover and crash out in Backpackers.
Well up to speed and with ferry booked for 9.25 tomorrow.
Oh and the Backpackers has a nice cat.

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Really not very up and down. We were well rested in the Cathedral Gate Hotel last night. Probably the last accommodation of some standard we shall use. A quirky place no en suite and the shower in a cupboard at least has minimal chance of falls. No room to fall. Thanks ancient Oak beams and sloping stairways more than compsate. We are starting gently with 2 days to Dover, as Jane is accompanying us on the first stages and is only a couple of months past her second hip replacement.
St Mary’s Patrixbourne
Aylsham Road Cemetery a pleasant place for lunch and with water, for flowers, and toilet facilities claiming daily inspection. Fortunately the residents don’t use them so they are clean if neglected.
11 miles across the North Downs sees us in Shepherds Well a little dormitory village. This is halfway to Dover and Jane has done well. The plan is two nights is Dover so we get on a train which arrives only 5mins after we get to the station. There is a pub opposite the Dover station the ladies need facilities and we fall gratefully though the door. Hopefully in a couple of weeks time we will regard 11miles as an easy day.

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