Where in the world was David yesterday? Chatham, Canterbury, Dover and Dunkerque!

So what happened to yesterday's post? Well, I must be honest, I fell asleep and when I woke up again the internet connection wouldn't work. There will be another post to do about today later on, but there are things I need to absorb first. For now, suffice to say that I am basically at my destination for today (Saturday) which is Lille and Roubaix and sitting in McDonald's taking advantage of their free WiFi and enjoying a green tea, which even came with a delicious little chocolate. This is France, remember!

Anyway, back to yesterday. Yesterday was a big day in every sense. It was big emotionally because it marked the point of leaving behind the familiar (stays with friends, etc) and crossing over to France. Big physically, largely because it was so hot. I was very reluctant to leave the Green family in Chatham, and enjoyed my last hours with them very much. All my laundry had been done - a blessing - and Kerry and David sent me on my way armed with sandwiches, bananas, etc. and also thoroughly prayed for. The first bit of the journey was downhill into Chatham, and that immediately had to be paid for in terms of a climb out of the Medway towns. Pretty much the whole journey was on the busy A2 yesterday, with just the deviation into Canterbury being off the main road. As a result I ended up very sticky and grimy by the time I arrived at my destination in France.

Nevertheless, the scenery was beautiful - typical Kent, with hop fields - and it would have been a thoroughly pleasant journey in an air-conditioned car. It was still breathtaking at times even on the bike, and there were curiosities to see such as Teynham's Diamond Jubilee Pump. (Sorry, you will have to click on [Historical Teynham] and then [Commemorative Pump] because of how their website works.) I made it to Canterbury in time for lunch but found the signposting there worse than almost anything else I have encountered. I had forgotten how much there is to see in and around Canterbury, but there wasn't really time to explore so I made straight for the cathedral precincts. As a member of the clergy and a pilgrim into the bargain they kindly waived the £5 admission fee. That always makes me slightly uncomfortable, but I wasn't about to say no yesterday. Sadly, just as I arrived a few minutes late for a cup of tea at Rochester Cathedral the previous day, I arrived just a few minutes late to visit Canterbury Cathedral properly. The nave and quire were closed from 1.30pm to prepare for a memorial service for Allan Wicks, organist at Canterbury from 1961 to 1988 and a truly great organist and great man all round. I sat on a bench to eat lunch with an elderly couple whose son had been one of Wicks's choristers in the 70s.

I'd already had my ration of problems for the day in the shape of a broken chain (easily fixed, but 20 minutes lost) before reaching Canterbury, so I headed on as soon as I could to try to make up town. As it turned out, the section from Canterbury to Dover, although shorter, was more demanding than I had expected and also hotter. As a result my progress was slightly slower than I had hoped, and I was most frustrated to find that I arrived at the ticket desk in Dover just 10 minutes too late to buy a ticket for the 4.00pm ferry. I could easily have got round to the ferry in time for loading, but rules are rules, so I had to wait two hours for the next ferry. Still, it was lovely to chat with a Belgian couple who had been over to do some cycle touring in Kent, and were just heading back. Things may go wrong, but there are delightful people. In the event the crossing was smooth and I was able to find a quiet corner to listen to some Swing music and make final calls to family before arriving in France. I blessed Norfolkline for being largely a freight carrier and therefore not crowded with busloads of the noisy kids I had encountered in Canterbury - they were all heading for P&O!

Anyway, the delay had the knock-on effect of making me very late into Dunkerque (8.00pm), and there was still a fair ride to make into St-Pol-sur-Mer - mostly wending my way in the falling dusk through the chemical works to avoid the main roads. It was the first time I had used the lights since leaving home, and also the first time I had really needed the GPS. It obviously knew that, and the battery died. What a way to start in France! Still, I had a clear idea of where I needed to go and found the hotel from my memory of the geography. Full marks to me. The instructions had said that reception wouldn't be staffed after 9.00pm, and inevitably I arrived at 10 past. However, the receptionist, Sebastien, was happy to come back out and help me check in. He even encouraged me to keep the bike in my room for security and carried my panniers while I lugged it up to my first floor room. France's hotelF1 hotels may be basic, but people like Sebastien make all the difference - he even sorted me out when I couldn't understand why the machine that SAID it took €1 and €2 coins was refusing to do so (the label was lying). Unfortunately that little bug meant that supper (much needed) had to consist of a Twix and a cup of tomato soup because I didn't have piles of small change in Euro currency. Bah!

Still, the shower was welcome, and my little supper hit the spot. After that, I made a couple of phone calls, sent some texts, settled down to blog, got connected to the internet, uploaded the pictures (but didn't tag them) and then fell fast asleep with the light on till morning. Sorry! And what's more, I discovered that I hadn't pressed 'Start' on my cycle computer, so there was no data to upload for the map for yesterday. Sorry again! Let's hope I have done better today on that score.