Normally we've set off at 5am or 6am to try to get a tea-time ferry from Calais. This year, we had to drop Sam and Lucy at Chambery Airport where they were catching a flight back to Southampton and, from there, to Jersey. They were expecting to be back in about 7pm.
It meant our journey home would start until around 8am, so a little later than normal. After last night's snowfall, there was a good four or five inches on the road and it was very cold. The snow plough had been up the main road to the resort already.
It was very cold, but not icy. I went down and cleared the snow off the car and then drove up the hill to the road that leads to the back of the chalet. I got up the hill easily, the winter tyres offer really good grip in snow like this and the traction control didn't cut in at all). Once up the hill, I backed up to the steps above the chalet so we could load up. It was quite a squeeze.
Sam drove to Chambery and we were there for 10am (their flight left at noon).
For Margaret and I, it was the long 500-mile drive to Calais. It's best not to look at the miles coming down for at least a couple of hours, but it was actually a really good journey and we did it in seven-and-a-half hours with one stop to refuel.
We had a flexible ticket for the P&O ferry and we managed to get on a 6.15pm crossing instead of 8pm. We were home at just after 10pm (with an hour gained for CET switch to GMT).
It's always nice to be home after such a long journey, although the house does seem empty without Holly. We had to wait until 10am before we could pick her up from kennels. As always, she was overjoyed to see me and didn't stop wagging her tail all day. I don't think she's unhappy in kennels; often she'll be outside playing with other dogs and this time she was loose inside the kennels walking round with the kennelmaid as she did her jobs. It has clearly been a cold and wet week at home because Holly was filthy. First job was a bath.
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