A Trip Under the Sea bed

Before I take you under the sea bed, let me show you how different our garden pond looks at the moment. Solid ice. We have had below freezing temperatures since the New Year. Snow then a slight thaw, then a freeze over and then snow on ice which makes for very slippery pavements. I managed my first walk in 4 days today. It was easier to walk in the park as snow and ice on grass is not slippery but crunchy. Snow is brilliant to walk on but ice not so.

The waterfall is freezing as the water runs down

However the Bergenia is a nice contrast

I was wondering where to take you at the beginning of this new year. No, I am not going travelling but digging into the archives. I thought a sojourn into the middle of rural France might be nice.

It will take a few posts but before commencing with that I will show you how we choose to cross the channel. We use the drive on shuttle. Foot passengers have to use Eurostar but this is a quick way if taking the car.

These particular photos are none too clear as they were taken in 1996 when the tunnel first opened and before I had a digital camera, but I did not take any on subsequent trips so these are the best I have.

We have had coffee in the terminal building, checked in before passing through customs and security etc., and here we are waiting in the queue for the next train. Much, much busier these days.

We drive down the ramp and onto the train. These trains are so long that they have different entry points. As you can see, the train goes straight into the tunnel and the beauty of having all the customs, security and imigration taken care of before the flight, we drive straight off the train and onto the motorway on arrival.

This is our first journey on Le Shuttle and as there were no buses boarding we were able to drive into the spacious carriages used by buses. The train in general has an upper and lower deck and are half the height of what you see here.

You can stay in the car or get out, but as there is nowhere to go most people just stay in their car. The journey takes 40 minutes, 25 of those under the sea bed.

Alan points out that this is on the return journey because he is wearing a different shirt. The people in the car behind were Americans and as we had recently returned from time in the States we had much to talk about. The shutters you see behind this car come down between every six cars throughout the whole of the train, they are fire doors. One can walk through the double swing fire doors to use the toilets.

The only other way to take the car to France is on a ferry and some are seen here in the Port of Calais.

Stay tuned for the trip which took place in 2002.