On French soil

Sun.17.07.11. Leaving Gemma and the boys at 8.30am the poor weather down to Dover was again avoided: we were met by sunshine on the docks at 10.48, but luckily by the time we were boarding at 11.30 we managed to escape the onset rain that was arriving quickly from the west. The boat was fully loaded, this at first seemed unusual; the number of crossings made this year when it has been quiet had become the norm but, it is after all holiday time. 

The skies upon arrival at Dunkerque around 3.30pm were black, the wind blew, the rain followed. After a few enforced stops we made our way on the free autoroute the 80 kilometres to Lille, suffering the spray from larger vehicles plus the dipping temperatures. Just north of Cambrai the storm burst open, we were forced to stop.

It had been a tough journey but luckily we had no trouble finding the Hotel Florence at St. Quentin by 6.30. 

A suggestion from ‘Maria’ the hotelierre encouraged a room change, an upgrade to a 50 euro spacious double room with newly refurbished bathroom and decoration: ‘batiment B room 17’. The town of St. Quentin was a revelation, a large open ‘Place de Marie’ bordered by impressive civic buildings, smart retail stores and restaurants. We sat down in the sunshine to moules et frites at the ‘Bistro Univers’ for 10.60 euros.

With wine the total bill was 44 euros, the sun by now had retreated behind the town hall, wearily but heartened by the food we made our way back to the hotel.

The Burlington had past another test, the town was a genuine discovery, the hotel another successful find in the so called ‘dull’ north.