25 April 2014

London - Dover
We took a free bus to Heathrow Aiport, but not to get a flight - to get a car. Europcar gave us the choice of any car in Zone 2. We chose a Puegot 2008 over a Kia, a Toyota, another Puegot, and a Vauxhall.

I found a "Virgin Media" shop in the Treaty Shopping Centre in Hounslow; eventually. This was the nearest Virgin shop to our hotel. I had to park illegally in a side street because the council carpark would not accept 2 pounds in lieu of the actual fee of 1 pound 50 p. Anyway, we got away with it. A man named Yousin sold me a micro SIM card for my phone. When I got back to the car and activated it, the sweet recorded voice told me that I would be able to use it after a delay of a few hours, or more (more being up to 2 days !). BUT I WANT IT NOW !!! I had been planning to use google to navigate me to the motorway. I had to make do with Robyn and a map !

We made it to the motorway easily enough. I started checking out the car I was driving. I found the controls - indicators were on the wrong side (that's why the windscreen wipers came on every time I changed lanes). It took about half an hour to turn on the lights, and turn the radio down.

As with all new cars, it was nice and clean, and would comfortably hold 70 MPH on the motorway. It would not however, chase down the Maserati, or the Porsche which both passed us at pace (probably 100). Everybody in a van does 70, and the trucks (lorries) do 60. Cars do any speed, but several tiny cars passed us, looking like racing shopping trolleys.

The motorway we used was 4 lanes wide (each way) for most of its length, and the surface was dead flat. The road is as good as anything I've ever seen. The locals travel fast on it because they can.

For lunch we stooped at Maidstone Services. This is a super roadhouse. The fuel station is separate to the little shopping centre. It mainly sells food, but you could also play the pokies there in a "Pokies Shop". The food was OK, but not brilliant.

As we approached Dover, the concentration of lorries increased. They were going to either the tunnel (to Calais), or the vehicular ferry port at Dover itself. Lorries from many countries drive to/from Britain these days. German, Dutch, French, and Polish trucks were the most common. The tunnel really has made Britain part of Europe.

We arrived in Dover amongst the lorries, and looked around a bit. The place is OLD. The streets can be narrow and crowded, and the locals drive like your grandmother. They drive slowly, and stop at the slightest excuse. Going into an Aldi shopping centre carpark, I went around one bloke; he held up his hands as if to say What-are-you-doing ? Then I stopped and waited for someone to get out of a parking space. It took him about two minutes to get the car started, and start reversing. Then another car came along, and he stopped; then the woman in the space next to him stared reversing, then another car came along. I started to think about a beer, but just 2 minutes later, the way cleared for me to zip into the empty parking space. One of the others looking for a spot propped, and gave me a dirty look. They are either really polite, or really timid. I don't care which to be honest.

We bought groceries (surprisingly cheap), and alcohol- beer and wine (surprisingly cheap also). Then Robyn navigated me to our little house. Dover castle is a short walk up the hill behind the house.
Yes, that is fog around the castle. The fog was so thick we could not see the coast (about a kilometre away). Tomorrow must be better.

We got ourselves some exercise by walking through a park just below the castle. When we got back, it was beer time. The Old Speckled Hen was good, even though it has no bubbles. This one is empty - sorry, none for you. I do have another one in the fridge though, which I will drink tomorrow night.


Another memorable day has passed, but now it is bed time. We are still a bit out of rhythm because of jet lag and will probably wake up early again tomorrow.