Loaded Car.....

Yesterday afternoon (Saturday) we attempted to get everything in the car.........but didn't "quite" manage everything, so some will be going in May! All the DIY stuff, pool heater, most of the hardwood furniture, cushions pots and pans and crockery (the latter clanks a lot behind his left ear!) is there though... the painted writing desk and my very shabby chic little cupboard will go next time!

So after a lot of effing and blinding, and realising the roof rack we have doesn't fit the car we have had for 5+ years (we have never needed a roof rack as it's a people carrier!) this is the loaded car. Yes it rained and hailed on and off all afternoon too........but there is a lot in that car.

I did get a phone call at 11pm last night to say he was on the ferry at Portsmouth safely so the suspension hasn't collapsed, yet! We alwasy use LD Lines as their ferry crossings are so much more reasonable for anyone based in the south west, not glamarous but they have always got us there safely, with OK catering to pass the time. Normally the ferry gets in to Le Havre at 7am UK time, so 8am French time. The clocks went forward last night so i think he has lost two hours. It takes 5 1/2 hours from getting off the ferry to arriving at the house with a couple of shortish stops. So normally arrival time is 1.30pm and today it will be 2.30pm (French time, so he should be there about now.)

Coming home, the ferry leaves at 5pm, so as long as we leave by 10am absolute latest that leaves plenty of time. It's autoroute all the way from St Jean d'Angeley (15 mins) to Le Havre. Although LD have changed the time of one ferry (I think the Sunday or Friday one) to 4pm. So check crossing times if using LD, I would not want to be responsible for a missed boat! We are back home in Gloucestershire well before midnight as the evening ferry gets a move on, and docks at 9.30pm UK time.

The weather forecast for the next 5 days is 15 degrees and brilliant sunshine in Charente Maritime, I hope he gets on with the work and isn't outside sunning himself with a wine glass in hand....except for the obligatory French style lunch break of course! They do say that the number of hours of sunshine, within the one hour radius of La Rochelle, is the second highest in France, after St Tropez area.