Nearly over
Trip Start
May 23, 2008
1
19
Trip End
Jun 07, 2008
Bournemouth, England, United Kingdom
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Our first port of call was back at the Abbey in Le Bec Hellouin because I wanted to get some pottery. When we got there it was closed, and the sign on the door said it was open from 11.00 to 11.45am on Saturday mornings, so I had got lucky two weeks earlier! We had other things we wanted to do so I decided to leave it for another time and we headed towards Pont Audemer.
These last hours of our holiday are always devoted to filling the Bongo with goodies. We bring home a certain amount of booze, but more important to us is the food. Sadly, there's no point bringing the lovely bread back as it won't keep, but we always buy huge amounts of tomatoes, cheese, pate and raw and cooked meats.
Passing through the village of Montfort we spotted some interesting shops, and easily found a parking space. Like everywhere in France, in this tiny little village there are 5 butchers, and each one has something different to offer. You see cuts of meat that are no longer available at home, because very few butchers survive. You also see things that are rare or completely unavailable at home, in almost every shop. Rabbit and hare, mutton, horse, tripe and all kinds of game birds. As a horse owner I have no qualms about eating horseflesh as long as it isn't someone I know!
In the greengrocer we joined a long queue of locals, but it was an enjoyable experience. The shop was full of gorgeous things, and everything was displayed beautifully. As things were sold, the shopkeepers would disappear out the back and return with new stock to rebuild the display. Everybody was feeling and sniffing the produce, and clearly knew how to choose the best. There wasn't just lettuce, but a choice of at least 5 different kinds. The same with other fruit and vegetables. And not a trace of plastic anywhere. Heaven.
And finally, when your knuckles are dragging on the ground with the weight of everything you bought, the bill is noticeably smaller than Tescos.
There was also a shop selling 'Products of the Land'. This amounted mainly to wine and Calvados, but also included honey, jam, and various pickles. We got some local cider and honey, then set out for Pont Audemer. Here we raided one of several cheese shops and came away with a selection, as well as butter and creme fraiche.
We had a quick coffee and then set out for Honfleur. I love this place and was looking forward to seeing it again, but as we got going we realised we wouldn't have enough time, especially if we wanted to eat. We definitely wanted one last French lunch so we tried to find it in Le Havre.
Not knowing the town very well, we parked in the first available place and walked to a nearby brasserie. On closer inspection it looked rougher than we had first thought. It was full of sinister looking heavies, all in leather jackets despite the heat of the afternoon. My appetite faded instantly and ships food started looking more attractive.
Not to be deterred, Ralph set out down some back streets, heading to what he hoped was the centre of town. We very quickly passed the prison, and the area around it looked as rough as the place itself, but one block further on we found a nice square and another brasserie. It was definitely the kind of place you would expect from a poorer area, but it wasn't rough and we decided to give it a go. We had a very nice meal. Ralph had steak and chips and I had a chicken supreme. It was very cheap compared to others we had, but still properly cooked and not out of a packet or a tin tray. I don't want to come home!
And that was it. Back to the Bongo and onto the ferry. The loading went much better on the French side than the English side, and we were able to enjoy the last of the sun on deck in the port. Once we moved off though, the sea breeze drove us below deck. We upgraded to the sleeper seats, which open flat like a bed, because Ralph was tired after all the driving. I didn't think I would sleep but I managed an hour or so, and even sitting up they were very comfortable. We paid £10 for the upgrade - well worth it. Unfortunately after about an hour, someone took a seat a few rows back with a couple of young kids. The parents made them whisper, but this was just as distracting as if they were talking. It didn't seem to bother Ralph and eventually I went for a stroll around the boat.
I went back later and read for a while, but then got restless and headed for the shop. Soon after Ralph joined me, and then we went for a coffee. Returning to our seats we found another place well away from the kids, so we moved to them. Ralph went back to sleep, but - unbelievably - an episode of The Royle Family kicked off behind me. A bloke with a voice just like Dave's started an endless mindless conversation. "I can't remember where I put the diabetic pills, can you?". "I thought they were in my bag. I'm sure you put them in my bag. Shall I look in my bag and see if you put them there?" Twittered his wife. "No, I don't remember putting them in your bag. Why would I want to go in your bag? You can look in your bag and see if you put them there, if you want."
And so it went on. Very loud. Very annoying. And very inane. Kids I can understand, but they were old enough to know better and even glaring at them didn't bring about any moderation in tone. Hell is definitely other people.
We got in at 10-ish and unloaded quickly. We had an easy journey home, and the nap on the boat paid off. When we got in we swept the pile of mail into a corner, unloaded the essentials and settled in. It's never easy to go straight to bed after a long trip, but it didn't matter that we didn't turn in until 2am- we still had another day to recover from our holiday!
