Calais Town Hall surrounded by beautiful gardens

What a brilliant nights kip. We have a new bed topper and it is so comfortable and snug. It is that good we didn’t wake until 9.30 and then we did, we didn’t want to get up. However, the pitter patter of little feet soon had us up and outside, facing the elements. It was a wee chilly but when the sun managed to peek through the clouds it was nice and warm.

Lots of beach huts but not many donkey’s

After a bit of breakfast we took Mac n Tosh on their first adventure on to the beach. It was so lovely to watch them roll around and work out what the soft stuff was all about.  Mac jumped around like a spring lamb whilst Tosh ran around in excitement. In between chasing each other in a game of tag they stopped for a dig and a sniff. We let them off the lead but after half an hour it was time to pop the leads back on before they got too giddy and decided to dash off in any direction. At 6 months old we are still teaching them how to behave and they have a long way to go before we can trust them not to do a runner.

Lets snort some sand bro.

Back at Vin and Craig made Mac n Tosh a lead out of webbing.  We have discovered that taking them outside for a wee wee is hard work –  trying to put a harness and then a lead on both dogs, it takes forever.  Then when you get outside you have no where to tie their leads to, so Craig came up with making a lead for outside. The lead has a catch on either side, so we can secure them to the underside of the motorhome via the d ring we fitted, last year. It worked a treat…but not sure the dogs felt it was a good idea…a fluffy blanket tucked up inside Vin looked much more appealing.

Craig ready for his first jaunt on international soil

A bacon baguette for lunch and then time to get the chairs out and chill. The sun had managed to burn through the clouds and it was so nice to feel the heat on your body.  I chilled whilst Craig took our new toy, a little Honda motorbike for a spin around the block.  The dudes mean while enjoyed digging in the dunes and snorting half a ton of sand.

In the afternoon, we took a stroll in to Calais town. It really is quite a nice town and most people just pass through. A good mix of shops, pretty gardens, an impressive town hall and elaborate opera house all which make Calais a reasonable place. If you add on the fact it has a lovely beach then well worth a stop at the beginning or the end of your trip.  However, be mindful of the train tracks! We strolled around town without any consideration for the tracks and ended up on the wrong side of the track and it took us blinking ages to walk back.  After a 3 hour trudge, Mac n Tosh were absolutely shattered and after a bowl of tasty dog food they crashed out for the rest of the night….not a peep or a whimper!

To accompany our dinner, we had a nice bottle of vino and our first international pud of this trip, a yummy lemon tart from a local French Patisserie.

Our first day back on the road and it feels..goooood!

The aire at Calais

Tonights sleep spot…same as last night. aire €8 per night including water.

GPS coordinates 50.966736N 1.844989E.

Route: Calais

The aire is situated 2 minutes drive from the Port of Calais. The location is right on the beach front and you can watch the ferries sail by.  Alternatively, take a stroll on the beach, down the pier or in to Calais town centre which is about 5 minutes walk.  A good clean, basic are and a great place to stop or start your journey.

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