Two to Gibraltar Part 2

Saturday, 31 May 2008
Macclesfield - Folkestone/Calais Coquelles
Starting Mileage: 6948
Daily Total: 258
Finishing Mileage 7206

I started my journey from Macclesfield at 10:00. Along the A523 through Leek, passed Ashbourne, south of the Peak District National Park, A515 to the A50 and on to the M1 at Kegworth. My first pit stop was at Rothersthorpe South, Northampton. The weather was fine with sunny intervals. From Junction 10 to Junction 6A, I experienced long delays due to lane widening on the M1. With miles of filtering and some patience the obstacle was overcome. My second pit stop was at Maidstone Service Area. Arriving at Eurotunnel I was pleased with the simplicity of the self check-in. Punch in your reservation number and hey presto the machine issues a boarding card. From the M1 the weather had changed to overcast with the odd shower. I met John in the Eurotunnel car park. We boarded the train at 18:42 and arrived at 20:15 local time. We checked in to the Etap Hotel, Calais Coquelles, which has a secure car park.

After a quick wash/brush up, we walked over to the Cite d’Europe mall and found a small, welcoming Chinese restaurant. We chose the €7.30 menu and enjoyed a three course meal. Prawn dim sums; Imperial Chicken with fried rice and banana fritters to follow. All washed down with Tsingtao beer.

Sunday, 01 June 2008
Calais Coquelles - Chartres
Starting Mileage: 7206
Daily Total: 225
Finishing Mileage: 7431

Leaving Calais Coquelles early in the morning, the weather was overcast. It was not long before the rain arrived and we endured a tremendous downpour most of the way to Chartres. We travelled mainly on autoroutes to be sure of finding petrol stations open on a Sunday. Along the A16, A28 to Abbeville and on to Rouen. Followed the A13 then A154 to Incarville. Onto the N154 passing Evreux and Dreux, finally to Chartres.

We had stayed at Etap Hotel, Chartres last year, on our mini tour of Northern France. So we knew what to expect – decent accommodation and breakfast. We arrived early afternoon so we went to the adjacent Relais Total for a snack of croque monsieur and coffee. In the evening we returned to the Total station for an evening meal of steak hachure. If you like your meat red and tasteless then this is the meal for you, however I doubt if I’ll ever eat Steak Hachure again.

Monday, 02 June 2008
Chartres - Angouleme
Starting Mileage: 7431
Daily Total: 229
Finishing Mileage: 7660

After a pleasant stay at Etap Hotel, Chartres, we again started riding in overcast weather and it was not very long before we met very heavy showers. Today we spent most of the day on the N10, avoiding autoroutes and peage (Tolls).
John’s waterproofs were on, off and on - really heavy showers then dry periods in between. A pretty miserable ride.

Etap Hotel, Angouleme is in the middle of town and parking is secure and underground and cost us €2.30 each bike. A short walk around town and we found another Chinese restaurant in the Champ de Mars shopping mall – Mi-Am. Here the menu was a little more expensive €13.00. Main dish was fried crevettes (prawns), chicken curry for John.
As in England, France also deports illegal immigrants and earlier in the afternoon John had witnessed a demonstration, at the local police headquarters, against the deportation.