First stop Gravelines, France

We finally left home 30 minutes later than we wanted because we had to do a quick shopping run to Stalham to get a small fold up step from the factory shop so it would be easier to reattach the bike cover when we have been cycling. All set, we departed at 10am and much to our surprise the run to Folkestone from Norfolk was plain sailing, although rather tedious.
We finally got to Folkestone at 1.45pm and were given the option of boarding early which we took and drove straight through customs and joined the queue for the train.
It was another 35mins before the barrier lifted and we were allowed to board, and once we were on I set the handbrake, opened the windows, put it in first gear and turned the engine off. Then we both went straight to the back seats to lay down.
Within 10 minutes we were moving and I dropped straight off to sleep for 20 minutes with the gentle bouncing of Wanda’s suspension as the train rushed us to France.
Just before we came out of the tunnel I woke up, put my shoes back on and returned to the drivers seat just as we came out of darkness and into the sunlight.
We had arrived in France, and we were 2 hours earlier than we had thought.
Once the doors of the train opened we followed a ream of other cars out of the port and onto the A16. We had just a 16 miles until our first stop.
After 13 miles of 90kph we left the A16 and drove 3 miles along tight, windy roads following the coastline towards Dunkirk, crossing over various canals and water filled ditches until we came to a large sports park in the small town of Gravelines and Parking lot 6 is dedicated to motor homes and it’s free.
When we arrived there were 5 other motor homes already here and we chose a spot at the very end of the aire. Nobody can park next to our passenger side and we have a Motorhome already on our drivers side. We had only been here 5 minutes before their dog, a black and white spaniel, started barking at me. He’s quiet aslong as we stay out of his eyesight. It was now 4:30pm and we were set up and comfortable.
Ellie put the kettle on straight away whilst I checked my biking app for local rides and after we had both had a cup of tea I got changed into my biking gear and as I put my shorts on I heard a loud buzzing. I figured out it was coming from my shorts I had just put on and promptly whipped them back off and as I did the biggest hornet we had ever seen climbed out of the left pocket. We had brought a stowaway with us from England and quickly flicked him off the shorts out of the door hoping that he could speak french, then I took my bike off and set off down the road into a hideous head wind.
I had only chosen a 16km ride as I wasn’t sure how much tarmac and roads I would be on and as it was now rush hour I didn’t want to get on any major roads. Unbeknown to me Gravelines is the home of the French Olympic rowing team and this sports park has a huge 1600 meter straight lake for them to train on and it is surrounded by a huge tarmac track for road cycling and that is surrounded by a huge gravel track for mountain bikers.
Except for the 30mph wind I was in my element as I headed off from our parking spot, down a gravel track before picking up the beautiful flat tarmac running down the side of Olympic rowers training grounds. Then I was onto more gravel before leaving the grounds of the sports park and picking up some quiet country lanes and through 2 small villages. Just 40 mins later I was back onto gravel and heading back to Wanda. It was a lovely first ride.
Back at Wanda, Ellie was making dinner of Southern Fried Chicken steak burgers. Not very French but we didn’t think we would get a chance to go shopping and brought dinner for a few nights with us. Then at 7:30pm we settled in for the night ready for our first full day tomorrow.Read more