We were reclining in our pet cabin when the announcement came to tell us we were about to leave. I couldn’t work out why it sounded odd, then I realised. It was in English first. We were headed for Harwich after almost a week on the road and five months in Sweden.
Our last day in the EU started with snow. When I took the girls out to the toilet at 7:30, the snow was a bit of a surprise. Particularly after yesterday’s sunshine. Not that it was anything like the snow we had at the beginning of our travels. Maybe this was just the closing bracket.
Of course, the brilliant thing about where we stayed in de Bilt is the fact that it’s just over an hour and a bit to the ferry at the Hook of Holland. This made the drive very easy. Okay, there were the usual two horrible roundabouts, but I think I’m getting used to them now. Though they are a bit bum clenching when full of traffic.
We flew through pet and human passport control and were soon in the queue to join the ferry. A little while later, Max was parked and we were settled in our cabin.
As usual, Mirinda went exploring while the dogs and I caught up on our beauty sleep. The reason for this is, of course, because of the dogs. Emma woke me at 3am suggesting I take her out to the toilet.
Strangely, as I left the hotel for the only bit of foliage, the matre d’ from the restaurant passed me. It looked like he was on his way to work. If that was so, then he didn’t get a lot of sleep because he was still working in the restaurant when we left last night.
The ferry was due to leave at 14:10, but for reasons unexplained, it actually left at 14:40. Not that it mattered to us. We just sat back and waved out the porthole as the EU drifted out of sight.
The ferry wasn’t exactly full, which is always a pleasure for us. It means I can sit at the bar and chat with the barman and take the girls to the wee deck and generally be on my own. Along with the dogs, I mean. Of course, as usual, there was a screaming baby in the self service restaurant and lots of kids racing up and down the corridors but, generally it was a very pleasant crossing.
Mirinda went to one of the movies showing. It was Wonka, the eponymous chocolatier’s back story. She loved it. I don’t think I have to see it now as she told me everything. It was particularly interesting given we watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with Johnny Depp, just a few days ago. Of course, the back story was very different and the songs were more like the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the one with Gene Wilder.
Finally, we docked, vacated the cabin and headed back down to the car. We were then back in England.
We had a lovely, short drive to the Holiday Inn at Colchester and checked in, via the fullest car park in the universe. In fact, the drive was shorter than the walk from the parking space to reception. I asked them if they were very busy and was told that, yes, they were pretty full.
We crashed, watched a bit of woeful terrestrial TV then went to bed. Tomorrow sees us in the New Forest.
