L'Eurotunnel - 20th July
So the day of reckoning came around in both a lifetime and the blink of an eye. Rachel, Nailz and I had been ready for this adventure for some time, yet when the day came it was still a bit of a surprise!
We started the day the right way with full cooked breakfast courtesy of Rachel's gourmet-chef-of-a-brother (cheers Mike), and soon we were on our way to Folkestone in our self-built campervan. I'm going to post about this wonderful creation in great detail very soon, but I need to catch up with the day's events first.
So we get to the Eurotunnel terminal in good time, and I was surprised with how easy it all was. Everyone we had dealings with from security and passport control to the folks who just help you park on the train were all very helpful, courteous and above all friendly.
France to Belgium and back again
Once if France we headed straight for the Ardennes region, specifically a town called Charleville-Mezieres. We had read about a massive zip line in the area and looking at the pictures was something we definitely wanted to have a go at. Also the Ardennes region straddles France, Belgium and Luxembourg which is where we wanted to head next. It also left most of northern France and Belgium for us to discover another time.
So we hit the road and soon were blasting through the countryside of France before zipping past Lille and up into Belgium. Click here for the route we took. The only indicators that we were now in a completely different country were the change in numberplate format and accompanying B badges and subtly different road signs. Further on into Belgium, and nearer the Ardennes region, the motorways and main roads were completely lined with thick woodland and the tone of the country changed from farmland and industrial to lush green forests.
We passed by Mons and Charleroi before heading south towards Charleville-Mezieres and the invisible French border. It was a beautiful drive.
Charleville-Mezieres
We got to Charleville at just before 8pm - right when the shops were pretty much closed and only the bars and cafes were getting ready for business. We had managed to park in the town so we could have a wander round and get our bearings for the following day. After our long day of driving we also wanted to celebrate the first night with a drink and found a nice little bar right in the center of the town. They had an array of lagers and interestingly the weakest one was called Stella Artois! Being only 5%, seems Stella is the "soft" drink in these parts. Next to that was 6% Leffe (which is served in half measure only where I come from), then three Trappiste lagers (more Belgian lagers) ranging from 8% to an incredible 10% strength! I was gutted that I had brought the van and vowed to return to sample these delights the next day. We then had a stroll by the river and Rachel was excited to see some flying fish before we headed back to the van.
Making camp
On our drive into Charleville we spotted a decent place to set up camp for the night and got back there just before dark
So the day of reckoning came around in both a lifetime and the blink of an eye. Rachel, Nailz and I had been ready for this adventure for some time, yet when the day came it was still a bit of a surprise!
We started the day the right way with full cooked breakfast courtesy of Rachel's gourmet-chef-of-a-brother (cheers Mike), and soon we were on our way to Folkestone in our self-built campervan. I'm going to post about this wonderful creation in great detail very soon, but I need to catch up with the day's events first.
So we get to the Eurotunnel terminal in good time, and I was surprised with how easy it all was. Everyone we had dealings with from security and passport control to the folks who just help you park on the train were all very helpful, courteous and above all friendly.
France to Belgium and back again
Once if France we headed straight for the Ardennes region, specifically a town called Charleville-Mezieres. We had read about a massive zip line in the area and looking at the pictures
So we hit the road and soon were blasting through the countryside of France before zipping past Lille and up into Belgium. Click here for the route we took. The only indicators that we were now in a completely different country were the change in numberplate format and accompanying B badges and subtly different road signs. Further on into Belgium, and nearer the Ardennes region, the motorways and main roads were completely lined with thick woodland and the tone of the country changed from farmland and industrial to lush green forests.
We passed by Mons and Charleroi before heading south towards Charleville-Mezieres and the invisible French border. It was a beautiful drive.
Charleville-Mezieres
We got to Charleville at just before 8pm - right when the shops were pretty much closed and only the bars and cafes were getting ready for business. We had managed to park in the town so we could have a wander round and get our bearings for the following day. After our long day of driving we also wanted to celebrate the first night with a drink and found a nice little bar right in the center of the town. They had an array of lagers and interestingly the weakest one was called Stella Artois! Being only 5%, seems Stella is the "soft" drink in these parts. Next to that was 6% Leffe (which is served in half measure only where I come from), then three Trappiste lagers (more Belgian lagers) ranging from 8% to an incredible 10% strength! I was gutted that I had brought the van and vowed to return to sample these delights the next day. We then had a stroll by the river and Rachel was excited to see some flying fish before we headed back to the van.
Making camp
On our drive into Charleville we spotted a decent place to set up camp for the night and got back there just before dark
Good start. You must feel as free as birds. Like the sound of that 10 proof beer. Stool to stretcher in 3 pints! Very well written too.
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