Last day before crossing

We decided to spend the last two nights in Deal, Kent, which is a few miles up the coast from Dover. Joan spent time here on holiday with her parents (her mother was born in Deal and this is where her parents met and married) as a child and brought many subsequent visits to this seaside town over the years, the last visit in 1995. So in some ways it was a walk down memory lane ....

We also stocked up on tea bags (!) and did the last bits of preparation - as one does - before leaving for foreign fields. Deal has a lovely beach cycle path with views across the English channel and we made full use of this over the two days, stopping at times just to sit on the beach. Our campsite, wonderfully quiet and cheap, was a couple of miles from the beach, so access was easy.

Looking across the English channel to France

Watching a sailing regatta from Walmer beach 

'The Bath House' on Walmer beach in Deal

The 'Bath House' as Joan calls it used to be a public bath house dating back to Victorian times. It was converted to a residence in the 1920's and belonged to a Miss Phillips, whom Joan remembers, until her death in 2000. It was in this house where Joan spent two short holidays, the last in 1995.
Joan can be seen talking to the current owner who also knew Miss Phillips, a chance encounter when the owner heard Joan's voice telling me of her past visits there. Yesteryear's foot steps ....

The ferry to Calais leaves at 07:30 in the morning. Aiming for Brugge in Belgium for our first night on the continent.